Disassembly lot sizing in remanufacturing with stochastic process routes: a simulation study

In recent years, numerous industries have made substantial efforts to reduce the environmental impact of their production systems in response to stricter government regulations and heightened consumer awareness of environmental issues. Consequently, many industries have adopted practices such as remanufacturing to mitigate their environmental footprint. Remanufacturing entails acquiring used products, disassembly them, repairing their components, and subsequently (re)assembling them. This process has specific characteristics that distinguish it from conventional manufacturing, particularly in production planning and control. One of the primary challenges in remanufacturing systems is coordinating the disassembly, remanufacturing, and (re)assembly stages. Key decisions in this context include determining the quantities and timing for purchasing, remanufacturing, producing, or acquiring new parts, products, and materials. This paper analyzes the results of a remanufacturing simulation model, focusing on the number of routes and quantities of parts generated during disassembly. The methodology integrates modeling and simulation encompassing the following steps: problem definition, model construction, model solution, and model validation. The results indicate that as the initial inventory of items increases, fewer products tend to require disassembly to meet demand. However, while the general trend is toward reduced disassembly, the location of items within the initial inventory impacts the results.