Smart Mobile Modules
The revolutionary idea of the CarE-Service project consists in making disassembly, testing and certification processes and the related technologies movable and usable on-demand. Indeed, robot and equipment will be transported in two separated containers, the “Smart Movable Modules (SMMs)” to various dismantlers’ locations based on-demand enabling sustainable access to novel technologies.
Image by: Truck Silhouette Clip Art
Disassembling
1st SMM will be disassemble high value-added parts (battery, techno polymer and metal parts).
Image by: Truck Silhouette Clip Art
Testing & Certification
2nd SMM will test the disassembled parts. For reusable parts, the SMM will release certification.
The disassembly of E&EHVs parts implies new challenges due to their novelty and variability of End Of Life (EOL) conditions. High value parts should be removed selectively considering their residual value and market demand, and adopting procedures (destructive or non-destructive) that allow efficient downstream post-processing. In the first SMM, the following new solutions will be developed:
(i) Decision Support System (DSS) that, based on information on the state of the vehicle retrieved from car sensors, on manufacturer product data and on the existing demand for remanufactured or recycled components -stored in the cloud-, will provide optimized information to the dismantler on the components to disassemble;
(ii) reference guidelines indicating sequences of inspection and disassembly tasks for specific key parts;
(iii) advanced technologies and tools supporting disassembly operations as mechatronics tools and cooperative robot that will move along the car and will smartly and safely cooperate with humans to support critical and complex disassembly operations. In addition, the robotic operators will support humans in inspection, handling, unscrewing and cutting/de-soldering increasing safety, productivity, ergonomics and reliving operators from heavy duty and risky tasks.
The process will also be assisted by intuitive, multimodal and friendly ergonomic interfaces such as tablet, headsets or virtual/augmented reality technologies.
After the disassembling of high value components, specific tests will be carried out to certify the status of the disassembled components in in the second SMM, to allow:
(i) safe re-usability (certification of safe reusability and performance guarantee will be provided);
(ii) remanufacturing after having test the correct/potential functionality of sub-components;
(iii) recycling processes after having estimate the type and content of high value-added materials.
New functional, geometric, mechanical, and electric testing methods and technologies will be engineered and validated. The systematic introduction of such a testing/certification processes will contribute to drastically reduce the operational risks associated to the uncertainty of EOL parts that enter the reuse chains.
In order to increase flexibility, the two modules can operate together, allowing a full sequential disassembly and certification process, or separately.
SMMs will be smart. By interacting with sensors dispersed in vehicles and in their components, they will retrieve data on the use conditions of post-use vehicles in order to plan and optimize the disassembly and testing processes, as well as to support customers quality reward programs.
In addition, they will be connected in the cloud with the CarE-Service platform, that will showcase the availability of disassembled and tested parts for reuse or further remanufacturing/recycling processes.
Thanks to the SMMs, investments in fixed installations that risk to remain unsaturated due to the low volumes of post-use E&HEVs in the transition phase from fuel to E&HEVs, will be avoided. At the operation place, disassembly and testing/certification technologies will be easily unloaded to create smart on-site disassembly and testing environments, integrated with the local infrastructure (i.e. lift cranes).
