TVTarget – Eco-Efficient Treatment of TV - Sets and Monitors

Introduction

Currently about 2 billion TV-sets exist in the world which come back for recycling within the next 15-20 years. If we consider these huge amounts of WEEE there is a need for eco-efficient recycling technologies. Electronic recycling industry must meet future demands on industrial efficiency and cost reduction. Therefore, the dismantling process of TV-sets and monitors must be dramatically rationalised maintaining as high as possible environmental and recycling criteria.

 

The aim of the project is to develop an intelligent, economically feasible disassembly system for CRT displays in order to facilitate an optimal reuse and recycling. This leads directly to a reduction of the amount of waste which is disposed as well as to a reduction substitution of hazardous industrial and processing materials.

 

In view of the growing scrap of TV-sets and monitors and the demands in the legislation, the existing manual disassembly technologies are not sufficient enough and there is a need for cost effective technologies. With this project the disassembly process of these devices is going to fulfil highly environmental and economic criteria. Therefore, the proposed system meets the future demands of the electronic recycling industry on efficiency and cost reduction.

 

 

Objectives

The main technical objectives of the work are:

  • To develop the ability to disassemble all products of the TV-sets and monitors, independent on the producer and the age of the product
  • To find an economically feasible technology to reduce the disassembling time near to 3 person-minutes per piece
  • To establish a methodology for identifying and separately removing all potentially hazardous substances
  • To develop a methodology for suitable treatment or pre-treatment of CRTs that will direct material streams to novel applications
  • To develop a methodology for suitable treatment or pre-treatment of plastic housing that provides material streams capable of later valorisation
  • To develop a methodology for suitable treatment or pre-treatment of wooden housing which allows later valorisation
  • Finally, the project is going to give substantial input to the design of new TV-sets and monitors

 

The most important phases of the proposed project will therefore comprise:

  • Compilation and detailed analysis of information and already existing experiences (ADAS, Prielog, University Dortmund, ...)
  • Definition of as homogeneous as possible 'product groups' for their later treatment
  • Definition of an environmentally friendly, economically self-financing disassembly system
  • Development of suitable technology which will allow treatment and recovery of components such as printed circuit boards, wooden housings, plastic housings, etc and will enable their later valorisation
  • Development of a methodology for treatment or pre-treatment of CRTs and of possible applications for the recovered materials
  • Construction of demonstration plants for presentation of the developed technology
  • Definition of eco-design rules for the manufacturing sector with a view to ease the later recycling process of obsolete equipment.

 

Project Coordinator 

Austrian Society for System Engineering and Automation

 

Partners 

Philips (NL), Sony (DE, ES), STENA Technoworld (SE), ReUse (AT), MIREC (NL), Indumetal Recycling (ES), FhG – IML (DE), Fundacion Robotiker (ES), Fundacion Gaiker (ES), TU Wien (AT)