How to Calculate the Remanufacturability Index of Your Products

How to Calculate the Remanufacturability Index of Your Products

In today’s environmentally conscious world, the ability to remanufacture energy-related products is critical for sustainability and efficiency. The European standard EN 45553:2020 provides a comprehensive method for assessing the remanufacturability of these products. This article will guide you through understanding and applying this standard to evaluate the remanufacturability index of your products.

Introduction to Remanufacturability

Remanufacturing is an industrial process where used products or parts are restored to a like-new condition with at least one significant change that influences the product's safety, performance, or purpose. This process not only extends the product’s lifetime but also promotes the reuse of components and recycling of materials, thus contributing to material efficiency and sustainability.

Scope of EN 45553:2020

EN 45553:2020 provides a general method to assess the remanufacturability of energy-related products (ErPs). It is intended for use by technical committees producing standards for different product groups. The document outlines the essential steps and criteria for evaluating an ErP's ability to be remanufactured.

Remanufacturing Process Steps

The standard identifies seven critical steps in the remanufacturing process:

1. Inspection: Determining the condition and functionality of the product and its parts.
2. Disassembly: Separating the product into its constituent parts.
3. Cleaning: Removing any contaminants from the parts.
4. Reprocessing: Repairing, reworking, or upgrading parts.
5. Assembly: Reassembling the product with remanufactured or new parts.
6. Testing: Verifying the functionality and safety of the remanufactured product.
7. Storage: Storing the product appropriately until it is needed.

Product Attributes for Remanufacturability

Each remanufacturing step is linked to specific product attributes that must be evaluated. The standard lists several attributes, including:

• Ability to be identified: Ease of determining the condition and functionality of parts.
• Ability to locate access points and fasteners: Ease of identifying key elements for disassembly and assembly.
• Accessibility of parts: Ease of accessing parts for disassembly, cleaning, reprocessing, and assembly.
• Ability to be disassembled/assembled: Ease of separating and reassembling the product.
• Wear and damage resistance: Durability of parts during the remanufacturing process.

Criteria for Assessing Product Attributes

For each attribute, the standard provides criteria to evaluate the remanufacturability of an ErP. Here are some examples:

• Identification: Presence of diagnostic tools, information on functionality, and indications of hazardous substances.
• Locating Access Points: Clear markings for access points and fasteners, and provision of diagrams.
• Accessibility: Easy access to parts during disassembly and assembly, modularity of parts, and cleanability.
• Disassembly/Assembly: Ease of handling parts, number and type of tools required, and the symmetry of parts.
• Wear and Damage Resistance: Strength of materials and resistance to cleaning agents.

Documenting the Assessment

The assessment of an ErP's ability to be remanufactured should be thoroughly documented. This includes:

• General Information: Details of the assessment instigator and the date and place of the report.
• Scope: Description of the product assessed and assumptions applied.
• Input Data and Approach: Data and methods used for the assessment, including remanufacturing steps, product attributes, and criteria.
• Output: Results of the assessment, including qualitative and quantitative data.

Quantitative Assessment Methods

The standard also provides examples of quantitative methods to assess product attributes. For instance, the accessibility index of a product can be calculated based on the accessibility of individual parts. Similarly, the disassembly sequence and depth can be evaluated to determine the ease of removing parts from a product.