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22. Feb 2024
No
Company
Experience
Field
Size1
Description
Relevant
3
Automotive
Supplier
165k
Site Manager
26 years
1k = 1,000
Similarities and Differences - Overlaps and Deviations in Terms of Objectives,
Methods and Underlying Philosophy
In practice, CE is accompanied by LM and they merge into each other. If waste is avoided in
the LM context or products become better, then there is also a positive effect in the sense of
CE. However, the direct overlaps are rather manageable. In development or construction, for
example, the 0-error strategy must be extended to ensure failure-free operation in the first
product life in order to offer enough potential for R-strategies. If, on the other hand, the
failure of components is part of the product development strategy, then CE fails.
5S is an important structural element for processes in the company, as is the 0-error
principle. However, both require many systems, departments and stakeholders to come
together. Overproduction was not a problem in the past, but thanks to LM it is now an
important target variable in companies and the most important in LM. Keeping old parts in
stock is a problem in the context of LM, but necessary to ensure CE. In particular, stocks of
products that are no longer in demand are problematic. The art is to use these stocks as raw
materials in subsequent products. However, particularly fast-moving technology such as
mobile phones are not very suitable for repair or refurb due to rapid progress. The market
for 5-year-old mobile phones is non-existent. Small batch sizes or even one-piece-flow are
easy to implement in remanufacturing or refurb, as automation is rather uneconomical.
Poka-Yoke should be further developed and connections should be made detachable.
Positive connections are practically inseparable and therefore problematic for R-strategy
approaches. In the background, companies need to deal with the topic of Design for R early
on in product development.
A sensible metric would be the ratio of used material to new material. In this context,
material must also be used that is designed for durability. Wear components must be
identified and designed to be replaceable. Holistic and common KPIs are important to avoid
fragmentation of different stakeholders.
CE focuses on reuse and promotes the use of ecological materials that, for example, favor
or even make traceability possible. However, especially with regard to returns, there can
also be an increase in transport-related CO2 emissions or wear and tear, which is why a
holistic view of the entire product life cycle is important.
CE clearly prioritizes environmental aspects such as lower energy consumption. The
balance area can be easily defined and can also be considered holistically. For example,
electricity from the roof can be worthwhile, even if it is not always available. However, CE-
compliant material is considered more expensive than standard line products. Therefore, a
favorable design and a corresponding balancing are important to avoid disposable products
22. Feb 2024
and to exploit CE potential. LM runs according to the customer cycle, but returns for reuse
are not plannable and therefore not taktbar. Basic materials should always be recyclable,
and even if products initially seem more expensive, the added value of a second or even
third product life can offset the additional costs. LM is strongly anchored in processes and,
depending on the process management, can also work against CE.
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Synergy Effects and Target Conflicts - Interactions and Results in the Joint
Implementation of CE and LM
A direct conflict arises when LM experts lose internal business to CE experts. Another
problem is that the return of components to the series is not always legally possible. The
aftermarket offers possibilities to mix old and new products, but installation in the series for
new cars is not permitted, although enough components would be durable and would not be
distinguishable for the customer or even on the test bench.
The 0-error strategy, used correctly, can create products that are long-term usable and
recyclable. Planned obsolescence must then be strictly avoided. Design for R should be
considered here. The clip on ballpoint pens often breaks off, but the pen basically still writes
and the defect is easy to solve if spare parts are available. Alternatively, the clamping
mechanism could be designed so that it does not break at all.
Conflicts always arise where competing products or their concepts meet. For example,
bottles should be made of thin plastic to be cheap, whereas reusable bottles are made of
thick plastic or glass; which allows multiple use and recyclability. In doubt, the customer
does not even realize that products are used multiple times.
In order to prevent conflicts, a holistic approach is necessary that includes Design for R and
also Cradle to Cradle. If a higher quality material is used right from the start, it will be easier
to bring parts back into the cycle in the second or third life.
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Further Thoughts on Strategies, Methods and Tools
A clean discussion about CE is only possible with a precise nomenclature (DIN91472 for
classification). The distinction between Repair or Remanufacture is not always
clear, especially for the customer. Basically, however, customers want products that are at
least as good as new and they clearly reject reductions in performance or service
life. Sufficient refurbish or repair has become rare, although an OEM in particular offers
important background knowledge for dimensioning and has a feedback loop into
development or technical design. Chako Chako offers further potential in the context of
CE, but the effort and benefit must be in proportion.