A circularity engineering focused empirical status quo analysis of automotive remanufacturing processes

Research on circular economy is mainly based on assumptions and secondary data. This lack of empiricism is also reflected in the theory of circular process design and design for remanufacturing. In this work engineering data on seven remanufacturing processes in the European automotive remanufacturing industry is systematically empirically collected and analyzed for the first time. The findings include manufacturing technology, the number of process steps, functions, machinery, retooling, customization, flexibility, automation, digitalization, and integration of every generic remanufacturing process step, as well as their work intensity. The in-depth empirical process data presented proves useful for the systematic identification of circularity engineering challenges, potentials, and solutions including design for remanufacturing. Larger datasets on value-retention processes can pave the way toward empirically backed-up methods for circular product design, process design, and material selection in the future.

Automated summary

Research on circular economy often lacks empirical data, especially in the theory of circular process design and design for remanufacturing. This study systematically collected and analyzed engineering data on seven remanufacturing processes in the European automotive remanufacturing industry for the first time, providing empirical support for circular engineering challenges, potentials, and solutions.