Vol.

12

Suppl

J. CENT. SOUTH UNIV. TECHNOL.

Oct. 2005

Article ID: 1005 - 9784(2005)$2 - 0162 - 05

Key technologies of layout design of recycling

plants of waste refrigerators
L{) Yi(Pa ~ ) , LIU Z h i - f e n g C ~ J ~ ) , WANG Shu-wang(2E~RltJi), QI Y u n - h u i ( ~ l ~ )
(School of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering, Hefei University of Technology,
Hefei 230009, China)
Abstract: The present situations of waste refrigerators recycling and disposing were analyzed. Three key technologies of layout design of recycling plants of waste refrigerators were presented as follows: 1) establishment of recycling process of waste refrigerators; 2) the general plane layout of recycling plants; 3) the detailed layout of workshops of recycling plants. The focus of the three key technologies is to tackle the problem of the detailed layout of
workshops of the recycling plants. By adopting Petri net, the model of logistics system of workshops was established and then optimized, and finally the detailed layout chart of recycling plants was gained. By adopting E-factory, the recycling plants were simulated. The results show that the method mentioned is effective.
Key words: recycling plant; layout; Petri net; logistics system
CLC number: TH181

INTRODUCTION

With the fast step into the 21st century,

achieving " Harmony with the Global Environment" has become one of the most urgent challenges facing humankind. But as a matter of fact, the
waste appliances have badly polluted the environment, and have made the global climate more abnormal than ever, which has attracted attention of
many experts of such fields. Especially in China,
the problem is even worse, for at present a large
number of appliances are facing elimination according to the average life span of appliances. Therefore, in order to encourage effective use of resources and reduce waste, professional recycling
plants should be established so that they can contribute to the high efficiency of recycling and solve
the awkward problem basically[l-a3.
A Petri net model for integrated process and
job shop production planning was introduced by
Tamas et al E4J. The material flow of recycling
processes for aluminium alloys by means of technical recycling quotas was introduced by Hoberg
et al cs3. Yim et al E6D presented a Petri net-based
simulation tool for the design and analysis of flexible manufacturing systems. The models for recycling electronics end-of-life products was introduced by Manbir et al ET~. Considering refrigerators
as typical mechatronic products, and according to
the advantage and disadvantage of the previous
study of references, the key technologies of layout
design of recycling plants of the waste refrigerators
O

Document code: A

were presented so that it can encourage effective

use of resources and reduce the wastes, and finally
realize sustainable development of society.
2

THREE KEY TECHNOLOGIES

2. 1

Establishment of recycling process of waste

refrigerators
It is of first importance to establish recycling
process of the waste refrigerators in the whole facilities planning of recycling plants. Therefore, in
order to establish recycling plants, based on the
survey in some famous appliances enterprises and
second-hand markets, and the experiment of practical disassembly of waste refrigerators, some important data and information were obtained so that
we can set down facilities planning and design
framework of recycling plants, and conclude five
typical categories of data, which are as follows:
waste appliances products ( P ) , quantity ( Q ) , recycling processes ( R ) , related services ( S ) and
time planning (T) . Based on the formal research,
the recycling model was established and recycling
processes were planned. The general recycling
process of waste refrigerators is shown in Fig.

lea, 93.
2.2

General plane layout of recycling plants

The general plane layout design plays an important role in the facilities planning and design of
recycling plants. In some sense, the general plane

Foundation item: Project(50375044) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
Received date~ 2005- 07- 15; Accepted date~ 205- 08- 16
Correspondence: LU Yi, Master; Tel.. +86-551-2901351; E-mail: oliverlv@hot, mail. corn

LU Yi, et al: Key technologies of layout design of recycling plants of waste refrigerators

163

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pretreatment
t..
O

I Washing J

t~

Disassembly

-5

[Manual

PCB

Wres

I ,oo,saided I
I *t actio c ]

Remainders

------

Magnetic

Second shred
-------

force

Classification
Single
material

Special-recyclingparts: ~._
motors, compressors

Recycling
difficulties

..d_ L -

Grinding

Whirlpool
Fig. 1

Remaindercompounds ~ "

General recycling process of waste refrigerators

layout design is also called the general map of recycling plants, which serves the function of making
each section of recycling plants in its proper place
in the limited place. Its task is not only to fix the
position of each workshop of recycling plants, but
also to fix the position of each service section and
different types of routes of pipes. Furthermore,
some necessary spaces should be set aside in order
to meet the demand of fire protection, virescence
and sustainable development. Therefore, in order
to recycle each substance economically and effectively in the whole process of disassembly, shredding, separation and material recycling, all the facilities should be planned comprehensively, arranged rationally so that it can make all the operations of recycling efficiency, recycling processes
management, recycling cost and security in an optimal state and guarantee the smoothness of steam
of people, material flow and information flow. The
flow chart of the general plane layout design of recycling plants is shown in Fig. 2.
2.3

I'
I

Single-materialparts ~ - -

Shredding
First shred

li

Faceplates

[ Automated ]
i

Separation
Wind force

-I

Motors and compressors]!

