Search Results (367)

Manual disassembly is a key process in remanufacturing and circular-economy systems, yet it is often characterized by uncertainty, varying product conditions and non-standardized action sequences. Eye tracking provides a process-oriented methodology for examining how such tasks are visually guided, with implications for human behavior analysis, operator support, and automation design. The present study investigated the potential of specific eye and gaze metrics to reflect differences in task condition and process dynamics during human disassembly. These were analyzed using a dimension-based mixed-effect modeling approach, accounting for task condition, handcraft skill levels, and task duration across repeated observations within participants, addressing four dimensions: visual attention allocation, cognitive workload, scanpath structure, and gaze organization. The results showed that increased task uncertainty was most associated with shorter fixation durations, higher fixation rates, larger pupil diameters, and higher revisit rates, indicating intensified visual sampling, increased cognitive workload, and repeated checking behavior. No robust differences were observed between skill levels. A longer task duration, as an indirect proxy of less routine-like execution, was primarily reflected in fixation dynamics and scanpath structure, rather than in entropy or workload measures. The findings demonstrate the sensitivity of eye and gaze metrics to task uncertainty and process dynamics in disassembly. Full article

Osteoarthritis is an irreversible degenerative joint disease driven by sustained NF-κB-mediated inflammatory responses, and conventional intra-articular hyaluronic acid or small-molecule NF-κB inhibitors cannot achieve targeted on-demand treatment due to poor solubility, rapid clearance and lack of lesion microenvironment responsiveness. OA with inherent anti-chondrolytic activity can self-assemble into nanocarriers in water, yet it lacks stimuli-responsive capacity. Herein, we rationally designed and synthesized an OA-Der by covalently conjugating o-phenylenediamine fragments to the OA backbone. ¹H NMR and HRESI-MS spectra fully verified the accurate chemical structures of intermediate and final OA-Der. Blank OA-Der micelles exhibited uniform spherical core–shell nanostructures (50–150 nm) under TEM and AFM, while pathological high NO triggered complete disassembly of micellar assemblies. We further co-assembled OA-Der with NF-κB inhibitor BAY 11-7082 to construct NO-responsive BAY@OA-Der supramolecular micelles. In vitro experiments using human C28/I2 chondrocytes with LPS-induced inflammatory injury demonstrated that BAY@OA-Der significantly improved cell viability and reduced apoptotic chondrocyte proportion. At mRNA and protein levels, the supramolecular micelle formulation remarkably suppressed NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, downregulated cartilage-degrading ADAMTS5, and upregulated ACAN compared with free BAY or blank OA-Der. Collectively, this natural bioactive self-assembled NO-responsive delivery platform achieves synergistic anti-inflammatory and matrix-protective effects by precisely releasing drugs at NO-overexpressed osteoarthritis inflammatory sites and offers an in vitro design strategy for osteoarthritis responsive delivery systems. Full article

As the construction industry seeks to reduce carbon emissions, timber has emerged as a key material due to its capacity for biogenic carbon storage and end-of-life (EoL) reuse. However, assessing the practical circularity potential of timber structures remains challenging. This is largely because recovered components suffer geometric and material losses at their connection points. This study evaluates the EoL reuse and recycling potential of a multi-storey timber building by combining Building Information Modelling (BIM) with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). A digital model was used to quantify structural elements (beams, columns, and walls), explicitly accounting for material losses at connections to calculate the net recoverable timber. The recovered material (837.39 m³) was assigned to various cascading use scenarios based on material strength: structural reuse, non-structural reuse, engineered wood production, and energy recovery. To align with ISO 14044 principles, a functional equivalence factor (Q-factor) was applied to measure the environmental benefits of substituting new materials. Results indicate an overall material loss of 16.62% due to connections. Among the evaluated EoL pathways, structural reuse yielded the greatest net carbon benefit (−128.7 tCO₂e), significantly outperforming lower-value alternatives such as energy recovery (−29.3 tCO₂e). Additionally, a Design for Disassembly (DfD) sensitivity analysis showed that reducing connection losses by 50% could increase net global warming potential (GWP) savings by up to 19.7%. In conclusion, connection design is a critical factor in enabling timber circularity. Furthermore, combining BIM material tracking with LCA methods offers a practical approach to quantifying the long-term carbon benefits of timber reuse strategies. Full article

