Proactive remanufacturing timing determination method based on residual strength

Nowadays, since the resources of remanufacturing are the ‘cores’, the uncertainty in quantity and quality of the ‘cores’ is an obstacle in remanufacturing engineering. To solve this problem, production management and design for remanufacturing have been discussed in the former studies. However, the current remanufacturing mode, which is carried out in the end of life cycle, is reactive. To delimit the uncertainty of ‘cores’, the concept of proactive remanufacturing is presented in this paper. And one issue is to identify the proactive remanufacturing timing. In the beginning, the reactive remanufacturing timing and proactive remanufacturing timing are introduced. Then, to characterise the remanufacturability of components, the concept of residual strength is proposed. To identify the proactive remanufacturing timing, the mathematical model is established based on the residual strength, remanufacturing value and technical feasibility. Based on this model, the timing determination method in proactive remanufacturing is presented and expanded. Finally, to validate this method, the proactive remanufacturing timing of engines is determined by analysing the crankshaft. As a consequence, in the proactive remanufacturing mode, the remanufacturing rate of product might be increased. Thus, the proactive remanufacturing could provide a new perspective in future remanufacturing engineering.