How can robots help manufacturing industry use natural resources more efficiently and be kinder to the environment?

A blog by Duc Pham, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham and Member of the Institution’s Manufacturing Industries Division

In May 2016 a new £1.94m five-year collaborative research project, AutoReman (Autonomous Remanufacturing), funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) began to address how to answer this question looking into robotic disassembly technology as a key enabler of autonomous remanufacturing.

The work is being carried out by a team of ten mechanical engineers at the University of Birmingham, where we are investigating how robots can collaborate with humans in remanufacturing.  

But what does remanufacturing mean exactly?  Remanufacturing is the process of returning a product to at least its original performance.  When compared to manufacturing, remanufacturing can use as little as 10% of the energy and raw materials required, while saving more than 80% in CO₂ emissions.  As engineers and manufacturers this is something that we should be striving to achieve to ensure that we work towards a sustainable future that takes a holistic approach to the impact it is having on future generations.  The importance and benefits of remanufacturing are detailed in the “Triple Win: The Economic, Social and Environmental Case for Remanufacturing” report by the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group.

Currently people are familiar with using robots in manufacturing, but not within remanufacturing, or more specifically in the critical disassembly stage of remanufacturing. 

The AutoReman project will develop robotic technology enabling disassembly to be carried out with minimal human intervention or in a collaborative fashion by man and machine. In many situations, robots will function autonomously, alongside people who will perform tasks that are too difficult or too costly to robotise. In other situations, robots will assist human operatives, as equal co-workers or as subordinates to humans.

AutoReman will start with a detailed investigation of disassembly processes in order to derive the necessary fundamental understanding. The acquired basic process knowledge will be used methodically to create plans, models, algorithms and tools to enable robotic systems to carry out disassembly autonomously or in cooperation with humans.

This project will mean that we are the first nation in the world to adopt a scientific multi-disciplinary approach to disassembly problems. This will lead to us understanding the disassembly processes in depth.  Such a fundamental understanding does not exist but is necessary to support the development of robotic disassembly systems that can handle variability in the product, a common issue in remanufacturing.

The project is being done in partnership with three UK manufacturers, Caterpillar, Meritor and MG Motor, all with a strong interest in automotive remanufacturing.  Two technology translating partners, the High Speed Sustainable Manufacturing Institute (HSSMI) and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) will help disseminate the project results to wider industry.

The team are looking to recruit industrial users and academic researchers to form a network for sharing information from the project and the field of remanufacturing in general.  If you are interested in joining this network please email autoreman@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

The views of the writer do not necessarily represent the views of the Institution.