Set layoutgoals
I Set key implementationtasks

II
,I

1
ee-

t--

E
-

t)
0)
.1
O

o
o

II

q-

r"

E
r-

E
~o
O
e~

Fix workingarea

+
Fix relations of all sections
I
Institute plane layoutdesign plans
I

Layout of workshops of recycling plants

The detailed layout design of workshops is the

basic element of the general plane layout design,
and it is also the core of plants design c~-~zJ. Generally speaking, the detailed layout design of workshops can have direct impact on the level and effect
of the general plane layout design of recycling
plants, therefore, in some sense, detailed layout
design of workshops is considered as the core of
the three technologies. Usually the principles and
guidelines of the general layout design can be suitable for guiding the detailed design of workshops,
only that the design of workshops is deeper, more
carefully planned with many particularities.

Analysis of design plans

I

Optimal design plan

No
~Yes
C

Accomplishmentof layoutdesign
Fig. 2

Flow chart of general plane layout

design of recycling plants

 164

According to the common principle of the general

layout design of recycling plants, the layout planning of workshops was fixed up based on analyzing
the characteristics, state and processes of workshops, the structure of waste refrigerators and the
recycling methods.
The recycling process of waste refrigerators
was operated in a certain limited space, therefore,
on the precondition of utilizing space adequately
and properly, all the elements of recycling process
should be integrated as a whole. In workshops,
the setting of each recycling section, auxiliary section and service section should be optimized, and
the organization of recycling lines, workshops
planning, scene layout, equipment layout should
be rationalized so that the process of recycling can
be well performed.
MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF LOGISTICS
SYSTEM IN WORKSHOPS OF RECYCLING
PLANTS

3.1

Petri net
Petri net(PN) is a graphical and mathematical
technique useful for modeling concurrent, asynchronous, distributed, parallel, non-deterministic
and stochastic systems. PN models can be used to
determine both qualitative and quantitative prosperities. PN has recently emerged as a promising
approach for modeling manufacturing systems, and
has been used for assembly process planning.
PN consists of four primitive elements (tokens, places, transitions and arcs), and the rules
govern their operation. Graphically, PN is based
on a vision of tokens moving around an abstract
network. Tokens are conceptual entities, they appear as small solid dots and model the objects that
move in the real network. Places are shown as circles and represent the locations where objects await
processing or the conditions that the objects are in.
Transitions are shown as bars or rectangles and represent processes, events and activities. Arcs represent the paths through the system. Arcs connect places to transitions and transitions to places.
An arrowhead indicates the direction of the path.
Arcs have a weight or capacity, indicated by the label on the arc~ it is customary to forego the label
when the arc weight is 1. Each transition has some
numbers of input and output places. From a modeling perspective, these input and output places
can represent the pre-conditions and post-conditions of an event (i. e. transition), or resources required and released by an event. The primitive elements are shown in Fig. 3E13-16~.

Journal CSUT

Vol. 12

Suppl

2005

(S)
(a)

D
(c)

(b)

(d)

Fig. 3 Primitive elements of Petri net

(a)--Tokem (b)--Place; (c)--Transitiom (d)--Arc

3.2

Time Petri net modeling of workshops logistics

system of recycling plants
Given the importance of workshops planning
of recycling plants, it is first priority to carry out
research on the modeling and analysis of the logistics system in workshops of recycling plants. According to the study, we can conclude that there is
a certain mapping relationship between the recycling process model and the logistics system in
workshops of recycling plants. Based on the deep
research on recycling process of waste refrigerators, the time Petri net was adopted to model the
logistics system in workshops of recycling plants.
Thus, the time Petri net model was applied to analyze and optimize recycling logistics and to guide
the plants construction and facilities planning.
Fig. 4 shows the time Petri net model of disassembly and recycling logistics system in workshops.
This model consists of a disassembly line, a general recycling line and a printed circuit board(PCB)
recycling line. The meanings of the elements in the
model are listed in Table 1.
The logistics system model, which is based on
the time Petri net, can depict each state, transitions condition among states and sequence relations
among the transitions clearly in the recycling logistics system. In addition, the recycling logistics
system cannot be self-locked. Therefore, the model presented above is favorable for software simulation. From the Petri net modeling and analysis of
recycling logistics system, minimizing the time of
recycling material flow lines is significantly decisive for improving the economic performance of
waste refrigerators recycling.

LU Yi, et al: Key technologies of layout design of recycling plants of waste refrigerators

165

obtained and shown in Table 2.

