there remains to be any mass-produced and implemented applications of the technology in industry, work continues to this end. Re-Manufacturing Research with AD Dr. Ijomah has been investigating the application of AD technology applying it to the re-manufacturing of electronic products. To date, the work has been conducted with Dr. Chiodo with some papers on the topic in various journals. Advantages of AD Most consumer products consist of a large number of parts and a wide range of materials. Disassembly at the end of a product's useful life is an inevitably complex and time-consuming operation to ensure effective separation of all component parts for subsequent re-use or recycling. AD techniques permit the automation or semi-automation of this process and thus make it more viable. The incorporation of AD and the implications of companies taking responsibility for the end of life recycling of their products will have long term cost implications for the consumer. Hurdles of AD There are currently significant obstacles preventing this technology to succeeding in the mass market. (cost, re-training, fin-cap/law-cap, arbitrage, legislative practice....to be continued. The use of smart materials A wide range of methods are being developed for use in AD. These methods generally require the use of smart materials which respond to a stimulus in order to change shape or size and thus facilitate the release of parts. The materials involved include shape memory polymers (SMP) and Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). These materials offer significant shape changes at a range of transition temperatures, which are achieved by methods involving infrared, microwave, supercooling, chemicals and direct heat. The range of "trigger temperatures" for various smart materials means that it is possible to place the products in a heated environment where the outer elements become detached and then move on to a higher temperature zone where internal parts and sub-assemblies are dismantled. Recently, other materials employed for AD, by Dr. Chiodo, have been further investigated from their initial work started in 1996. The repertoire of 'smart materials' and other approaches continues to expand. Examples of AD fittings Screws, rivets, ribbons, bars and clips, specially designed to facilitate AD, can be manufactured from smart materials such as SMAs and SMPs. These will trigger at a pre-determined temperature, depending on the specific application. Notes and references External links (Active Disassembly) Smart materials Design for X