Vera Tan, a Ph.D. student in Purdue Polytechnic, has received the 1st Best Paper Award at the 13th CIRP Global Web Conference (CIRPe 2025), a major international symposium focused on AI in smart manufacturing.
Her paper, "From data to decisions: leveraging large language models and digital product passports for data-driven remanufacturing," was selected as the top submission from a pool of 74 international entries.
Tan's award-winning research addresses a critical challenge in the circular economy: how to make remanufacturing—the process of restoring used products to like-new condition—more efficient and scalable.
"While remanufacturing reduces waste and the need for new raw materials, it is often difficult to decide which products can or should be remanufactured," Tan explained. "These decisions still rely heavily on human experience, making the process time-consuming and labor-intensive."
Her solution integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Digital Product Passports (DPPs), which are dynamic digital records of a product's entire lifecycle. This approach uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to interpret complex and unstructured data from these passports—such as manuals, test reports and component data—to help operators make smarter and faster decisions, even without years of experience.
"In our paper, we demonstrate how integrating the comprehensive data captured within DPPs with the interpretive and generative strengths of LLMs allows these technologies to work synergistically, enhancing the intelligence, explainability and sustainability of remanufacturing decision-making," Tan said.
Looking forward, Tan sees this research as part of a larger transformation in the manufacturing industry. "Over the next 5 to 10 years, AI will evolve from a tool for automation into an intelligent collaborator that learns, reasons, adapts and augments human expertise," she predicted.
Justin Yang, Purdue Polytechnic’s associate dean for research, called the award a "remarkable achievement" that "highlights the quality of [Tan’s] research that enhances Purdue Polytechnic’s footprint in the field of smart manufacturing and circular production."
For Tan, a first-year Ph.D. student, the award was a powerful validation of her work and the collaborative environment at Purdue.
"Receiving this award is truly a special experience for me," Tan said. "I feel deeply grateful to my advisor, Ragu Athinarayanan, for his continuous support and thoughtful advice throughout this work. I’m also very thankful for the supportive and inspiring environment within Purdue Polytechnic, which has encouraged me to keep exploring and learning."
