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Automation can be used to supplement the manual processing of used electronic products in order to ofset the increasing volumes in electronic waste streams. The application of automation to demanufacturing requires high levels ofjlexibility. In order to study the utility of automation for demanufacturing of used products, a flexible cover removal process was implemented within an automated demanufacturing work cell. The process demonstrates two of the key objectives in automated processing of usedproducts: feature identlJication and connection removal. The study is limited to threaded connections that can be detected on the external surj4ace of the product. Feature detection is perj4ormed through the use of stereo machine vision with a simple search algorithm. Once a positive feature is discovered, a material removal approach is used to eliminate the threaded connections. A flexible material removal platform has been established with on hand tooling mounted to a 6 DOF industrial robot. Experiments identiJied key issues in the recognition and removal process. Constraints to the range of product that can be processed are identified based on feature recognition and material cutting limits. Product design considerations for automated demanufacturing are presented.

Objective: Transitioning from a bottle to open cup drinking can be a lengthy process in typical development. Children are often introduced to training cups during this period. Due to a lack of standardization in commercially available training cups, differences in design and performance characteristics may potentially create medical complications in developmentally delayed individuals. Our purpose is to report commercially available training cup design characteristics, residual fluid, flow rates, and suction pressures and discuss the potential clinical implications. Design: A testing apparatus was developed to determine suction pressure and flow rate. Nine commercially available training cups were tested by two independent research teams. Experimental data were filtered and then fit with a linear approximation determined by a least squares method. Results: Commercially available cups exhibited extensive variability in design parameters, suction pressure, rate of flow, and residual fluid. Conclusion: The extensive variability of design and function within current commercially available cups has clinical implications for children with development delays such as the ingestion of air and aspiration. Studying the variability of existing training cup performance identifies characteristics that impact cup function which can influence future cup design.

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