Disassembly sequencing using genetic algorithm

Abstract

At the end-of-life (EOL) of a product, there are several options available for its processing including reuse, remanufacturing, recycling and disposing. In almost all cases, a certain level of disassembly may be necessary. Thus, finding an optimal (or near optimal) disassembly sequence is crucial to increasing the efficiency of the process. Disassembly operations are labor intensive, can be costly, have unique characteristics and cannot be considered as the reverse of assembly operations. Since the complexity of determining the best disassembly sequence increases with increase in the number of parts of the product, it is extremely crucial that an efficient methodology for disassembly sequencing be developed. In this paper, we present a genetic algorithm for disassembly sequencing of EOL products. A case example is considered to demonstrate the functionality of the algorithm.