The remanufacturing industry currently relies significantly on manualwork when, for example, sorting and disassembling. Due to several issues, includingprocess time and sequence, operations number, disassembly planning andscheduling, process cost, and performance measurement, it is challenging to staycompetitive. Based on this, it is assumed that more extensive use of robots andautomation in these industries can facilitate higher efficiency and better workconditions. This research paper aims to explore how remanufacturing of carcomponents can be made automatic. The paper describes a case where a specific carcomponent was selected and a specific step in its remanufacturing process exploredfrom the perspective of automating that task. When conducting remanufacturing ofthe selected car component, some machines are used for the testing, cleaning, andgrinding of materials. However, all assembly work is done manually. Incollaboration with the case company, the process step of applying sealant for theassembling of a lid that covers electronic components was selected. Thedemonstrator shows that it is possible to apply sealant with a human-robot layoutwith a good result. One of the advantages of using a robot for this step is that a highquality result was achieved. 

Remanufacturing is the industrial process of returning used products(cores) to a like-new or better condition. During this industrial process, the cores go through several process steps, e.g., inspection, disassembly, cleaning, reprocess (repairs), storage, reassembly and final testing. Manufacturing companies also see remanufacturing as a way to become more circular and sustainable in economic, environmental and social terms. Technological advancements within the robot industry have increased the possibilities for using more automation within there manufacturing industry, while recently, the remanufacturing of electric and electronic equipment (EEE) has grown around the world. This paper aims to identify the automation potentials of the remanufacturing of EEE. A multiple case study at four EEE remanufacturing companies was conducted to meet this aim. The case study, along with previous research, shows examples of EEE remanufacturing steps that are mainly performed manually. The results from this research show the possible automation potential for the process steps of cleaning, disassembly and reassembly at the four remanufacturing case companies.

Linear Incremental Hydraulic Actuators are a class of actuators consisting of one or more double-acting cylinders with are detachable from a common piston rod. The actuator works in a kind of rope-climbing motion. The cylinders engage to the rod, drive the load, disengage and retract. The various patterns, how these base actions of the realized cylinders are concatenated form the gaits of Linear Incremental Hydraulic Actuators. Depending on the gait the base actions are realized digital or continuous. For example, in the gait Smooth Motion engaging / disengaging is realized digital and the driving / retraction continuous. Other gaits may be realized fully digital. This contribution presents the concept of the Linear Incremental Hydraulic Actuator, an overview over various gaits, and how they can be combined to form advantages in applications. Advantages of Linear Incremental Hydraulic Actuators are or may be lower resource utilization and environmental impact, applicable for long or even infinite stroke, and simple integration.

The concept of Cyber-physical Production System has recently emerged. It emphasizes the expected and very close connection between industrial software systems and production assets on the next generation of intelligent industrial systems. The cyber-physical conceptualization hints at assets making their functions available through the so called administration shells. These are software structural design tenets that from, a functional perspective, will not only incorporate software interfacing aspects but also autonomous behaviour. There is an important body of practice in what is now perceived as cyber-physical integration. However, such work has taken a somehow informal approach to formalizing system engineering aspects and in particular to the impact of time-related constraints affecting, the design locally and, the CPPS as a whole. This paper provides a model that relates physical, logical and computational aspects of cyber-physical design from structural and behavioural perspectives. Its goal is to provide a starting point for designing cyber-physical components while supporting informed decision making in respect to software design, integration and deployment practices that enable these components to operate in cyber-physical synchronization.

Establishing mass-customization practices, in a sustainable way, at a time of increased market uncertainty, is a pressing challenge for modern producing companies and one that traditional automation solutions cannot cope with. Industry 4.0 seeks to mitigate current practices limitations. It promotes a vision of a fully interconnected ecosystem of systems, machines, products, and many different stakeholders. In this environment, dynamically interconnected autonomous systems support humans in multifaceted decision-making. Industrial Internet of Things and cyberphysical systems (CPSs) are just two of the emerging concepts that embody the design and behavioral principles of these highly complex technical systems. The research within multiagent systems in manufacturing, by embodying most of the defining principles of industrial CPSs (ICPSs), is often regarded as a precursor for many of todays emerging ICPS architectures. However, the domain has been fuzzy in specifying clear-cut design objectives and rules. Designs have been proposed with different positioning, creating confusion in concepts and supporting technologies. This paper contributes by providing clear definitions and interpretations of the main functional traits spread across the literature. A characterization of the defining functional requirements of ICPSs follows, in the form of a scale, rating systems according to the degree of implementation of the different functions.

The concept of the hydraulic infinite linear actuator consists of two double-acting cylinders with hydraulically detachable pistons driving a common rod. Alternatingly, one cylinder engages and drives the load, whereas the other retracts; the actuator, thus, works in a kind of rope-climbing motion. The actuator has three degrees of freedom, which are temporarily coupled compared with one in a conventional cylinder. Hence, the actuator is a hybrid system with both continuous and discrete states and control inputs. This paper presents a tracking control problem and a solution for high-performance motion, which is interpreted as utilizing the hardware limits in the sense of velocity, accuracy, smoothness, and usability. The concept is demonstrated by simulation for the case of a rest-to-rest motion, but the intended use cases also include arbitrary trajectories.

