An integrated method for evaluating the remanufacturability of used machine tool

A growing concern about the environment, and especially about the waste, carbon emissions and landfill, has spurred research into the field of remanufacturing. Remanufacturing which is defined as the ultimate form of recycling can restore the used products of high value-added, with great advantages of energy saving and emission-reduction. As the typical production equipment, machine tool is of great recycling value and potential for remanufacturing. Whether the used machine tool can be remanufactured depends on its remanufacturability. An integrated method for evaluating the remanufacturability of used machine tool is proposed, in which the technology feasibility, economic feasibility and environmental benefits of machine tool remanufacturing are analyzed. The technology feasibility should be evaluated in terms of the feasibility of all remanufacturing processes, including disassembly, cleaning, inspection and sorting, part reconditioning, machine upgrading and reassembly. The economic feasibility is evaluated from aspect of remanufacturing cost. The environmental benefits of machine tool remanufacturing can be evaluated in terms of energy saving, material saving and pollution reduction. In addition, the weight of each index is determined by the AHP method. Finally, the method is applied to the remanufacturing process of used planer B2025 to examine its feasibility and validity.