This second part extends the system-level framework established in Part I by examining advanced adhesive and sealant technologies through a performance-, circularity-, and application-oriented perspective relevant to contemporary packaging systems. While Part I focused on material classification, bonding and sealing mechanisms, regulatory aspects, and interfacial design principles, the present review analyses how advanced adhesive and sealant systems behave under realistic converting, sealing, service, recycling, and end-of-life conditions. Particular attention is devoted to bio-based and compostable adhesives, recyclable mono-material architectures, advanced multilayer sealants, debond-on-demand systems, and smart or reversible interfaces designed to support circular packaging strategies. The review critically discusses the principal adhesive and sealant performance metrics—including bond strength, seal strength, seal initiation temperature (SIT), hot-tack behaviour, cohesive durability, processing robustness, and hydrothermal resistance—in relation to packaging reliability, barrier preservation, processability, and compatibility with industrial converting operations. The analysis additionally addresses interfacial failure mechanisms, recyclability constraints associated with multilayer structures, food-contact compliance, migration and non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), and the growing role of design-for-disassembly and circularity-oriented interfacial engineering. Emerging transition strategies involving waterborne systems, low-migration formulations, recyclable sealants, dynamic covalent networks, and controlled debonding technologies are evaluated in terms of their potential to reconcile packaging performance with sustainable material management. By integrating material-specific developments with system-level packaging considerations, this review highlights how adhesive and sealant interfaces increasingly represent critical design variables governing the balance between mechanical performance, sealing reliability, processability, recyclability, compostability, and circularity in next-generation packaging systems. Full article

This study investigated the integration of 3D-printed tensegrity launch tubes and compliant mechanism components into small-scale industrial line launcher systems. A multi-variable experimental design (n = 108 replicate shots) evaluated a seven-segment PLA tensegrity tube, the potential for a monolithic compliant launcher, and a pneumatic benchmark across various projectile types, tube configurations, and muzzle rifling geometries. The system exhibited a severe 57.4% launch failure rate, with failures concentrated in extended tube configurations and Rigid or Compliant muzzle attachments. To isolate the dominant operational drivers across the dataset, a composite velocity score was analyzed. Non-parametric variance testing identified tube configuration as the primary factor influencing velocity (Kruskal–Wallis H = 26.73, p < 0.001), followed by muzzle geometry (H = 10.20, p = 0.017). Post-test disassembly identified three distinct failure modes, primarily driven by bore clearance rather than the vibrational compliance of the tensegrity architecture. A Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) quantified these risks, identifying tensegrity tube bore constriction as the primary threat to system reliability (Criticality = 336). Process capability analysis against Stage 1 prototyping gate criteria confirmed the system is not yet process-capable. Furthermore, a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis yielded an estimated US $8.07–11.22 per successful launch, challenging the economic scalability of low-cost additive manufacturing materials. This study establishes quantitative benchmarking and a reliability-centered Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) framework required before scaling toward maritime, emergency, or aerospace applications. Full article

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a demountable hybrid timber–carbon-reinforced concrete (CRC) wall system with a reversible mechanical connection detail based on embedded transport anchors, screwed steel angle brackets, and full-thread screws. The study addresses a wall concept in which a thin externally mounted CRC plate contributes to lateral load transfer through discrete reversible connection points rather than through a bonded or cast-in-place composite interface. Four full-scale wall specimens were tested under horizontal shear loading and a nominal vertical preload of $92\mathrm{kN}$ in an adapted in-plane shear test arrangement. The maximum horizontal loads ranged from $19.7$ to $22.7\mathrm{kN}$, with a mean value of $21.2\mathrm{kN}$ and a coefficient of variation of $5.9\%$. For the three specimens with complete displacement records, the head displacement at maximum load ranged from $33.7$ to $45.8\mathrm{mm}$. The initial wall stiffness $K_{0.05-0.15}$ ranged from $1.93$ to $2.80\mathrm{kN}/\mathrm{mm}$, whereas the stiffness evaluated between $0.2F_{\max }$ and $0.4F_{\max }$ ranged from $0.52$ to $0.67\mathrm{kN}/\mathrm{mm}$. Normalized to the reference width of the tested configuration, the maximum horizontal load was $15.8$ to $18.2\mathrm{kN}/\mathrm{m}$. Damage initiated locally in the CRC anchorage zones, especially at the corner anchors, and progressed from first cracking to local concrete spalling. The governing failure mode was local concrete failure in the anchorage zones, accompanied by deformation of the steel angle brackets, while no critical damage was observed in the timber joints. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the investigated reversible timber–CRC connection concept for transferring in-plane shear forces in the tested configuration, but further tests are required before general design recommendations can be derived. Full article

