The document discusses whether remanufacturing is environmentally friendly. It provides the following key points: - Remanufacturing transforms used products into like-new goods that can be reintroduced to the market. It is more cost effective and has shorter lead times than producing new parts. - Remanufactured components meet or exceed the standards of original parts and can be improved with new technologies. - Remanufacturing uses 85% less energy, 86% less water, and 85% less materials than producing new parts. It reduces raw material consumption, energy usage, CO2 emissions, and materials sent to landfills. - Remanufacturing is the ultimate form of recycling

1. Is Remanufacturing
Environmentally
Friendly?

2. Remanufacturing is: ‘The practise that
recovers products from commercial usage
and transforms them into like-new goods to
be reintroduced into the market place’ (APEC,
2016.)

3. OEM Vs. Component
Remanufacturing
• Original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
• There is a common view that remanufactured
components or parts are not as structurally sound, or
dependable as new components – In almost all cases
this view is wrong!
• The part when remanufactured will not only meet
the standards of the original part, in terms of its
original function and standards, it can also be
improved with technological advances.

4. Benefits to Customers
• Lower Prices: Remanufactured products are typically
60-80% the cost of a new product line (iCatching, 2016)
• Availability: There is a shorter lead time, and may
allow customers to continue with equipment which
may no longer be manufactured (iCatching, 2006)
• Failure rates: Often OEM parts have a built in
Obsolescence, or have a Known failure mechanism.
Which means within a certain time frame a part will
need replacing.

5. Manufacturing new parts increases demand on finite
resources, it also uses considerable energy to
recuperate them. This process can be seen in the
diagram below:
Zee, S., et al. (2015).

6. Environmental Benefits
Statham, S. (2006) describes remanufacturing as the ‘ultimate
form of recycling’. The benefits of remanufacturing may include
(iCatching 2016):
• Reduced raw material consumption
• Reduced energy consumption
• Reduction in CO2 emissions
• Reduction of materials sent to landfill
Of course remanufacturing also uses energy, water and
materials, but nowhere near that of the OEM. According to
Apec, (2016), manufacturers of refurbished products on average
use:
• 85% less energy
• 86% less water
• 85% less material

7. Environmental Benefits
Statham, S. (2006) describes remanufacturing as the ‘ultimate
form of recycling’. The benefits of remanufacturing may include
(iCatching 2016):
• Reduced raw material consumption
• Reduced energy consumption
• Reduction in CO2 emissions
• Reduction of materials sent to landfill
Of course remanufacturing also uses energy, water and
materials, but nowhere near that of the OEM. According to
Apec, (2016), manufacturers of refurbished products on average
use:
• 85% less energy
• 86% less water
• 85% less material

8. Through adding a remanufacturing input into the
process the diagram can be revised:
Zee, S., et al. (2015).

9. Summary
• It has been established that there is a very strong,
and convincing argument for remanufacturing
causing instrumentally less damage to the
environment. When compared to replacing parts or
components.
• Each part or component at some point will need
replacing, whether it is through built in
obsolescence, or because they have a known failure
mechanism.
• Remanufacturing in most cases is more cost and
time effective. Furthermore, components or parts
can be restored to the original standards, or can be
improved on.

10. At SpiralWeld® we know the importance of cost, time and the environment, we understand that in
a world where there is an ever increasing demand for the finite resources, there has to be an
intermediary which seeks to remanufacture, recycle, reuse and reintroduce the used parts. Not only
does this help keep resources available for future generations, but can also help curb some of the
environmental negative impacts directly linked to the recuperation of materials, and then the
transformation those materials have to then undergo. That is why we believe the future relies on
the type of remanufacturing service we offer to industries.
www.spiralweld.co.uk technology@spiralweld.co.uk 02380228801

11. References
• Apec, (2016). Remanufacturing brings economic and environmental benefits - Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation. [online] Available at: http://www.apec.org/Press/News-
Releases/2012/0328_remanufacturing.aspx [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016].
• iCatching (2016). Benefits of remanufacturing for manufacturers, the environment and the end-user.
[online] Remanufacturing.org.uk. Available at: http://www.remanufacturing.org.uk/reasons-to-
remanufacture.php [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016].
• Mining-technology, (2016). The Cloud Break iron ore mine is located in Pilbara, Western Australia. The
mine is owned and operated by Fortescue Metals Group. - Image - Mining Technology. [online] Available
at: http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/cloud-break/cloud-break1.html. [Accessed 16 Feb.
2016].
• Statham, S. (2006). Remanufacturing towards a more sustainable future. Technology watch.
• Zee, S., Engelaer, F. and Huethorst, B. (2015). sustainable returns by recovering used assets. DLL group