Remanufacturing of electronic control units for off-road vehicles: process analysis and sustainability assessment

In recent years, the amount of electronics installed in vehicles has rapidly raised due to their growing complexity and functionalities, including drivetrain and comfort systems, communication technologies and driving safety equipment (Bosch, 2014). The management of these electronic systems is handled by electronic control units (ECUs) and a single vehicle could host 70 ECUs or more (Kleylein-Feuerstein et al., 2015). In this context, due to the high embedded value of electronics, remanufacturing could represent a key circular strategy to extend their lifespan by restoring a product to its original performance, with a warranty that is equal to or better than that of a newly manufactured (British Standards Institution, 2009). The aim of this study is to analyse the remanufacturing processes of ECUs at full scale within a case study company from the technical, environmental and economic viewpoints.