1. Energy Efficiency and Environmental Protection through Remanufacturing
Prepared by RIT’s National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery
Presented by
Miriam Pye
Senior Project Manager
Industry Research & Development NYSERDA

2. The Problem: Environmental Trends
Each year, 500 million cubic feet of non-recyclable waste is generated from auto recycling activities.
Hundreds of millions of computers ... obsolete.
*National Safety Council

3. One Solution: Remanufacturing
The “Ultimate Form of Recycling”

4. What is Remanufacturing?
An industrial process in which
non-functional or retired products
are restored to
like-new or improved condition.

5. What is Remanufacturing?
Primary components come from a used product
Product is dismantled
Condition of parts determined
Components cleaned and restored to original or “better than new” specifications
Product is reassembled and qualified

6. Remanufacturing vs. Recycling
Example: Office Chairs
Recycling:
Strip worn fabric and convert to industrial padding
Send metal frames to resmelting
Form resmelted metal into a new product
Remanufacturing:
Replace fabric covers
Repair and repaint metal frames
Replace worn-out parts, e.g. fasteners

7. Life Cycle of a Product

9. Benefits of Remanufacturing
Conserves Energy - avoids energy requirements in raw material acquisition & processing, portion of manufacturing
manufacturing one new automotive starter requires more than 11 times more energy than remanufacturing a starter

10. Benefits of Remanufacturing
Conserves raw material
manufacturing one new starter requires more than 9 times more new material than a remanufactured starter
manufacturing one new alternator requires more than 8 times more new material than a remanufactured alternator

11. Benefits of Remanufacturing
Prevents pollution
avoids emissions from raw material acquisition & processing, portion of manufacturing
unlike recycling, metals are not resmelted (a highly air polluting process)
prolongs product life and keeps products out of landfills and incinerators

12. Benefits of Remanufacturing
Cost-effectiveness
Unlike recycling, remanufacturing preserves a product’s added value – the labor, machinery and production invested to turn raw materials into a product
A remanufactured product costs on average 50% less than a new product

13. Benefits of Remanufacturing
Provides jobs
Labor intensive - employs many people
Jobs for low/unskilled workers
Jobs for highly trained engineers

15. What products are remanufactured?

16. What Products are Remanufactured?
automotive
anti-lock brakes systems
air conditioners
alternators
armatures
air brakes
brake cylinders
ball bearings
brake shoes
calipers
carburetors
cruise control
cylinder heads
clutches
crankshafts
constant velocity drive shafts
differentials
drive shafts
distributors
electronic control modules
engines
engine parts
fan clutches
fuel injectors
fuel pumps
front wheel drive axles
generators
master cylinders
oil pumps
power brake unites
power steering gear
power window motor
power steering pumps
rack & pinion steering units
rotors
starter drives
speedometers
solenoids
smog pumps
starters
stators
throttle body injectors
torque converters
transmission parts
transmissions
turbochargers
voltage regulators
wiper motors
water pumps

17. Some Examples of Remanufacturing

18. How Do They Remanufacture . . .
Single-Use Cameras?
Kodak’s redesigned “Fling” cameras*
Snap closures for body pieces means cameras are disassembled instead of broken apart.
77 to 86% of parts are recycled or reused - cardboard was replaced by standardized, recyclable plastic.
*1999 Annual Report. Health, Safety and Environment Department. Eastman Kodak Company. Available through:

19. What is the Benefit of Remanufacturing …
Single-Use Cameras?
~52 million cameras (or 3.9 million pounds of material) were remanufactured in one year - higher than the recycling rate for aluminum cans.
67% less energy is required for manufacturing process of the cameras

20. How Do They Remanufacture . . .
Automotive Engines?
Remanufactured components include: cylinder block, cylinder head, crankshaft, camshaft, & connecting rods.
Wearable parts - bearings, rings, pistons and gaskets - are replaced.
(Many remanufacturers offer better warranties than OEMs.)

