Micro Manufacturing Centers for Low-Carbon IT Remanufacturing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in efficiently tracking the remaining life of information handling system components, predicting future failures, and optimizing the reuse process while minimizing environmental impact, particularly the carbon footprint, without compromising security or incurring excessive costs.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that securely tracks component lifecycle information using geographically distributed micro manufacturing centers, utilizing robotic tools and manual labor to optimize component reuse, remanufacture, and recycling, considering cost, carbon footprint, and delivery time constraints.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If components are harvested, tested, and reused from failed information handling systems, then environmental impact and landfill commitment are reduced, but the expense of breakdown, testing, and rebuilding becomes prohibitive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental impactVSAvoidexpense of breakdown and rebuilding

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the reuse process into modular components including distributed micro manufacturing centers, automated robotic disassembly, and component testing facilities. This segmentation enables parallel processing of multiple systems simultaneously, reducing per-unit costs while maintaining environmental benefits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service through automated robotic tools that perform disassembly, component testing, and reassembly operations. This automation eliminates manual labor costs and increases processing efficiency, making the reuse economically viable while maintaining reduced environmental impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If information handling systems are transported to centralized facilities for repair and remanufacture, then component reuse efficiency improves, but transportation carbon footprint increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent reuse efficiencyVSAvoidtransportation carbon footprint

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized facility is segmented into multiple distributed micro manufacturing centers located geographically close to customer sites. This segmentation enables local processing of failed systems, maintaining high component reuse efficiency through specialized equipment while minimizing transportation distances and associated carbon footprints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces mobile robotic tools as intermediaries that can be deployed to customer sites to perform initial disassembly and component harvesting. This intermediary approach enables on-site processing that reduces the need for transporting entire systems to centralized facilities, thereby reducing transportation carbon footprint while maintaining reuse efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If manual labor is used for disassembly and reassembly of information handling systems, then flexibility and adaptability improve, but labor costs and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in component handlingVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements dynamic hybrid automation where robotic tools handle standardized, repetitive disassembly and reassembly operations to reduce processing time. Manual labor is dynamically deployed for complex, non-standardized tasks requiring adaptability. This dynamic allocation optimizes both processing speed and flexibility based on task requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The robotic tools are designed with universal capabilities to perform multiple functions including disassembly, component testing, cleaning, and reassembly across different information handling system types. This universality maintains flexibility and adaptability while eliminating the need for specialized manual labor for each operation, thereby reducing overall processing time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12523985B2Information handling system micro manufacturing center for reuse and recycling factoring carbon footprint

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

Information handling systems are transported to a selected of plural micro manufacturing centers for harvesting of component modules to reuse in remanufactured information handling systems through an automated process that uses a robotic arm to harvest the component modules and rebuild the information handling systems. Component module health lifecycle information is applied to select components for harvesting. Carbon footprint, energy consumption, costs, any manual labor involved and time criticality are factored to select a geographical location to harvest the component modules and to send the system to subsequent end user locations.