Table 1

P < 57P2

T7

"~Pll

Meanings of places(P) and

transitions(T)

Meaning

P1

Waiting for disassembly

T1

Begindisassembly

Pz

Disassembly line is
idle

Tz

Finish disassembly

Pa

Beingdisassembled

T3

Begin PCBs shreddins

P4

Components waiting
for shredding

T~

Finish PCBs shredding

Ps

CFC and compressors

Ts

Begin PCBs separation

P6

Waste PCBs

T~

Finish PCBs separation

Pv

P C B sshredding

Tr

Classify

P8

Compounds
shredding

Ts

Beginfirst and seeond shredding

P9

PCBs Separation

T9

Finish first and second shredding

P~o

Heavy metal
resin separated

Tlo

Beginseparation

Ti2

Pn

Sending to special
recycling plants

Tll

Finish separation

PI6

Plz

First and
shredding

second

T~z

Classify

PI3

Compounds
shredding

after

Pt4

Compounds separation

Pls

Substances
ted

P16

Materials entering
warehouse

T8

W3

Pl2

P7

T9

L
P8

Time/
min

9.8

PI3

Tlo

T5

PI4

P9

Tll

X6

Pls

P10

Fig. 4 Time Petri net model of disassembly and

recycling logistics system in workshops

3.3

Analysis and optimization of logistics system in

recycling plants of waste refrigerators
For the purpose of maximizing economic
benefits, the inside logistics is stressed on and
many steps are taken to optimize the inside logistics system, and recycling plants have no exception. It is well known that the inside logistics system has a direct relationship with recycling processes(see Fig. 1). According to the fact that different materials of waste refrigerators are transferred
among different facilities, the logistics in recycling
workshops can be divided into two parts: recycling
processes logistics and recycling elements logistics,
and the latter is discussed in this paper. On the basis of investigation of plants, the amount of logistics of recycling processes is represented by the
amount of convey of components after disassembly
from one recycling element to another, or to warehouses. The amount of logistics in the process of
shredding and separation is not considered because
it is piped directly.
According to the Petri net model presented
above and ichnography coding of plants layout, the
information table of recycling logistics can be

Table 2
No.

5.2
after
4.8
and

8. 9

Meaning

7.2

separa11.6

Recycling information of recycling plants

Part name

Status

Annual
Mass/kg recycling
amount/t

Annual
logistics
amount/t

Compressor

Complex

5.40

30.80

17.80

Evaporator

Round
part

2. 10

10.40

10.30

Lubricant

Liquid

1.20

0. 21

2. 90

Inner earapace

No fixed
shape

0.80

0.82

1.30

Accessories

No fixed
shape

1.40

0.56

0.88

Wire

Rotundity

0.30

0.24

0.41

PCB

Rectangle

0.40

0.53

0.24

CFC

Gas

0.05

0. 12

0.09

Only considering the amount of logistics in the

process of disassembly, by means of linear programming, the formula is given as follows:

166

Journal CSUT Vol.12 Suppl 2 2005

Q=

Min~

[3]

~q,(2~oW,~,~uWc,1 +

=I t=I

2ct 2 Wet 2 "-[- ACt3WCt3 )

( 1)

where Y~0, ),c,,, 2c,~ and Ac,3 represent the difficulty coefficient of convey; t represents the working
procedure of materials recycling; c represents the
category of material; w~0, w~e and w,3 represent
the distance between different working procedures
respectively, qi represents recycling material c.
T h e p a r a m e t e r s in the recycling information
table can be put into Eqn. ( 1 ) , some concrete values can be obtained, finally the facilities planning
of recycling plants can be gained after further analysis and optimization.

THREE-DIMENSION

SIMULATION
OF
RECYCLING
PLANTS
OF
WASTE
REFRIGERATORS BASED ON E-FACTORY

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

T h e r e are several modules in E-factory: FactoryCad, F a c t o r y P L A N , F a c t o r y O P T , FactoryFlow. In this paper, FactoryCad was adopted to
simulate recycling plants of waste refrigerators.
The simulation model primarily consists of two
parts: one is process flow model of recycling
plants, including disassembly and recycling facilities model and materiel conveying model; the other
is three-dimension conformation model, including
workplace of disassembly, o p e r a t o r s , the stack
a n d conveying facilities of material.

[11]

[12]

CONCLUSIONS

T h r e e key technologies of layout design of recycling plants of the waste refrigerators are put
forward, including establishment of recycling
process of the waste refrigerators, the general
plane layout of recycling plants and the detailed
layout of w o r k s h o p s of recycling plants. Finally,
adopting P N , the logistics system in w o r k s h o p s of
recycling plants is modeled and analyzed.

[9]

[10]

[13]

[14-1

[15]

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(Edited by CHEN

Wei-ping)