Addressing decision making for remanufacturing operations and design-for-remanufacture

Remanufacturing is a process of returning a used product to at least original equipment manufacturer original performance specification from the customers' perspective and giving the resultant product a warranty that is at least equal to that of a newly manufactured equivalent. This paper explains the need to combine ecological concerns and economic growth and the significance of remanufacturing in this. Using the experience of an international aero-engine manufacturer it discusses the impact of the need for sustainable manufacturing on organisational business models. It explains some key decision-making issues that hinder remanufacturing and suggests effective solutions. It presents a peer-validated, high-level design guideline to assist decision-making in design in order to support remanufacturing. The design guide was developed in the UK through the analysis of selections of products during case studies and workshops involving remanufacturing and conventional manufacturing practitioners as well as academics. It is one of the initial stages in the development of a robust design for remanufacture guideline

Risks in circular business models innovation: A cross-industrial case study for composite materials

Circular business models (CBMs) are key enablers to implement circular economy (CE), yet they entail risks, which often discourage organisations. This work aims to explore the main risk factors perceived by the manufacturing industry in transitioning to CBMs to enable the development of appropriate risk management strategies. A cross- industrial multiple-case study research design was used to explore risk factors across seven organisations planning the transition to CBMs for composite-based products and involving three different CBM types—‘Circular Supplies’, ‘Product Life Extension’ and ‘Hybrid’. Results evidenced that risks are multi-disciplinary but are not equally per- ceived across different CBM types. Customers' perceptions of CE products, economic cycle and take-back systems were prevalent across all CBMs. Supply and technological risks were prioritised for ‘Circular Supplies’ CBM, whereas political and regulatory risks for ‘Product Life Extension’ CBM. This research contributes to the CE field by evaluating and prioritising the perceived risk factors in transitioning to CBMs and first disaggregating such risk factors according to CBM types. Critical risk patterns identified across different industries and CBM types enable mitigating actions to be prioritised

Improving the efficiency of remanufacture through enhanced pre-processing inspection–a comprehensive study of over 2000 engines at Caterpillar remanufacturing, U.K.

Remanufacture, an industrial process to return used product to an “as-new” condition, is a key strategy in environmentally conscious manufacturing and waste management. However strategies to improve the efficiency of the process are hampered by a lack of remanufacturing-specific knowledge and tools. This paper presents the results of quantitative research, conducted in a Caterpillar Remanufacturing UK facility, to establish the relationship between pre-processing inspection levels and the subsequent remanufacturing process time for returned used products known as cores. It concludes that for components (i.e. cores) having either complex geometry (such as internal ports), a large number of sub-components or that are constructed from, or comprising of, multiple materials the remanufacturing process is shortened by increased inspection prior to processing. However, these benefits are currently limited by the amount of information that can be gained from the inspection methods used. The paper describes the practical use of these factors in a decision-making methodology for inspection and in a refined cost assessment tool

Service-oriented disassembly sequence planning for electrical and electronic equipment waste

Disassembly sequence planning plays an important role in the end-of-life treatment of electrical and electronic equipment waste (e-waste). Effective planning methods can improve recovery rates and reduce environmental impacts of e-waste. In previous work, neither mathematical models nor optimization algorithms offered a satisfactory solution for this multi-objective disassembly problem. We present a multi-objective model for the problem and a modified teaching-learning-based optimization (MTLBO) algorithm to find the Pareto-optimal frontier. We use numerical simulations to demonstrate and verify the effectiveness and robustness of the algorithm. To do effective disassembly planning, all the participants in the lifecycle of e-waste should work together. Disassembly and recovery of e-waste involve complex processes across the lifecycle. Information support services, disassembly modeling and optimization services must be integrated using computer networks. We also propose a service-oriented framework to support business integration for the participants in the e-waste lifecycle. Effective and optimized disassembly planning can be achieved by invoking the related distributed services. The proposed framework is a novel e-business application for the end-of-life treatment of e-waste

The manufacturer's value chain as a service - the case of remanufacturing

Manufacturing enterprises globally have already largely adopted the product-service strategy into their operations. However, due to gradual commoditization of services, manufacturing enterprises will have to further extend this strategy. One possibility is for manufacturers to servitize, not only their final products, but also a part of their value chain, with the aim of increasing their long-term competitive advantage. In this article, the application of servitization to remanufacturing, as a set of operational and business competences and processes, is conceptualized. By offering remanufacturing as a service, manufacturers will create an additional revenue stream. The synergies created from integrating remanufacturing into an enterprise with a product-service system are scrutinized. The impact of offering remanufacturing as a service (servitizing) is then assessed from the perspective of the competitive advantage of both, the provider and the consumer of the service. Three main sets of implications are identified. The first is that the integration of remanufacturing into a product-service system could increase customer satisfaction through a larger service scope and higher service quality, while decreasing operational costs. Furthermore, it is shown that the higher the level of servitization, the stronger is the positive impact of remanufacturing. The second set of results shows that servitizing remanufacturing can substantially increase the competitive advantage of both the provider and the consumer. While the first two sets of results have industrially oriented implications, the third set constitutes a theoretical contribution through the proposal and conceptual validation of extension of the application of servitization theory. Finally, while the reasoning is of a conceptual nature, it is based on established theories and includes remanufacturing-related industrial cases as a basis for assessment