Design for Disassembly: An analytical method for assessing target components for remanufacturing

The transition to a circular economy requires products to be designed for recovery, reuse, and remanufacturing. Fastening systems and product architecture play a decisive role in enabling these strategies, yet practical methods for assessing design-for-disassembly (DfD) remain limited, partically at the component level. This paper presents an analytical method that adapts the disassembly mapping approach to evaluate small-scale mechatronic products, focusing on identifying target components for remanufacturing. The method integrates manual disassembly, CAD-based product architecture analysis, and generic life cycle assessment (LCA) data to assess both economic and environmental value.Three LEGO® mechatronic products were analysed as representative cases: the Yellow Hub, the Large Angled Blue Motor, and the Super Mario Figure. Across these cases, key design barriers were identified, including glued battery casings, hidden snap-fits, and soldered electronic clusters. The findings show that economically valuable components often coincide with those having the highest embodied energy and CO 2 -eq, highlighting the alignment between environmental and economic motivations. The study proposes three design guidelines: (a) minimise disassembly steps to target components, (b) cluster and conserve electrical functionality ( Click-a-tronics ), and (c) standardise fastener systems. Together, these guidelines connect product architecture to circular design strategies and provide actionable insights for manufacturers aiming to integrate remanufacturing into product development and comply with emerging Ecodesign standards. • Integrates product architecture, manual disassembly, and component-level LCA. • Finds alignment between economic and environmental value in key components.Introduces three design principles: minimise steps, Click-a-tronics, standardise fasteners. • Extends disassembly mapping toward quantifiable circular design evaluation. • Supports remanufacturing and Ecodesign through actionable design guidance.