Office buildings accumulate embodied carbon not only during construction but repeatedly throughout operation, driven by tenant improvements (TI). In contexts where regulatory and supply-chain constraints limit full design-for-disassembly, this paper explores partial decoupling of a dry slab system within the high-churn zone of a Seoul office. Two area-normalised indicators are introduced—cumulative intervention area ($A_{\mathrm{cum}}$) and Reconfiguration Carbon Intensity (RCI)—defined on the structural slab/panel boundary to complement the mass-weighted Circularity Index (CI). The indicators are demonstrated on a 17-storey Seoul office over 60 years across three scenarios: a wet composite baseline (S1), full-dry CLT (S2), and a hybrid placing CLT within the high-churn zone (S3). S3 reduces RCI by approximately 45% relative to the wet baseline, capturing 71.7% of the full-decoupling benefit while converting only 11.5% of the floor area to CLT—a benefit-to-conversion ratio of $6.2\times$. Both shares are fixed by the floor-plate geometry, so this ratio is a consequence of the high-churn zone’s concentration rather than an independent empirical finding. A joint-uncertainty stress test confirms that S3 outcomes lie entirely below S1 across plausible parameter ranges. A placement test compares three configurations of the same floor that differ only in CLT placement location relative to the high-churn zone. Mass-weighted CI cannot distinguish these configurations, whereas RCI ranges from no reduction to the full hybrid benefit depending on placement—isolating the diagnostic value of the use-phase indicator. Hybrid zone-scale decoupling offers a feasible pathway for use-phase decarbonisation without committing to full-floor dry construction. Full article

This research directly addresses three critical global challenges, construction waste generation, forced displacement and housing shortage, through the design and development of a regenerative, modular housing system utilizing biodegradable composite materials synthesized from locally abundant agricultural waste, specifically rice straw. Bio-based panels were manufactured and used together with Casuarina Glauca wood to fabricate sandwich panels to be used as roofs and walls. Four configurations of the sandwich panels were manufactured and tested to select the strongest of them to be used within the proposed structure. Through systematic material testing, structural analysis, and lifecycle environmental assessment, this work demonstrates that locally sourced agricultural waste can form the foundation of dignified, low-carbon temporary shelters with minimal environmental impact at end-of-life when compared with conventional reinforced-concrete construction. The 3 m × 3 m bio-based shelter, designed for complete disassembly and reuse, achieves 88% lower embodied carbon than its conventional reinforced-concrete counterpart while maintaining adequate structural performance for temporary housing applications. Furthermore, the designed shelter has a cost that is 64% lower than that of its conventional reinforced-concrete counterpart and 40% lower than that of a refugee housing unit. Full article

Metallic blocks and components are indispensable across the aerospace, energy, and heavy-engineering industries, where undetected internal flaws such as cracks, voids, and inclusions may precipitate catastrophic structural failure. Reliable nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is essential to ensure their integrity and operational safety. Among the available NDE techniques, phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) has emerged as one of the most accessible and widely adopted, by virtue of its rapid scanning, electronic beam steering, and capacity to image subsurface defects without disassembly. However, the interpretation of PAUT B-scan images remains hindered by background reflections, material-dependent echo characteristics, and substantial variability in defect size. In this work, a fine-tuned encoder–decoder deep learning network is proposed for the automated segmentation of internal defects in PAUT B-scan images of metallic block specimens. The network couples a ResNet50 encoder with a shallow detail stem, a multi-scale feature fusion module, and a detail refinement block, designed to preserve small defect echoes and sharpen weak defect boundaries characteristic of internal flaws. The proposed approach was compared with five state-of-the-art segmentation architectures, namely FCN, PSPNet, DeepLabv3+, HRNet-OCR, and SegFormer, as well as a conventional Otsu-thresholding baseline representing standard PAUT screening practice. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed network attained the highest Dice score of 0.7964, defect intersection-over-union of 0.6617, and precision of 0.7094 among all evaluated models, while the Otsu baseline yielded the lowest scores, confirming the benefit of learned segmentation over fixed amplitude thresholding. These findings indicate that the proposed network achieves a favorable trade-off between defect localization accuracy and false-positive suppression, underscoring its potential for reliably segmenting internal defects in PAUT B-scan imaging. Full article

