Measuring the Recyclability of Electronic Components to Assist Automatic Disassembly and Sorting Waste Printed Circuit Boards

TL;DR

This paper introduces a mathematical model combined with AI to measure the recyclability and disassembly difficulty of electronic components on waste printed circuit boards, aiding automated recycling processes.

Contribution

It presents a novel measurement approach that evaluates component recyclability and complexity, enhancing AI-driven disassembly and sorting of electronic waste.

Findings

Provides a method to assess recovery potential of valuable materials.

Improves AI accuracy in classifying electronic components.

Facilitates iterative training for better disassembly automation.

Abstract

The waste of electrical and electronic equipment has been increased due to the fast evolution of technology products and competition of many IT sectors. Every year millions of tons of electronic waste are thrown into the environment which causes high consequences for human health. Therefore, it is crucial to control this waste flow using technology, especially using Artificial Intelligence but also reclamation of critical raw materials for new production processes. In this paper, we focused on the measurement of recyclability of waste electronic components (WECs) from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) using mathematical innovation model. This innovative approach evaluates both the recyclability and recycling difficulties of WECs, integrating an AI model for improved disassembly and sorting. Assessing the recyclability of individual electronic components present on WPCBs provides insight into the recovery potential of valuable materials and indicates the level of complexity involved in recycling in terms of economic worth and production utility. This novel measurement approach helps AI models in accurately determining the number of classes to be identified and sorted during the automated disassembly of discarded PCBs. It also facilitates the model in iterative training and validation of individual electronic components.