Members of staff at Carwood explain why the company believes in offering its customers remanufactured products.
With the environment high on everyone’s agenda, ever-tightening laws surrounding the recycling of vehicle parts, and an increasingly challenging economic climate, the market for remanufacturing is poised for significant growth over the next decade or so.
Driving a sustainable and economical future
Over the years, the negative environmental and economic impact of simply throwing away products that have reached their end of life has become too great to ignore. This explains the 2015 legislation stating that 95% of a vehicle by weight must be reused, recycled or recovered.
The industry has also come to recognise the value of reusing parts, rather than simply the need to. Thanks to advances in technology, remanufacturers like Carwood claim to offer a product that performs like new, whilst reducing the use of materials, energy, water and waste – saving up to 70% of resources and consuming around 85% less energy, versus new.
But it’s not just the environment that benefits. By reusing the core, it is also more cost-effective. With an increasing number of older vehicles on the road, the cost of repair will become key.
Together, these will drive the growth of remanufacturing. Indeed, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers’ 2019 UK Automotive Sustainability report, the UK remanufacturing market is worth an estimated £2.4 billion, and it is growing quickly, presenting factors with a great opportunity to tap into a rising market.
‘Core’ to the Carwood business
Although the trend for sustainability is more recent, Carwood has been remanufacturing for over half a century. Born in 1966, as a small electrical car parts business, the company quickly established itself as a high profile remanufacturer of starters and alternators. Since then, it has strengthened its offering through organic growth and strategic acquisition.
Today, its remanufactured portfolio spans diesel fuel injection, turbochargers, rotating electrics, diesel particulate filters and engines for the automotive, plant, rail, marine and defence sectors. And, with a 240-plus strong team, it operates dedicated facilities in Coventry – the company’s HQ – Birmingham, Nottingham, Telford and Yeovil – the latter also offering electrical rewinding, an integral process in the remanufacturing of stators, rotors and other wire wound components – as well as several overseas locations.
Staying ahead of the game
Whilst the logic behind remanufacturing may not have changed since Carwood’s early days, as automotive technology has evolved, so have the processes, know-how and equipment needed to do it. The company’s Birmingham facility is the perfect illustration. With over 20 OE test benches and an ISO14644 Class 7 certified clean room capable of filtering down to 0.5 microns, Carwood claims that it is widely regarded as one of the best diesel remanufacturing facilities worldwide. At this facility, the company remanufactures pumps and injectors for cars and commercial vehicles, and off-highway manufacturers, fleets and factors.
Anthony James, General Manager at Carwood Diesel Systems, emphasised the necessity of this investment, commenting: “Just like every part we remanufacture, our pumps and injectors undergo a rigorous seven-step process, including core inspection, product disassembly, cleaning, re-inspection, replacement of parts with like-for-like OE, assembly, and finally, test and calibration.”
“Whilst former injection systems ran at idle mode, full speed, and one or two other operating points, today’s Euro 6 systems use variable injection timings and volumes, and can perform multiple injections during a single combustion cycle. Because of this, we have to perform up to 700 test steps just to calibrate the injector – a critical step which allows the ECU to adjust fuel delivery and optimise engine performance when the injector is installed back into the vehicle.”
The company is also continuing to invest in its Nottingham turbocharger plant, where, like diesel, it supplies OE fit, form and function turbos to leading vehicle manufacturers, fleets and factors.
“Despite today’s challenges, we are continuing to invest heavily,” added Peter Green, General Manager at Carwood Turbochargers. “We’ve recently added another state-of-the-art bench, giving us the capability to test the minimum flow of the latest VGT turbochargers, and enabling us to significantly expand our aftermarket range – with more than 1,000 turbochargers, covering over 13,000 applications. As a result, we now support more than 95% of the UK car and LCV parc, putting Carwood in a great position.”
Why ‘reman is right’ for factors
Peter concluded, “But what about you? Choose the right partner, and you’ll be in an equally strong position. With an OE- approved brand like Carwood, you can access a premium quality, sustainable product at a competitive price the very next day. This winning combination means you can offer your customers a genuine alternative to new that’s both better for the environment and their wallet, all with a great service.”
