More than 200: That’s how many fully loaded tractor-trailers it would take to hold all the metal components Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC reused in the remanufacture of compressors, air dryers, and brake shoes last year. Reclaiming the components helped the company avoid the equivalent purchase of more than 8,000 tons of new parts. As it marks Global Remanufacturing Day today, April 12, Bendix underscores the benefits of remanufactured parts from sustainability to quality to cost savings while reaffirming the company’s decades-long commitment to industry leadership in remanufacturing.
Global Remanufacturing Day, an initiative of the Remanufacturing Industries Council, is an occasion to advance the remanufacturing industry through remanufacturer-hosted events and workforce development initiatives.
In 2017, Bendix produced more than 2 million remanufactured components across its product lines.
“Reman Day is great for awareness of remanufacturing, which is a critical aspect of our industry that continues to grow. At Bendix, remanufacturing is vitally important in many ways, including being a key part of our dedication to environmental stewardship through conservation of energy, raw materials, and landfill space, for instance, as well as climate protection,” said Maria Gutierrez, director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “Our Reman business strategy focuses on the triple bottom line : people, planet, and profit. We’re driven to achieve sustainable, long-term growth and to consistently reduce the environmental impact of our company. Last year, by helping us avoid the equivalent purchase of more than 8,000 tons of new parts, our remanufacturing operations reduced the company’s carbon footprint by 28,000 equivalent tons of CO2. Those outcomes tie directly to one of Bendix’s deepest principles – responsible growth – by taking care of the environment and improving the quality of life in the communities where we live and work.”
Global Remanufacturing Day offers another opportunity to revisit what qualifies as a genuine remanufactured product. To qualify, a component must be factory rebuilt by the OEM using a mix of reconditioned components and brand-new components from the same suppliers they use on original equipment. Wear components and items subjected to high stress or high temperatures, or subject to high fatigue or corrosion, are replaced with original spec components identical to those on a brand-new product. In addition to reducing the environmental impact of new part production, remanufactured components help reduce replacement costs and extend vehicle life.
“Remanufacturing is not to be confused with rebuilding –the terms are not interchangeable,” said Henry Foxx, Bendix director of remanufactured products. “Lower-cost alternatives to reman parts are often rebuilt rather than remanufactured. Take, for instance, a rebuilder breaking down the core of an air compressor for reuse. Because they may not have full access to OEM-quality replacements, they may simply clean or repaint the compressor’s parts, reuse the wear components, or replace them with inferior versions.”
Rebuilders may just reline brake shoes with new friction, instead of coining to return them to the proper OEM geometry. Also, OEM-level remanufacturers conduct much more rigorous postproduction testing, because they have the resources and expertise already in place.
