۱- Introduction

۲- Explorative survey

۳- Discussion

۴- Conclusion and Outlook

References

Abstract

Due to the conceptual degrees of freedom in their product structure, electric vehicles offer high potential for remanufacturing-oriented product design. Remanufacturing as one fundamental element of a circular economy is characterized by specific challenges caused by uncertain information about the condition of the returning product. By means of a standardized survey within the remanufacturing industry, the occurrence of uncertainties is confirmed and put into relation with challenges in the production planning and control (PPC) of remanufacturing operations. Furthermore, it is shown that strategies to deal with uncertainties currently used cause major inefficiencies that hinder economic remanufacturing of complex products like electric vehicles. Based on the result of the survey the requirements for a remanufacturing specific PPC system are derived from a practitioner’s point of view.

Conclusion and Outlook

The discussed remanufacturing industry insights have a considerable influence on the remanufacturing of complex products like electric vehicles. With regard to uncertain information, the following conclusions can be drawn. (Q1) While mechanical signs of wear and damage can in many cases be determined by a simple visual or functional check, fault detection in mechatronic and electrical systems can be much more difficult. Even for OEM, most control units provide only limited access to the recorded usage data since suppliers typically do not provide open communication interfaces. While fault messages are transmitted, in most cases the reason behind errors remains unclear in the first place. The fault patterns of the interrelated systems overlap during usage of the products, making condition determination and defect prediction even more difficult. Complexity increases further as environmental factors such as usage behavior and environmental conditions during the vehicle lifecycle leads to significantly different signs of wear and failure patterns. As a result, recurring fault patterns are even more difficult to derive. Due to the difficulty of identifying the remanufacturing needs, the planning basis for PPC is highly uncertain. (Q2) The less reliable information is available, the more deviations from the initial planning are to be expected. At the same time, the sensitivity of a production system’s efficiency to such disruptions increases with the complexity of the production processes potentially resulting in a significant reduction in profitability. Consequently, the requirements for planning and controlling order processing increase with the complexity of the product structure.