Wire Harness Tag-Guided Recycling for Conductor Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire harness recycling methods fail to effectively separate conductors by type, resulting in miscellaneous copper that requires energy-intensive refining, leading to high CO2 emissions and environmental impact, and cannot ensure complete separation due to mixed components.
Innovation Solution
A recycling system utilizing an identification tag and data server to provide conductor type information and removal instructions, enabling precise sorting and removal of impurities, allowing for efficient separation of pure copper, aluminum, and alloys, reducing the need for energy-intensive refining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional crushing and separation methods are used, then the wire harness can be processed, but the conductor types cannot be separated and must be treated as miscellaneous copper requiring energy-intensive refining
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by reading the identification tag and determining conductor type information before the crushing and separation processes. This allows the system to pre-categorize the wire harness by conductor material type (copper, aluminum, alloy), enabling targeted processing that avoids energy-intensive refining of miscellaneous copper. The identification and classification occur in advance, guiding subsequent separation operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional separation methods are used, then processing can be completed, but complete separation by conductor type cannot be achieved due to mixed components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification by reading identification tags and determining conductor types before physical separation. This pre-sorting information guides the separation process, enabling complete separation by conductor type without requiring overly complex separation equipment. The complexity is reduced by using information-based classification first.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary information system consisting of identification tags and a database that mediates between the physical wire harness and the separation process. The tag contains encoded information about conductor types, serving as an intermediary that provides precise classification data without requiring direct physical analysis of each conductor during separation.
3Productivity
If miscellaneous copper is produced from mixed conductors, then all conductor types can be processed together, but the result does not meet specifications for automotive electric wire requiring additional refining steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification by reading identification tags and determining conductor types before processing. This enables the recycling process to maintain high productivity by processing different conductor types through appropriate pathways while ensuring high purity output by directing each type to suitable applications. Copper, aluminum, and alloy conductors are separated and directed to appropriate recycling streams.
Data Source
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AI summary
There are provided a recycling system for a wire harness in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled, and the wire harness to which an identification tag is attached. The recycling system includes: a data server configured to store recycle information of the wire harness, the recycle information including conductor information indicating a type of a conductor used for the electric wires and removal information indicating a removal object to be removed from the electric wires; and an identification tag reading device configured to read the identification tag attached to the wire harness and acquire the recycle information from the data server.