A study on Designing for Sustainable Product Development in view of End-User Role through Remanufacturing

Abstract

Abstract:Sustainability requires diligent use of resources to avoid impairing the environment and addressing factors of scarcity. Recently the life of the products has decreased drastically which has made it necessary to plan for End-of-Life (EOL) options for the product. The design factors for the same need to be incorporated at an early stage of Prototyping for the New Product. Remanufacturing is now being accepted as a strategy for competitive advantage supported by government policies in western countries. Besides the Repairing, Reconditioning and Recycling; Remanufacturing has become the most advocated EOL options carried out by Original Equipment Manufacturer's (OEM's) OR 3 rd Party Remanufacturers. Some OEM's attempt to integrate the same with Product Service System while others do not take it up for fear of cannibalization. For the success of Remanufacturing, optimization of newly added distinct process from the traditional manufacturing system is essential. It may be noted that the better the quality of core, the lesser will be the demand on Operations. The product should be so designed that the customer should be able to select the right EOL option at different life cycle phases of the product. Testing and Diagnosis techniques are central activities to the Remanufacturing Process. The dual role of the customer as an end user as well as a source of used product for Remanufacturing becomes important for setting up the measures for the Remanufacturing affiliated activities within the organization.