Automation in the Recycling Industry : Recycling of Plastic and Large Liquid Crystal Displays

In a world of growing population and increasing prosperity, the demand for new high-technology products is increasing together with the demand for rawmaterials. To be able to deal with the demand for new raw materials and the increasing amount of waste, the recycling industry needs to prepare itself to cope with these changes. If the waste can become the new raw materials, then the recycling industry has a bright future. The implementation of new ways to recycle products can be the solution to succeeding in this challenge. The objective of this research is to investigate, from a technical perspective, automation in the recycling industry. More specifically, the objective is to identify problems and solutions in the recycling of plastics and large liquid crystal displays in order to better cope with current recycling requirements. This research was inspired by the research methodologies of industry-aslaboratory, action research, experimental research and two concept development methods. The results related to the recycling of plastics come from a theoretical investigation of the possibilities for a plastic sorting facility. The investigation resulted in two concepts for recycling systems, implementable with today’s stateof-the-art technology and a more futuristic concept for sorting and separating the different plastics of interest. The systems are designed with standardised processes and are arranged in a flexible way to be able to manage with current industrial requirements. The results related to large liquid crystal displays include a clarification of the requirements for an automatic recycling plant, concept generation, and practical testing of different technologies. Two preferred processes for dismantle large liquid crystal displays are the circle saw and band saw. Additional results are the semi-automatic process structure to manage with current industrial requirements for large liquid crystal displays

Automation in the Recycling Industry : Recycling of Plastic and Large Liquid Crystal Displays

In a world of growing population and increasing prosperity, the demand for new high-technology products is increasing together with the demand for rawmaterials. To be able to deal with the demand for new raw materials and the increasing amount of waste, the recycling industry needs to prepare itself to cope with these changes. If the waste can become the new raw materials, then the recycling industry has a bright future. The implementation of new ways to recycle products can be the solution to succeeding in this challenge. The objective of this research is to investigate, from a technical perspective, automation in the recycling industry. More specifically, the objective is to identify problems and solutions in the recycling of plastics and large liquid crystal displays in order to better cope with current recycling requirements. This research was inspired by the research methodologies of industry-aslaboratory, action research, experimental research and two concept development methods. The results related to the recycling of plastics come from a theoretical investigation of the possibilities for a plastic sorting facility. The investigation resulted in two concepts for recycling systems, implementable with today’s stateof-the-art technology and a more futuristic concept for sorting and separating the different plastics of interest. The systems are designed with standardised processes and are arranged in a flexible way to be able to manage with current industrial requirements. The results related to large liquid crystal displays include a clarification of the requirements for an automatic recycling plant, concept generation, and practical testing of different technologies. Two preferred processes for dismantle large liquid crystal displays are the circle saw and band saw. Additional results are the semi-automatic process structure to manage with current industrial requirements for large liquid crystal displays

Process concepts for semi-automatic dismantling of LCD televisions

There is a large variety of electrical and electronic equipment products, for example liquid crystal display television sets (LCD TVs), in the waste stream today. Many LCD TVs contain mercury, which is a challenge to treat at the recycling plants. Two current used processes to recycle LCD TVs are automated shredding and manual disassembly. This paper aims to present concepts for semi-automated dismantling processes for LCD TVs in order to achieve higher productivity and flexibility, and in turn increase the value of the recycled materials, improve the work environment for operators and remove mercury from the recycled materials. A literature review and two empirical studies were performed to be able to present a concept for dismantling direct illuminated LCD TVs. The process used a circular saw and/or a band saw to machine two cuts in LCD TVs to gain access to the mercury-containing cold cathode fluorescent lamps inside. This conceptual process is compared to the other processes found in the literature.HÅPLA (VINNOVA) och AutoDisa (SSF