Effective disassembly process planning is fundamental to the sustainability of power battery recycling. However, existing knowledge graph (KG) methods rely on flat ontologies, failing to capture multi-level semantic structures and depending heavily on manual annotation, which cannot meet the scalability demands of Industry 5.0. We propose TSO-Prompt, a triple-stage ontology prompt-driven method. First, a Battery–Component–Operation–Tool (BCOT) ontology model defines four entity types and four relationship types with strict domain and range constraints. Second, a three-stage prompt strategy is designed: Stage 1 (Pattern Injection) embeds BCOT definitions for simultaneous entity recognition, ontology classification, and relation extraction; Stage 2 (Temporal Completion) captures cross-step operational dependencies; Stage 3 (Ontology Self-Check) filters hallucination-induced errors via rule-based verification. The fully zero-shot pipeline requires no manual annotation. Experiments on 172 disassembly steps from five battery models show TSO-Prompt achieves 100% core semantic retention, 90.1% operation recognition accuracy, a 6.4% entity F1 improvement over supervised baselines, and 60% query path length reduction over flat graphs, validating its potential for automated KG construction aligned with Industry 5.0 objectives. Full article

Invasive candidiasis, predominantly driven by multidrug-resistant Candida species and intractable biofilms, represents an escalating global health crisis with mortality rates rivaling major infectious diseases. The clinical efficacy of conventional antifungal agents—azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins—is severely compromised by poor tissue penetration, dose-limiting systemic toxicity, and the rapid evolution of complex resistance mechanisms. Here, we review the two-decade structural evolution of nanotechnological interventions designed to overcome these pharmacological and biological barriers. We systematically analyze advanced nanosystems, including lipid-based formulations, natural polymers, and biogenic metallic nanostructures, highlighting their capacity to penetrate the dense extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), combat potential fungal ‘nano-resistance’, and significantly reduce metabolically dormant persister cell populations. The literature search was performed using the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Publications indexed between 2015 and 2025 were primarily considered, while seminal studies published before 2015 were included when necessary to provide historical context and foundational knowledge. We place specific emphasis on next-generation biomimetic and exosome-inspired nanocarriers, which significantly reduce systemic host toxicity while maximizing targeted antifungal efficacy. In this context, the synergistic integration of smart nanocarriers to actively disassemble fungal resistance networks, such as the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway and sphingolipid biosynthesis. Finally, we outline a strategic roadmap to bridge the translational “Valley of Death”. By prioritizing manufacturing standardization, comprehensive long-term biosecurity profiling, and rationally designed biomimetic platforms, we propose an alternative way to outpace the evolutionary adaptations of fungal pathogenesis and translate these innovations into the clinic. Full article

This study presents the design, manufacturing, and prototype-level evaluation of a high-efficiency interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) developed for compact electric vehicle traction applications. The proposed motor employs a 12-slot/10-pole spoke-type rotor topology and was evaluated in terms of electromagnetic performance, mechanical integrity, and thermal behavior. The slot–pole and winding configuration was assessed as part of the design evaluation, and the manufactured prototype was experimentally tested under different operating conditions. The experimental results were compared with numerical simulations using line-to-line back-EMF, efficiency maps, phase current–torque characteristics, and output power variation. At the nominal operating point of 7000 rpm and 3.5 Nm, the prototype delivered 2.5 kW output power with an experimental efficiency of 90.7%. The deviations between experimental and simulation results were 1.17% for phase current, 0.48% for line-to-line back-EMF, 1.18% for input power, and 1.20% for efficiency. Mechanical static structural finite element analysis indicated a rotor safety factor of 3.61 under the maximum centrifugal loading condition, while the resulting structural deformation remained sufficiently low to avoid adverse effects on air-gap alignment. In addition, the rotor incorporated an adhesive-free, mechanically disassemblable magnet-retention structure, which was mechanically evaluated under centrifugal loading and showed no magnet displacement, structural damage, or bolt-preload loss after testing. Thermal analysis and continuous-load experimental testing showed that the winding temperature remained around 80 °C under passive cooling conditions. Overall, the results demonstrate that the manufactured IPMSM prototype provides consistent electromagnetic performance, adequate mechanical reliability, and thermally safe operation for compact electric vehicle applications. Full article

