Addressing Circularity Strategies by Reconfiguring Smart Products during Their Lifecycle

Abstract

Considering circularity aspects during the engineering of smart products implies a significantly increased complexity of engineering processes. Especially technical reconfiguration of smart products, offered as services in availability-oriented business models, enables the integration of circular economy aspects in sustainable products and lifecycles, through realizing several aspects of the 9R strategies. This paper introduces an analysis of interdependencies between 9R strategies potential reconfiguration options, technical characteristics of smart products, different maturity levels of smart product and abilities for circularity. Partial engineering models managed in different product lifecycle management systems provide a technical basis for systematization and evaluation of circular abilities of reconfigurable smart products in different lifecycle phases. The approach aims to improve circularity-related decision making in systems engineering processes in the early development phases and during the reconfiguration of smart products during utilization phase. An industrial use case considering a microelectronic-centered smart product used in e-mobility solutions validates the approach.