The Hydraulic Infinite Linear Actuator, HILA, has been presented in previous publications. The novel actuator consists of one, two or more double-acting cylinders witha common piston rod and hydraulically detachable pistons. In the basic gait, one cylinderalternatingly engages and drives the load while the other retracts. The HILA thus works in akind of rope-climbing motion. The concept also allows other gaits, i.e. patterns of motion.This contribution focuses on the ballistic gait, a pattern of motion where one cylinder engagesto give the load a push. The load then carries on with its motion by inertia, cylinders disen-gaged. The actuator thus realizes hydro-mechanical pulse-frequency modulation (PFM).This gait is energy efficient and able to recuperate energy.

This contribution presents the novel Hydraulic Infinite Linear Actuator (HILA). It focuses on the control of motion and is based on simulation and analysis. The novel actuator consists of two symmetric double acting cylinders with a common piston rod and hydraulically detachable pistons. Alternatingly one cylinder engages and drives the load while the other retracts, the HILA thus works in a kind of rope climbing motion. The purpose of this contribution is to study the motion control of the HILA and to mimic the behaviour of a conventional cylinder. The HILA has three degrees of freedom which are temporarily coupled compared with one in a conventional cylinder. Further, the HILA with the chosen hydraulic system has two continuous and two digital control inputs. The challenge to be tackled is to combine the short stroke back and forth motions of the cylinders into a continuous smooth motion of the whole actuator. Results from simulations and analyses show that the investigated concepts can keep the jerk within acceptable limits for many applications.

Linear Incremental Hydraulic Actuators combine one or more short-stroke cylinders, and two or more engaging/disengaging mechanisms into one actuator with long, medium, or even unlimited stroke length. The motion of each single short-stroke actuator concatenated by the engaging/disengaging mechanisms forms the motion of the linear incremental hydraulic actuator.

The patterns of how these motions are concatenated form the gaits of a specific linear incremental hydraulic actuator. Linear incremental hydraulic actuators may have more than one gait. In an application, the gaits may be combined to achieve optimal performance at various operating points.

The distinguishing characteristic of linear incremental hydraulic actuators is the incremental motion. The term incremental actuator is seen as analogous to the incremental versus absolute position sensor. Incremental actuators realize naturally relative positioning. Incremental motion means also that the behavior does not depend on an absolute position but only on the relative position within a cycle or step.

Incremental actuators may realize discrete incremental or continuous incremental motion. Discrete incremental actuators can only approach discrete positions, whereby stepper drives are one prominent example. In contrast, continuous incremental actuators may approach any position. Linear electric motors are one example of continuous incremental actuators. The actuator has no inherent limitation in stroke length, as every step or cycle adds only to the state at the beginning of the step or cycle and does not depend on the absolute position. This led to the alternative working title Hydraulic Infinite Linear Actuator.

Linear incremental hydraulic actuator provides long stroke, high force, and linear motion and has the potential to

• decrease the necessary resource usage,
• minimize environmental impact, e.g. from potential oil spillage,
• extend the range of feasible products: longer, stiffer, better, etc.

This thesis presents an analysis of the characteristics and properties of linear incremental hydraulic actuators as well as the gaits and possible realizations of some gaits. The gait for continuous, smooth motion with two cylinders is comprehensively studied and a control concept for the tracking problem is proposed. The control concept encapsulates the complexity of the linear incremental hydraulic actuator so that an application does not have to deal with it. One other gait, the ballistic gait, which realizes fast, energy-efficient motion, enabling energy recuperation is studied.

In the area of linear motion, infinite stroke only is provided by electric actuators today, until now there has been no hydraulic alternative. The novel linear hydraulic actuator consists of two double acting cylinders with a common piston rod. The working principle of this actuator for short movements is that at least one piston is connected to the piston rod and the actuator works like an ordinary hydraulic double acting cylinder. For longer movements one of the pistons is connected alternatively to the piston rod providing the drive. In this way the two pistons are moving the piston rod alternatingly in a kind of rope climbing motion. The critical element is the clamping mechanism which is an already known machine element but used in this new application. Advantages of this concept are as follows: The actuator is compact. Very long strokes and piston rods are allowed without side effects of common cylinders. This property is the origin of the name "infinite cylinder". The cylinder has small chamber volumes and so high hydraulic stiffness and low capacitance. It has also potentially no external leakage. The cylinder can provide twice the rated force for short strokes. Applications for this feature are the plate opening stroke of injection molding machines, or presses with low work to travel stroke ratio, like a press brake. The paper includes a detailed description of the design and the working principle. One critical component is the clamping mechanism which temporarily connects the pistons to the piston rod. The clamping mechanism together with the piston represents a new kind of machine element in the mechanical engineering field. Here the focus will be on the function and the control strategy. With simulation the proposed control strategy and function will be presented and the performance analyzed. The simulation model is backed up by first results from experiments on the early prototype. The experiments carried out so far on the hydraulic clamping mechanism, which is the critical component in the system show very promising results that the required function can be achieved. Furthermore, the function of the whole cylinder has been simulated with good result. For the full paper results from a functioning prototype is also to be expected.