When a machine’s component reaches the end of its life, there are two options: it can be discarded and replaced with something new or it can be restored to as-new quality through a process called remanufacturing. Liebherr Mining has 12 remanufacturing and repair facilities around the world, with a workforce of over 300. In 2022, the Liebherr Mining Reman Program saved approximately 10,000 tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere through the remanufacturing process.
To learn more about this program, we spoke to Jeff Rounds – Liebherr Mining’s General Manager for Global Remanufacturing.
The Liebherr Mining Reman Program achieved some impressive statistics in 2022. Does this mean that the program is used regularly by customers?
At present, approximately 50% of all major components sold by Liebherr Mining for use in customers’ machines have come from the Liebherr Mining Reman Program.
Seems very popular then. Do you think that the environmental benefits of remanufacturing play a role in the appeal of the program?
They definitely do. Because most of the energy intensive materials used in remanufacturing come from used parts and components, the net energy needed to produce them is significantly less. Compared to the production of new components, remanufacturing reduces the volume of raw materials we use by up to 75% and the carbon footprint created by building these items by more than 50%. This means that value can be transferred to customers in the form of more cost-effective parts and components.
Are there any other benefits of the Liebherr Mining Reman Program that customers may not be aware of?
Some of the benefits of Reman that don’t get discussed that often are the technological benefits. Parts and components returned to us through the Reman Program are inspected by our development engineers to analyse their condition from an endurance and reliability perspective. The information we gain from these analyses helps us to continually improve our products as it allows us to see which aspects of a part or component may need to be upgraded to ensure optimal performance. These technical improvements are then integrated into the parts and components we remanufacture and install into our customers’ machines, leading to better reliability and performance of not only the component but the whole mining machine.
Reman can thus provide a diverse range of benefits. So, what’s new with Liebherr Reman?
We are excited to have recently opened a new state-of-the-art Reman facility in Panama. This facility was established so we could provide remanufacturing services to new mining operations in the region that use a fleet of our T 284 ultra-class trucks. The Panamanian Reman facility has been operational since March 2022 and has been certified under the Liebherr Mining Service Excellence Program. The Service Excellence Program, which began in 2014, allows Liebherr Mining to achieve consistent levels of excellence across all of its customer support services, including remanufacturing, through regular evaluation.
In addition, we are currently in the construction phase of a major extension to our Reman centre at Liebherr Indonesia. This extension will provide our team with an extra 3,500 square metres of production space and the capacity to remanufacture Liebherr combustion engines, gearboxes, and hydraulic cylinders for Liebherr Mining equipment.