Evaporation of Mercury from CCFLs during Recycling of LCD Television Sets

The element mercury is one of the most hazardous substances known. Still, it is common in the air, water, soil and products we use in our daily life. LCD TVs is one of these products. To prevent the mercury in the LCD TVs from polluting the environment, the LCD TVs are recycled. This is done through automatic shredding or manual disassembly where the mercury can spread in the work environment, the process equipment or to the recycled material. This is due to broken CCFLs in the LCD TVs which contain the mercury. The aim of this paper is to investigate, through a literature review and an empirical study, the amount of mercury released into the work environment due to broken CCFLs from LCD TVs. In the literature review there were found the amount of mercury other researchers has found in CCFLs from LCD TVs, and also where the mercury was found. In the empirical study, the amount of mercury in a LCD due to broken CCFLs were measured and validates the results from other researcher and states that the mercury is difficult to predict

Process concepts for semi-automatic dismantling of LCD televisions

There is a large variety of electrical and electronic equipment products, for example liquid crystal display television sets (LCD TVs), in the waste stream today. Many LCD TVs contain mercury, which is a challenge to treat at the recycling plants. Two current used processes to recycle LCD TVs are automated shredding and manual disassembly. This paper aims to present concepts for semi-automated dismantling processes for LCD TVs in order to achieve higher productivity and flexibility, and in turn increase the value of the recycled materials, improve the work environment for operators and remove mercury from the recycled materials. A literature review and two empirical studies were performed to be able to present a concept for dismantling direct illuminated LCD TVs. The process used a circular saw and/or a band saw to machine two cuts in LCD TVs to gain access to the mercury-containing cold cathode fluorescent lamps inside. This conceptual process is compared to the other processes found in the literature.HÅPLA (VINNOVA) och AutoDisa (SSF

Automatic Dismantling Challenges in the Structural Design of LCD TVs

Many liquid crystal display television sets (LCD TVs) end up in the waste stream today. The combination of hazardous materials such as mercury and liquid crystal, and the labor-intensive disassembly of LCD TVs, make the recycling process interesting to automate. However, since there are so many manufacturers the variation of LCD TVs is high, making automation a challenge. Todays most common automatic process utilizes shredders, resulting in degradation of recycled material and possible decontamination of machine equipment. This paper aims to investigate the challenges related to the structural design of LCD TVs for an automatic dismantling process for the recycling of LCD TVs. The challenges identified during the empirical study were related to the mixture of materials, inhomogeneous materials, thin design, separation of the different components and finding a suitable dismantling sequence without unnecessary removal of components

Design for automatic end-of-life processes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how manufacturers can develop automatic end-of-life processes facilitated by product design methods, e.g. design for disassembly, recycling and remanufacturing. Also to illustrate this kind of product and end-of-life process development while maintaining economic and environmental values. Here, the cases of toner cartridges and liquid crystal displays are the focus. Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology for this paper began with a literature study within the fields of design for automatic recycling and remanufacturing. It also includes the research performed at two different industrial companies using automation in their end-of-life processes. These companies were visited and interviewed several times, in order to understand their processes and what current problems they have in automation and product design. Findings – Design implications on the end-of-life have been explored, and in particular, three general product trends are in conflict with automatic disassembly: products are getting more complex and more heterogeneous; products are getting sleeker; and products are using more proprietary joints. In addition, the three industrial cases describe different problems in industry and how they can be tackled. Although many manufacturers have adapted the design principles of DFM and DFE, there is still much to improve when it comes to designing for the product's end-of-life processes. These kinds of adaptations should increase in importance over time as more and more products and components are remanufactured and/or material recycled. These kinds of adaptations will also encourage an increase of products passing through more resource efficient end-of-life options. Practical implications – Manufacturers reading what design problems other companies are experiencing and what solutions can be found would facilitate their own businesses and willingness to start their own and/or improve their existing manufacturing business. This could then be in shape developing products for end-of-life processes which also would encourage them to start their own end-of-life process facilities. Social implications – From a societal perspective, an increase in remanufactured products being placed on the market can increase the awareness and confidence of the consumers in non-new products made from non-virgin materials. This will increase the market for second-life products and bring about economics of scale, which in turn will alleviate the problem of depletion of resources. Originality/value – Most previous research in this area treats the different end-of-life processes separately; material recycling and product remanufacturing are but two examples. However, in this paper the focus is more on the overall view of end-of-life processes, along with examples of more specific and detailed end-of-life processes, such as disassembly and cleaning.funding agencies|Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA)||Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF)||</p