Common Terminology Ushers in New Era for Automotive Remanufacturing

In conjunction with major organizations representing the international automotive remanufacturing industry, APRA has joined to agree on common and fundamental definitions for essential terms related to remanufacturing, following a meeting in Frankfurt, Germany on September 13th, 2016. Below are the agreed-upon definitions:

REMANUFACTURING PROCESS:

• Remanufacturing is a standardized industrial process* by which cores are returned to same-as-new, or better, condition and performance. The process is in line with specific technical specifications, including engineering, quality and testing standards. The process yields fully warranted products.  
  *An industrial process is an established process, which is fully documented, and capable to fulfill the requirements established by the remanufacturer.

CORE:

• A core is a previously sold, worn or non-functional product or part, intended for the remanufacturing process. During reverse logistics, a core is protected, handled and identified for remanufacturing to avoid damage and to preserve its value. A core is not waste or scrap and is not intended to be reused before remanufacturing. 

European associations have further agreed to the following definition:

REMANUFACTURED PART

• A remanufactured part fulfills a function which is at least equivalent compared to the original part. It is restored from an existing part (CORE), using standardized industrial processes in line with specific technical specifications. A remanufactured part is given the same warranty as a new part and it clearly identifies the part as a remanufactured part and states the remanufacturer.  

The common language is a landmark achievement in automotive remanufacturing, and offers a bright future for an industry that has already benefitted from greater awareness, among policy makers and the general public, in recent years. In 2015, the United States Congress passed legislation recognizing the federal government’s responsibility for outfitting its vehicles through remanufacture. The same year the G7 Alliance for Resource Efficiency declared its support for remanufacturing at a summit attended by representatives from business, government, organized labor, research, and science.

Despite the trend toward official recognition and support for the industry, the absence of unified and codified language to describe key terms, threatened to undermine the gains in automotive remanufacturing. The lack of cohesion led to misunderstanding and sub-optimal growth, as well as competition, rather than collaboration, among organizations representing auto remanufacturers, all with a common goal of growing the industry. Early indications suggest that this state of affairs is over.

As the Asia-Pacific partner of the APRA (Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association), a non-profit trade association representing more than 1,000 automotive remanufacturers, Duxes has a history of engagement with and support for the automotive remanufacturing industry. With the release of the reman terminology, we will take the responsibility of promoting the terms and definitions in China and Asia Pacific area, and inform the rapidly expanding remanufacturing industry of the prospect for increased efficiency, and cooperation with international partners, offered by the new terminology, as well as the potential for future legal recognition.