Closing the Loop: (Re-) Design for Disassembly and Circular Economy
8 – 13 June 2025
Image credits: retrieved from Adobe Stock, by Steve
Keywords: sustainability, production chain, circular economy, disassembly
Location
Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Participants
Application is open to Master and PhD Students of the member universities from the IDEA League Alliance. A background in one of the following fields would be beneficial: mechanical engineering, mechatronics, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, computer science and software engineering
Expenses
Requirements
– Curriculum vitae & publications list
– Letter of motivation
– Letter of recommendation (optional)
– Transcript of records (for master students)
– Supervisor approval (for PhD candidates from Chalmers only)
Course Content
One of the main strategies to achieve sustainable, green production is a circular economy. To close material life cycles, the EU is currently passing multiple legislations that regulate reparability, recycling quotas, and digital product passes for a range of products. Substantial financial and ecological potential lies in remanufacturing of components and materials. Design for Disassembly (DfD) is a useful tool in this context and an emerging field of research. Moreover, the implementation of automated disassembly systems will enhance conventional manual systems and enable a wider range of strategies, such as remanufacturing, to scale it into a profitable business case.
This summer school will use the disassembly and redesign of drones to demonstrate the power of the circular economy by showcasing how materials and components can be redesigned in a more circular product. Participants will gain hands-on experience in sustainable design principles and innovative engineering approaches that minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. Through workshops, collaborative projects, and expert-led discussions, attendees will explore the economic, environmental, and technological benefits of circularity in product development.
Learning Objectives
Students will learn:
- When and why to use DfD.
- How can design make reusing, remanufacturing, repair, recycling easier.
- How automated, flexible remanufacturing systems can be used to implement efficient remanufacturing.
- How digitalization can be an enabler for (dis)-assembly
- What are practices in the industry today (especially the automation of systems).
- How can opposing goals be overcome (i.e. designing for long life vs. DfD).
- How can longer lifecycles (including repair or redesign by users) be facilitated.
Further goals of the summer school:
- Encourage formation of networks between the universities regarding green technologies.
- Encourage exchange about own fields of studies.
- Encourage sharing of learned information and experience through participants
Schedule
June 8th: Sunday: Arrival and networking
June 9th: Monday: Introduction to circular economy: design and assembly in manufacturing and introduction to drones
June 10th: Tuesday: Disassembly Mapping
June 11th: Wednesday: Remanufacturing process and redesigning a product for disassembly
June 12th: Thursday: Automated remanufacturing systems and remanufacturing systems
June 13th: Friday: Closing day with presentations and networking