Abstract
A recoverable product environment, which includes strategies to extend product life, is an increasingly important method of waste prevention. A major part of this environment is the recoverable manufacturing system designed to remanufacture products. The recoverable manufacturing system has three distinct subsystems: disassembly, remanufacturing and reassembly. A key characteristic of this environment is the high degree of variability inherent in it. The impact of this variability as represented by highly variable lead times is examined for its effect on the control of parts release from the disassembly area to the remanufacturing area. Various disassembly release mechanisms for releasing the parts are examined. The choice is shown to be more critical for serial number specific parts. Lead time variation is shown to have a significant affect on the choice of disassembly release mechanism. Successful mechanisms for controlling the release of materials from the disassembly area are discussed and recommendations are made.