Materials management in remanufacturing of automotive components - a small remanufacturers perspective

Abstract

Vehicles require many spare parts for servicing over their life period. The pressure to extend the warranty period and to provide high service levels pushes automotive companies to search for the most cost efficient options to source spare parts. Previous studies have proven that remanufacturing is one of the most efficient ways of product recovery with regard to energy and materials usage and potential for cost reduction. Materials management is crucial for successful remanufacturing but studies in this field are limited in the literature. This paper aims to classify the typical challenges which appear in the remanufacturing of automotive components. The focus is placed on small companies, who act mainly as contracted or independent remanufacturers. The findings from the literature review are combined with primary and secondary data from four case studies. The most important challenges with regard to materials management are discussed.