21. What is the Benefit of Remanufacturing . . .
Automotive Engines?
Energy savings of 50%
Remanufactured engines cost $800 to $ versus the cost of a new car

22. Impact of Cleaning in New York State
Cleaning is an energy-intensive process
Significant amounts of hazardous wastes, solvents, and contaminated wash water are generated
Cleaning is very labor-intensive
Potential for competitive advantages
24,000 manufacturing companies are located in New York State, of which 4,800 are involved in remanufacturing

23. Clean technologies Vision:
Develop cost-effective technologies that promote transformation of conventional factories to eco-efficient, safe factories.
- little or no hazardous material
- highly resource efficient: raw materials, energy, water
- safe for workers, the public and the environment

24. Clean technologies Approach:
Integrated approach to process development, transfer & evaluation
technical
economic
energy efficiency
resource efficiency
environment, health & safety

26. Clean technologies Targeted Manufacturing Processes: Surface Cleaning
Surface Coating & Finishing
Process Fluid Recycling and Reuse
Remanufacturing/Service
Machining

27. Automotive Parts Cleaning Project
Objective: Identify, evaluate, and transfer cleaning technologies that are
cost-effective
environmentally sound
energy efficient
Worked with 23 partner companies in New York State
Constructed Surface Cleaning Evaluation Facility
Generated significant savings in energy and operating costs for several companies

28. Project Results – Arc Remanufacturing
Replaced mid-pressure spray washer with high-pressure spray washer
Reduced electricity consumption by 1,200 KWH/year
Extended cleaning bath lives from 3 weeks to 6 weeks
Eliminated precleaning and rework processes, saving labor
Saved $105,000/yr from an installed equipment cost of $67,000
Generated 8-month payback period on investment from just one part type

29. Project Results – D&W Diesel
Installed washwater filtration system
Reduced electricity consumption by 12,600 KWH/year
Reduced consumption of natural gas by 79,000 cubic feet/yr
Extended cleaning bath lives from 4 weeks to 3 months
Saved $5,300/yr from an installed equipment cost of $7,200
Generated 16-month payback period on investment

30. Expert System Project
Objective: Create a computerized tool to efficiently develop customized cleaning system improvement recommendations
Worked with partner companies in New York State to “test-drive” coded system and implement results
4 industries evaluated:
Transmission rebuilders
Aircraft engine rebuilders
Machine tool manufacturing
Locomotive turbocharger remanufacturers

31. Capabilities & Solutions
Rochester Institute of Technology National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NC3R)
Capabilities & Solutions

32. RIT’s NC3R Capabilities & Solutions
Structural & Material Analysis
Determine how products "age" & how to restore them:
Material Salvage
Finite Element Analysis
Failure Analysis
Dimensional Restoration

33. RIT’s NC3R Capabilities & Solutions
Clean Technologies
Make remanufacturing and manufacturing operations more sustainable by developing better methods of:
Surface Cleaning
Waste Minimization
Surface Finishing
Pollution Prevention

34. RIT’s NC3R Capabilities & Solutions
Intelligent Testing & Diagnostics
Assess health of components and predict remaining useful life through development of:
Test Fixture Design
Test Protocols
Signature Analysis.
Enhance business decision making
Extend product life

35. RIT’s NC3R Capabilities & Solutions
Operational Assistance
Find opportunities for companies to improve business & process efficiency, using:
Quality Systems
Production Control
Information Technology
Industrial Assessment
Facility Design
Lean/Six Sigma
Ergonomic Health and Safety.
Provide process assessment, quality system development, and logistical support.

36. RIT’s NC3R Capabilities & Solutions
Logistics & Policy
Serve as an analysis and information clearinghouse for industry and policy makers.
Provide Life Cycle Analysis to quantify the many logistical aspects of a product's relationship to the environment.

37. RIT’s NC3R Capabilities & Solutions
Sustainable Design for Remanufacturing
Develop tools and methods to create sustainable product systems that help manufacturers become more competitive and enhance environmental quality, using:
Reverse Engineering
Design for Remanufacture
Competitive Benchmarking
Total Cost of Ownership.
Develop and promote design strategies that help companies create closed-loop, sustainable product systems that maximize product reuse and remanufacturing.

38. RIT’s National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NC3R)