SÖDERTÄLJE, Sweden—Scania AB, a leading European manufacturer of trucks and buses, is installing remanufactured gearboxes in new vehicles at its flagship assembly plant here.

The components were subjected to the same rigorous inline quality and function tests as gearboxes that are made from entirely new parts. They were assessed on the same test rig used for new ones, with monitoring of some 100 quality and function parameters. The gearboxes passed all tests and were confirmed as being “as good as new.”

“This remanufactured gearbox is a compelling example of how the manufacturing of heavy vehicles can become more sustainable, circular and efficient, while still retaining the highest quality standards,” says Fredrik Nilzén, head of sustainability at Scania.

The recent milestone took place as part of iReGear, a joint research project with KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Scandinavian Transmission Service AB.

According to Nilzén, the production process showed tremendous environmental advantages. “While replacement rates during gearbox remanufacturing can vary between roughly 10 percent to 100 percent depending on wear-and-tear history, this particular gearbox consumed approximately 50 percent less material and caused 45 percent fewer carbon emissions compared with gearboxes made only with new components,” he points out.

Remanufacturing, which involves the reuse of old parts to create new products, is viewed by the automotive industry as a promising strategy for achieving climate goals and supporting the transition toward a circular economy. It also addresses increasing resource scarcity issues.

However, Nilzén says the wider adoption of the process requires vehicle manufacturers to integrate remanufactured components directly into the production lines of new vehicles, rather than using them separately in sales to the aftermarket.

“This research provides the first evidence to support the argument that it is feasible to envision future manufacturing organizations seamlessly integrating manufacturing and remanufacturing operations to develop circular manufacturing systems that consume fewer resources, produce fewer emissions, and cost less without compromising quality and performance,” says Farazee Asif, assistant professor of manufacturing and metrology systems at KTH.