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CompetitionReman debate
Reman debate
13 Nov 2008
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ZF Trading seeks to dispel claims that new is best at industry conference
PARTS company ZF Trading has stressed the quality and benefits of remanufactured products at an industry forum.
The event, at the One Aldwych hotel in London, was aimed at refuting claims that new products are inherently better than reman versions. The picture (right) shows a clutch cover before and after the remanunfacturing process.
The round table discussion, chaired by Automotive Distribution Federation chief, Brian Spratt, included component distributors, motor factors and academics.
ZF’s managing director, Addy Doodt, asserted: “There is scare mongering in the aftermarket that new is better than remanufactured, but there is no evidence to back this up. Vehicle manufacturers sell our remanufactured products and we need to raise awareness of our extremely high standards.”
Dr Andrew King, of Bristol University, explained how remanufactured parts have been found to be more reliable than new parts, as the core metal is of a proven quality whereas a small percentage of new parts will fail early to due to undetected faults.
It was generally accepted that most fleet managers do not distinguish between remanufacturing - ‘reman’ - and reconditioning - ‘recon’ - and there is an urgent need to address this problem.
Matt Shakespeare, technical manager at ZF, commented: “With Sachs CV clutches, we obtain the cores and ship batches to our remanufacturing plant in Germany, where they are stripped down and the components assessed for usability. Reconditioning, on the other hand, is often little more than relining.”
Dr Ben Walsh, of Oakdene Hollins, pointed out that remanufacturing is a stronger option in terms of carbon footprint.
He underlined the need for standards in remanufacturing and said he expected an announcement from BSI on this in the next month or so.
On product quality and consumer choice, Chris Davis, of motor factor L.C. Davis & Sons, concluded: “You cannot sell parts that you get comeback on. It is as simple as that.”
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