Scania has revealed it is the world’s first truck OEM to reuse components on its main assembly line.
The milestone gearbox remanufacturing project is consuming about 50 per cent less material and roughly 45 per cent fewer carbon emissions compared with making a brand-new gearbox.
In a world’s first for heavy vehicle makers, Scania has integrated reused components on its main assembly line in Sweden.
The historic achievement took place earlier this year as part of the iReGear joint research project with KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Scandinavian Transmission Service AB, and was made possible with funding from Vinnova, the Swedish innovation agency.
The ‘remanufactured’ gearbox was subject to exactly the same rigorous steps and inline quality and function tests as gearboxes that are made from entirely new parts. It was assessed on the same test rig used for new ones, with monitoring of some 100 quality and function parameters.
The gearbox duly met all those requirements and could therefore be confirmed as being ‘as good as new’, which ensures that it meets the quality and performance standards for being installed on Scania vehicles.
While replacement rates during gearbox remanufacturing can vary between roughly 10 per cent to 100 per cent depending on wear-and-tear history, this particular gearbox consumed approximately 50 per cent less material and caused 45 per cent fewer carbon emissions compared with gearboxes made only with new components.
Scania says remanufacturing, which sees the reuse of old parts to create new products with as-good-as-new quality, is viewed by the automotive industry as a promising strategy for achieving climate goals and supporting the transition towards a circular economy.
“What an achievement by the project and everyone involved. 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,” Scania head of sustainability Fredrik Nilzén says.
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