This development occurred earlier this year as part of the iReGear project, a collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Scandinavian Transmission Service AB, with funding from Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency.
A remanufactured gearbox was produced as part of the project and subjected to the same quality control and function tests as new gearboxes. It passed all assessments, meeting the standards required for use in Scania vehicles.
The gearbox was created using about 50 per cent less material and resulted in approximately 45 per cent fewer carbon emissions compared to gearboxes made entirely from new components. This demonstrates the potential of remanufacturing to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining product standards.
Remanufacturing, which reuses parts to produce new products, is viewed by the automotive industry as a strategy for addressing resource shortages and meeting climate targets. According to the European Remanufacturing Network, remanufacturing in the European automotive sector is largely limited to producing aftermarket spare parts, representing 1.1 per cent of new manufacturing.
“This remanufactured gearbox is a compelling example of how the manufacturing of heavy vehicles can become more sustainable, circular, and efficient, while still retaining the highest quality standards,” said Fredrik Nilzén, Head of Sustainability at Scania.
Farazee Asif, Assistant Professor at KTH, added:
“This research provides the first evidence to support the argument that it is feasible to envision future manufacturing organisations seamlessly integrating manufacturing and remanufacturing operations to develop Circular Manufacturing Systems that consume fewer resources, produce fewer emissions, and cost less without compromising quality and performance.”