Changeable closed-loop manufacturing systems: challenges in product take-back and evaluation of reconfigurable solutions

ABSTRACT

Due to continuous focus on sustainability and circular economy, product take-back programs are becoming increasingly relevant and attractive. Thus, closed-loop manufacturing systems have to be designed and developed for disassembly, reprocessing of materials, re-assembly, and remanufacturing in a cost-efficient way. Compared to traditional manufacturing, this involves a higher need for changeability due to higher uncertainty, e.g. in terms of timing and quantity that the system needs to handle, uncertainty in quality and materials of received items, and in particular significant variety in returned items, the system should be designed to process. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to investigate how reconfigurability, as the enabler of changeability at manufacturing system level, can be utilised to aid challenges in closed-loop manufacturing systems for product take-back. Initially, insights from an industrial case are presented regarding challenges in establishing and operating closed-loop manufacturing systems for product take-back programs. Secondly, different closed-loop manufacturing concepts applying the principles of reconfigurability are proposed and evaluated in terms of cost and robustness towards the inherent uncertainties in supplied end-of-use items. The results show significant potential of utilising a modular and platform-based approach towards meeting supply uncertainties through reconfiguration, which allows for a more efficient setup for product take-back.

KEYWORDS:

• Remanufacturing
• closed-loop manufacturing
• changeability
• reconfigurability
• product take-back
• sustainability

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ann-Louise Andersen

Ann-Louise Andersen is an Associate Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Materials and Production (Denmark). She is also a Guest Assistant Professor at Jönköping University, School of Engineering (Sweden). Her research interests are in the development of changeable and reconfigurable manufacturing systems, including design methodologies, cost modelling, and the transition of industry towards more changeable, reconfigurable and sustainable manufacturing systems.

Thomas D. Brunoe

Thomas Ditlev Brunoe is an Associate Professor with Aalborg University, Department of Materials and Production, in the research group mass customisation. He holds an industrial Ph.D. in Product configuration from Aalborg University. His research interests include variety and complexity management, product and process modelling, product and process configuration, and reconfigurable and changeable manufacturing.

Markus Thomas Bockholt

Markus Thomas Bockholt former research interests are circular economy and industrial sustainability. After handing in his PhD thesis with the title “TRANSITIONING THE DISCRETE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY FROM A LINEAR TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY” he decided to follow his entrepreneurial ambitions and founded the Safer Salmon GmbH. An online market place for sustainably farmed salmon from Recirculating Aquaculture Systems.

Alessia Napoleone

Alessia Napoleone is a Post-Doc Researcher at Aalborg University in Denmark. She graduated in Management Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano and received her Ph.D. at the same university with a thesis about the structure of reconfigurability as a managerial capability in manufacturing systems and plants. Her current research interests lie also in the design of reconfigurable manufacturing systems. Moreover, she is investigating how the reconfigurability capability in manufacturing can be supported by digital and smart technologies.

Jesper Hemdrup Kristensen

Jesper Hemdrup Kristensen is a Post-Doc Researcher at Aalborg University, Department of Materials and Production in Denmark. He received a Ph.D. degree at Aalborg University in 2018 on the topic of tactical production planning. His current research interests are within circular economy and product take-back.

Michele Colli

Michele Colli born in Italy and based in Denmark. He works as an Industrial IoT Specialist at FORCE Technology, where he supports manufacturing companies in translating digital innovation into competitive advantage. His activities link his Engineering and Operations Management background (B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. in Manufacturing Technology) to the Industry 4.0 knowledge he developed during his Ph.D., and span from consultancy to the development of new tools and methodologies and the dissemination of knowledge through publications, keynotes, seminars and masterclasses. In 2021, Michele became the project manager of the “Digital Factory Acceleration” program, co-financed by Industriens Fond.

Brian Vejrum Wæhrens

Brian Vejrum Wæhrens current research interests are digital and sustainable transformation of industry – studied as the effective integration of day-to-day operations across a dispersed operations network, and its link with strategic development initiatives within the company and at the supply chain level. Combining theories from the domains of operations/supply chain management, environmental management, and strategy.

Kjeld Nielsen

Kjeld Nielsen has his main research area is reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) with expert knowledge in metrics for mass customisation and product and production architecture. Since 2009, he been a full-time academia at Aalborg University and before then he had 25 years of experience as practitioner, as entrepreneur, manager, and business angel in private own ICT companies. He has during this gained expert knowledge, skills, and competences in innovation management and entrepreneurship theoretically as well as practically.