Electric motors with permanent magnets keep wind turbines, automation robotics and electric mobility running. They are essential for the energy transition. When the motors have reached the end of their service life, parts of them can be reused - if they are available individually. Recycling experts at TU Bergakademie Freiberg have developed a technology that disassembles motors and, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), recognises the components that are important for recycling.
"Electric motors contain strategic raw materials such as the rare earth metal neodymium. Current recycling methods cannot yet recover such raw materials," explains PhD student Adrian Valenas, who developed the new technology. With dynamic image recognition of parts and components, AI supports the recycling process: "Our implementation allows robot-assisted disassembly and sorting of the individual components. This optimises the workload of the employees and the scalability of the process," says Adrian Valenas.
With his idea, the researchers could achieve a separation of components by type. This improves recycling and reduces the CO2 footprint of electric motors. The new technology identifies the important components and enables targeted movement of robotic arms. "We teach robots to see and dynamically control their movements in the disassembly process," says Adrian Valenas.
Tech for Sustainability Innovation Award
At the "Tech for Sustainability Campaign 2023" organised by Siemens, Adrian Valenas has now won in the category "Ecodesign for motion control systems" (video link to the presentation). Siemens' global innovation initiative calls for the use of technology to solve real sustainability problems. The competition awarded the new technology in mid-March in one of 7 categories with a total of 70,000 euros in prize money.
Research project for better reprocessing of electric motors
The key technology developed is one of many results of the ongoing research project Lightweight Technologies for Energy Transition Products Spanning Life Phases (LIKE). In the project, the Institute for Reconditioning Machines and Recycling Systems Technology (IART) at TU Bergakademie Freiberg is developing recyclable electric machines together with collaborative partners, including Siemens AG.
Contact: Adrian [dot] Valenas [at] iart [dot] tu-freiberg [dot] de