Circular Economy in Medical Technology: Why Automated Disassembly Is Becoming a Game Changer
The circular economy is considered one of the key levers for greater sustainability in industry – including medical technology. However, complex products, regulatory requirements, and high quality standards create particular challenges in this field.
We discuss how automation can help overcome these barriers with Amirmohammad Emadisohi, who focused intensively on this topic in his master’s thesis, and Andreas Wild, Key Account Manager with a view on industrial practice.
Why is the circular economy particularly challenging in medical technology?
Amirmohammad Emadisohi: Medical devices are extremely complex, often safety-critical, and in many cases designed for single use. This makes conventional recycling approaches difficult. At the same time, they consume enormous resources – and this is exactly where the circular economy comes in.
A major issue is disassembly: products are not designed to be easily taken apart. As a result, this step is still often manual today, time-consuming, and economically difficult to justify.
What role does automation play in this?
Amirmohammad Emadisohi: Automation is a key enabler. By using robotics, sensors, and data-driven methods, disassembly can be made significantly more efficient. A central approach is so-called “inspection” – the analysis of a product before disassembly. This involves identifying, for example, connections, materials, or conditions in order to derive the optimal disassembly process. Such data-driven processes are necessary because products are often used differently, and their condition can vary significantly.
“Product variability is one of the greatest hurdles. Unlike traditional manufacturing, we are not dealing with standardized new parts, but with used products in unknown condition.”
How is this topic viewed from a company perspective?”
Andreas Wild: The pressure is noticeably increasing – both due to regulatory requirements and economic factors such as raw material availability and supply chains. Companies are increasingly recognizing that linear value creation (“produce, use, dispose”) is not sustainable.
At the same time, every solution must be economically viable. This is exactly where automation becomes interesting: it can help make processes scalable and efficient.
What does this mean in practical terms?
Andreas Wild: In practice, it is about truly closing loops. That means not only recycling, but returning products, components, and materials in the highest possible quality. Automated disassembly can play a key role here because it creates the conditions needed to recover valuable materials in a pure and sorted manner in the first place.
Has this topic already reached mainstream adoption?
Amirmohammad Emadisohi: We are still at the beginning. There are many research projects and initial industrial approaches, but no widespread solutions yet. The combination of automation, data, and AI will play a central role in the coming years to make this complexity manageable.
“I am convinced that the circular economy will come to medical technology – not as an option, but as a necessity. The question is no longer whether, but how quickly."
Conclusion
The circular economy in medical technology faces complex challenges – but at the same time offers enormous potential.
The combination of scientific research, such as that developed in Amirmohammad Emadisohi’s master’s thesis, and practical implementation shows that automation can become a decisive lever for achieving sustainable and economically viable solutions.