Paul Xirouchakis

Research issues on product lifecycle management and information tracking using smart embedded systems

Abstract PROMISE will develop appropriate technology, including product lifecycle models, product embedded information devices with associated firmware and software components and tools for decision making based on data gathered through a product lifecycle. This is done to enable and exploit the seamless flow, tracing and updating of information about a product, after its delivery to the customer and up to its final destiny (deregistration, decommissioning) and back to the designer and producer. The breakthrough contribution of PROMISE, in the long term, is to allow information flow management to go beyond the customer, to close the product lifecycle information loops, and to enable the seamless e-transformation of product lifecycle information to knowledge. The PROMISE R&D implementation plan includes fundamental and applied research activities in the disciplines of information systems modelling, smart embedded systems, short and long distance wireless communication technologies, data management and modelling, design for X and adaptive production management for beginning of life (BOL), statistical methods for predictive maintenance for middle of life (MOL) and planning and management of product end of life (EOL). After a general description of the PROMISE project, we present an example of the issues to be addressed in it. It consists of defining a data structure for recording maintainability data during the maintenance operations in order to use them in design for maintainability.

Research issues on closed-loop PLM

This study introduces the research issues on closed-loop product lifecycle management (PLM) where product information flow is closed due to emerging technologies. PLM is a new strategic approach to manage the product lifecycle information efficiently over the whole product lifecycle. Recently, with emerging technologies, PLM enables us to gather and analyze the product lifecycle information and make decisions on several issues without spatial and temporal constraints. However, the PLM system just provides us with new opportunities to gain the competitiveness. To remove ineffectiveness within the product lifecycle and maximize the advantage of closed-loop PLM, it is necessary to look into new challenging issues. For this purpose, first, we introduce the concept of closed-loop PLM. Then, we explore several research problems that become highlighted in the closed-loop PLM. For each product lifecycle phase, we introduce research issues with the review of their previous research and address the requirements for resolving them. Finally, we close with discussion about our work and introduction of further research issues.

Disassembly planning and scheduling: Review and further research

Abstract This paper focuses on the planning and scheduling problems in disassembly systems, in which used or end-of-life products are disassembled into basic parts and subassemblies for both economic and environmental reasons. The disassembly planning includes product representation, disassembly sequencing with disassembly level and end-of-life options, and related product design/redesign issues, while the disassembly scheduling is the problem of determining the order quantity of the used product to fulfil the demand of disassembled parts and subassemblies. This paper presents a review of the state-of-the-art articles and suggests the corresponding further research directions. The research directions suggested in this paper can be summarized as

Parallel Disassembly Sequencing with Sequence-Dependent Operation Times

This paper focuses on the disassembly sequencing, which is the problem of determining the disassembly level and the corresponding disassembly sequence for a product at its end-of-life with the objective of maximizing the overall profit. Parallel disassembly and sequence-dependent operation times are considered by developing an extended process graph obtained from a transformation of a conventional AND/OR graph. Then, an integer programming formulation is developed with precedence constraints that allows its resolution with standard techniques. Finally, an optimal solution is obtained, with a reasonable amount of computation time, for an industrial application of a subassembly of a copy machine.

Modelling and evaluating product end-of-life options

The paper focuses on the modelling and evaluating product end-of-life options, which is the problem of representing products and determining disassembly sequences with the objective of maximizing revenue. For the problem considered here, three algorithms were developed. The first is the algorithm to generate the product recovery graph semi-automatically for a given product liaison graph. Then, using the generated product recovery graph, another algorithm is developed to obtain optimal disassembly plans that maximize revenue. This algorithm is based on the backward calculation so that the hyperedges of the recovery graph are visited only once. Finally, to cope with uncertainties of the end-of-life products, a recovery graph questioning algorithm is suggested to find the margin of allowed revenue reduction of a given target edge that maintains the same optimal plan. Application of the three algorithms is illustrated using an example.

