Application of a design-for-remanufacture framework to the selection of product life-cycle fastening and joining methods

This paper describes efforts towards product design that facilitates remanufacture. Insights on how to design products for ease of remanufacture were obtained from literature and collaboration with remanufacturers. The most essential aspect of design for remanufacture was found to conflict with other design-for-x methodologies, such as design for assembly and design for recycling. Design for remanufacture was therefore viewed in the context of other life-cycle domains, specifically manufacture and assembly, maintenance, and scrap-material recycling. Since fastening and joining issues are common to all these domains, a framework that evaluates the effect of joint design on each of these life-cycle stages was developed. This framework estimates the cost of remanufacture relative to other life-cycle costs determined by the joint design, and was applied to case studies of joints that did not facilitate remanufacture.