Cyber-physical systems for end-of-life management of printed circuit boards and mechatronics products in home automation: A review

Due to rapid changes in consumer demand and electronic technology advancements, electronics products in general, and specifically home automation segment products, are becoming obsolete at a very high rate. Therefore, strategies for End-of-Life (EOL) management need to be adapted. However, EOL management of these products is not globally approached due to the lack of autonomous, integrated, modular, and flexible systems to cope with the wide variety, and heterogeneous complicate structure of products. This paper reviews current practices and issues related to EOL management of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and mechatronics products in the home automation segment, focusing on their different material compositions as well as on the uses of these raw materials in the circular economy perspective. In addition, this paper provides possible Cyber-Physical System (CPS) implementation scenarios using physical tools available at the STIIMA-CNR de-manufacturing pilot plant. Eventually, this paper highlights challenges and guidelines to develop a new generation of advanced EOL management through the Cyber-Physical System technique.