Remanufacturing Components Using Twin Transition – An Exploratory Study in the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Industry

Abstract

Remanufacturing is a life cycle renewal process by which previously used products such as vehicle components can be maintained and rebuilt. Although knowledge in remanufacturing processes is advanced from a scientific perspective, many traditional technology-driven manufacturing companies are facing challenges related to remanufacturing of various components in their specific industry. An underlying reason is that existing components have been sold for many years, and it is unclear what modifications should be made to the manufacturing process to accommodate both new and remanufactured products. Furthermore, it is unclear what organizational changes such as culture and training of operators are required. At the same time, the manufacturing industry is undergoing a digital transformation. It is therefore relevant to investigate how digitalization and sustainability practices can be combined, commonly referred to as Twin Transition. The purpose of this paper is to explore how a manufacturing company can approach a change towards remanufacturing of components using Twin Transition. This is accomplished by using a qualitative-based case study method at a large manufacturing company in the heavy-duty vehicle industry. The data collection method involved workshops following a SWOT analysis and rich picturing approach. The results from the rich picturing workshop identified four main themes to facilitate remanufacturing. The SWOT analysis identified 20 key aspects related to facilitate remanufacturing. Finally, the paper concludes by proposing five key enablers for achieving remanufacturing using Twin Transition.