Designing modern disassembly systems requires the integration of industrial automation equipment. Due to the support of various communication protocols, PLCs not only perform control tasks but also act as intelligent data centers in distributed production systems. PLC solutions increasingly combine traditional approaches to automation with modern digital technologies, enabling predictive maintenance, real-time data analysis, as well as remote process management and integration with digital twin simulation. The takt time of manual disassembly may vary due to human and technical factors; therefore, its estimation is a problem in many processes including, for example, Bluetooth speakers. This article discusses the issue of PLC-based control systems for a sorting process of dismantled parts, and the methodology of a digital twin framework in FlexSim software. A prototype of a sorting line based on a conveyor belt with an S7-1200 series PLC controller and a full digital twin development cycle were presented. The explicit assessment of takt-related temporal fidelity in PLC-mediated event streams remains less developed. Therefore, this article addresses this gap by using a Digital-Twin-in-the-Loop (DTiL) configuration as a digital twin validation setup in which a source process model generates PLC-mediated events and a separate resulting digital twin model is evaluated against this source. The article focuses on temporal fidelity, PLC-mediated event transfer, and takt-time estimation. Thus, the gathered empirical time data were then fed into the digital twin model and analyzed to obtain information about the time delay of the PLC signals. This article separates the general digital twin architecture from one specific validation scenario implemented in a digital twin in-the-loop configuration with FlexSim, Siemens TIA Portal, PLCSim Advanced, and a local network communication chain. Delay analysis is based on photocell event timestamps and inter-event time differences, which reduce the effect of initial clock mismatch. The results indicate that, under the tested local-network DTiL configuration, absolute event delays are visible, while inter-event timing and aggregated takt statistics remain highly consistent between the source and resulting models. These findings support the preliminary feasibility of PLC-mediated takt-oriented monitoring for long manual operations. Nevertheless, broader validation under different controller configurations, communication conditions, and operating scenarios is required before generalizing the proposed approach. Full article

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensors are increasingly used for temperature and strain monitoring in both fission and fusion facilities, whereas their long-term mechanical reliability under intense γ–neutron fields remains insufficiently understood. Although radiation-resistant FBGs and optical fibers have demonstrated tolerance to fast-neutron fluences approaching 10²⁰ n/cm², the post-irradiation behavior of complete sensor assemblies, including their metallic packaging and joining regions, has received much less attention. This work presents methodology and results of assessing the post-irradiation mechanical properties of packaged FBG-based temperature and strain sensors. The investigated sensors were based on Cu-coated FBGs embedded in 316L stainless-steel bodies and joined using STEMET-1101 brazing filler metal. The sensors were irradiated in the cores of the IVG.1M and WWR-K research reactors to fast-neutron fluences of 4.5 × 10¹⁷ and 1.8 × 10²⁰ n/cm², with absorbed γ-doses of 29.1 MGy and 2.3 GGy, respectively. After decay storage and hot-cell disassembly, tensile testing, microhardness measurements, and SEM–EDS analysis were performed. The results demonstrate that the investigated metal-packaged FBG sensor of this design retained mechanical integrity under high-fluence reactor irradiation. Full article

Background: Efficient and safe instrument exchange remains an important challenge in robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS). Current workflows require human assistance, increasing staff workload and contamination risk. The modular design of the AdLap robotic laparoscopic instruments enables automated exchange of instrument shafts. This study presents the development and validation of the Instrument Carousel Exchange System (ICES). Methods: An automatic ICES was developed for the AdLap robotic surgery platform of the Delft University of Technology. The prototype was designed to hold six Shaft-Actuated Tip-Articulating (SATA) modular instrument shafts (SATA instrument line, SATA Medical, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and focused on compactness, robustness, modularity, and rapid disassembly for cleaning and sterilization. System performance was evaluated using repeated autonomous instrument exchange cycles without user interaction. Reliability, alignment tolerance, safety, and exchange duration were assessed. Results: The ICES prototype was successfully designed, manufactured, and tested. Repeated functional testing demonstrated reliable autonomous instrument shaft exchange without human intervention. The system tolerated minor alignment deviations while maintaining stable and safe operation. The mean time for a complete instrument shaft exchange was 84 s (SD = 10 s). The modular architecture allowed straightforward disassembly and maintenance while preserving structural integrity and compact design. Conclusions: The developed ICES represents a substantial step toward fully automated modular instrument handling in RALS. Automated instrument exchange may reduce staff workload and minimize contamination risk during procedures. Future work will focus on improving automation speed, alignment efficiency, and autonomous reinsertion of the instrument shaft through the trocar to further enhance clinical applicability. Full article