Integrated Optimization of Robotic Disassembly Lines and Vehicle Routing for E-Waste Component Distribution

This study presents the Robotic Disassembly Line Balancing and Vehicle Routing Problem (R-DLVRP). It is an integrated optimization model for recovering end-of-life (EoL) products. The model combines robotic disassembly planning with the distribution of recovered components. In this problem, EoL products are disassembled by robots on a disassembly line. Tasks are assigned to stations, and appropriate robots are allocated to each task. The recovered components are then distributed to demand points using a vehicle routing plan. A mixed-integer programming model is developed for the problem and solved using the Gurobi Optimizer. The objective is to minimize the total system cost, including robot-related costs, station opening costs, and transportation costs. A computational study is conducted to analyze the behavior of the integrated model under varying operational parameters such as robot cost structures, working time, and demand levels. The results show the strong relationship between disassembly planning and distribution decisions. In addition, differences in costs between resources influence the overall system configuration. The proposed framework contributes to the literature by providing a unified modeling approach for robotic disassembly and distribution planning.