A framework for RFID applications in product lifecycle management

This study introduces an overall framework for radio frequency identification (RFID) applications in product lifecycle management (PLM). Recently, with emerging technologies related to product identification and wireless mobile tele-communication, PLM provides a new environment that enables lifecycle actors to gather and analyse product lifecycle information, and make efficient decisions without spatial and temporal constraints. However, previous research has paid little attention to how to apply the emerging technologies into PLM. To cope with this limitation, in the current study, RFID applications in PLM are dealt with from technical and business viewpoints. To this end, an overall framework for RFID applications in PLM is proposed. It contains the definition of a product embedded information device (PEID) that uses RFID technology, its specification and operation scenarios for each application. Furthermore, application issues and their overall procedures are introduced for each lifecycle phase.

A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm for EOL product recovery optimization: turbocharger case study

Recently, the importance of the end-of-life (EOL) product recovery process has been rising since the return rate of products is increasing due to strict environmental regulations on products and economic reasons. In addition to this, the advent of emerging product identification technologies makes product lifecycle data visible at EOL phase. In this regard, the optimization of product recovery processes becomes highlighted as a challenging issue of EOL. At the inspection phase after disassembly, each part can have various EOL recovery options such as re-use, remanufacturing, and disposal. Depending on the selected EOL options of parts, the recovery value of an EOL product will be different. Hence, it is essential to develop a decision-making method that can select the best EOL options of parts for maximizing the recovery value of an EOL product. Although some previous works have focused on improving EOL operations, there has been a lack of research which dealt with EOL product recovery optimization in a quantitative manner. To cope with this limitation, in this study, we focus on a selection problem of EOL product recovery options for a turbocharger case, for maximizing its recovery value which includes both recovery cost and quality. To solve the problem efficiently, we develop a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA). To show the effectiveness of our algorithm, we carry out computational experiments.

Multicriteria decision-aid approach for product end-of-life alternative selection

The selection of the best compromise alternative for treating a product at its end of life (EOL) is presented. Each EOL alternative has its own consequences from an economical, environmental and social point of view. The criteria used to determine these consequences are often contradictory and not equally important. In the presence of multiple conflicting criteria, an optimal EOL alternative rarely exists. Hence, the decision-maker should seek the best compromise EOL alternative. The present paper proposes a multicriteria decision-aid (MCDA) approach to aid the decision-maker in selecting the best compromise EOL alternative on the basis of his/her preferences and the performances of EOL alternatives with respect to the relevant environmental, social and economic criteria. This approach is important because it allows the user to consider various conflicting criteria simultaneously and it takes into account his/her preferences. The paper analyses the most important aspects of this approach such as the constitution of a set of EOL alternatives, the selection of a list of relevant criteria to evaluate the EOL alternatives and the choice of an appropriate multicriteria decision-aid method. A case study is provided to illustrate how the proposed approach can be used for product EOL alternative selection in real-world applications.

Disassembly scheduling: literature review and future research directions

Disassembly scheduling, one of the important operational problems in disassembly systems, can be generally defined as the problem of determining the quantity and timing of the end-of-use/life products while satisfying the demand of their parts over a planning horizon. This paper presents a literature review on this planning problem in disassembly systems. First, the basic form of the problem is defined with a mathematical formulation. To characterize the differences between assembly and disassembly processes, the effects of the divergence property are also explained with respect to the zero inventory property, indispensable surplus inventory, and mathematical representation. Then, we review the existing research articles on the basic problem and its generalizations. A systematic scheme for classifying problems is also suggested. Finally, we suggest several future research directions.

Disassembly Scheduling with Capacity Constraints

Abstract Disassembly scheduling is the problem of determining the ordering and disassembly schedule for used products while satisfying the demands of their individual parts or components over the planning horizon. The objective is to minimize the sum of purchase, inventory holding, and disassembly operation costs, subject to capacity restrictions in each period. In this paper, an integer programming model, which is a reversed form of the multi-level capacitated lot sizing problem, is suggested to represent and solve the problem optimally. A case study on used inkjet printers is worked out and the test results are reported.