Tools and Methods for Designing Mechanical Components for Multiple Remanufacturing Cycles in Agricultural Machinery

This work addresses the relevant issue of objectively evaluating the useful life of mechanical components through life cycle and cost analysis, when destinated to remanufacturing in agricultural machinery field. The goal is to identify the most efficient strategic choices for predicting and managing the end of life of a component/product to maximize profit and minimize consumption of economic and natural resources. The approach of Design for Remanufacturing and Design for Extension of Life is presented as effective solutions to extend the useful life of structural mechanical components, making them suitable for multiple remanufacturing process, and emphasizing the importance of considering long-term implications on the product and entire system life cycle. Life cycle analysis (LCA) and costing (LCC) are described as the proper tools to evaluate alternatives and identify which design scheme can ensure maximum profit and minimum consumption of material and energy. Specifically, the article proposes a methodology to compare between producing more components with the current design that will undergo fewer rework cycles or producing fewer components with the updated design that will undergo more regeneration cycles. The main questions that the article seeks to answer are: to what extent is it profitable, from an economic and natural resource perspective, to extend the useful life of a structural mechanical component in prevision of remanufacturing processes? What is the design scheme that can ensure maximum profit and minimum consumption of material and energy? Objective evaluation of process alternatives, considering design for remanufacturing and life extension, can provide a multi-objective optimal solution that maximizes product value and minimizes environmental impact.