Algorithms for sequence-dependent disassembly line balancing problem

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20002890

Recent technological advancements have given birth to the growth in electronics and the availability of inexpensive products with high quality. Due to human nature, consumers constantly look for newer products although what they have may be still functional. Functional or not, used products are routinely discarded. This trend has led to extreme depletion of virgin resources to satisfy the ever increasing demands of the customers. In addition, the waste created by products reaching the end of their useful lives pose challenges for the environment. Environmental and economic concerns together with the stricter government regulations and public awareness on the disposal of end-of-life (EOL) products have led to the concept of "Product Recovery". Product recovery seeks to obtain materials and parts from old or outdated products through recycling and remanufacturing in order to eliminate environmental negative impact in a cost effective manner.