Efficient geometric disassembly of multiple components from an assembly using wave propagation

This paper analyzes the problem of disassembling multiple selected componen ts from an assembly, defined as selective disassembly, and presents algorit hms for efficient disassembly analysis of geometric models. Applications fo r selective disassembly include assembling, maintenance and recycling. A ne w approach called 'Disassembly Wave Propagation' is proposed to determine a selective disassembly sequence with minimal component removals from an ass embly. This approach defines: (i) disassembly waves to topologically arrang e the components denoting the disassembly order and (ii) intersection event s between the waves to determine the selective disassembly sequences. In or der to evaluate a minimal removal sequence in a feasible computation time, algorithms are proposed that prioritize and process the intersection events based on the order in which they occurred. The proposed algorithms analyze selective disassembly from the geometric perspective and are applicable fo r both two-dimensional and three-dimensional product assemblies. [S1050-047 2(00)01402-1].