Repurposing and production – So what’s the issue? Reflecting on how the production system can be affected by new circular material flows

• On the path towards a circular economy, new ways of making and producing must be implemented on an industrial level. While there are methods for remanufacturing, the topic of repurposing on an industrial scale is still not fully explored and systematized. Repurposing, in this paper defined as the process of re-using products or components but with other functions, or modifying products or components for use in other products, will have a distinct effect on the production system and will challenge the current idea of production system development. In this paper, the authors use four different cases (three implemented in industry, one current design project in an academic-industrial partnership) to reflect on how the production system will be affected by certain aspects of repurposing. In total, five topics of production system development (Material classification, Product definition, Logistics & material handling, Manufacturing processes & planning and Processing window) are highlighted in the analysis, and some concluding remarks about flexibility needs and integrated development processes are presented. This paper does not provide clear answers or methods on how to implement repurposing but highlights multiple areas where further research is needed in order to make repurposing easily accessible and possible to implement for small and medium-sized manufacturers in their regular, daily work.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Produktionsteknik, arbetsvetenskap och ergonomi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Repurposing; Production System Development; Flexibility; Case studies; Circularity

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)