The Final Lap...

I'm into the final lap of writing my seventh engineering book—the three R's of Solutions to Obsolescence. These include Appendices (Comparison Matrices, Glossary of Terms, and Strategy Selection Card), Acknowledgements, and a comprehensive Index for better reference.

I intend to just release a full-color, hard cover edition. It will not be as "affordable" as the other engineering books but I will keep the price below $100, if possible. Color printed books are not cheap to begin with, and for Amazon KDP it can come up to 3-4 times that of plain black and white print edition.

But I assure you, my readers, that it will be worth every cent to get a copy of this book when it is ready. The amount of work put in to ensure quality content and images are definitely not mesasured in dollars and cents.

I look forward to your support, through purchase and by word-of-mouth recommendations. It's been a grilling yet rewarding journey for the past couple of months. I believe there will be more engineering books to follow, if things work out for my collaborations with ASTER and the Singapore Army.

So stay tune for new updates.

Certifications as a Growth Accelerator

For remanufacturers seeking B2B customers (fleets, industrial plants, government), certifications are often mandatory, not optional. Certification, however, is a journey, not a one-time event. Start with ISO 9001, then add specialized certifications as your market demands. 

OEMs are increasingly entering remanufacturing—not as a threat to independents, but as a parallel channel. Here are two strategic advice for independents:  

▪ Specialize in products OEMs ignore (low-volume, obsolete, industrial).  

▪ Build capabilities OEMs lack (reverse engineering, restoration of non-supported components).

 

Scaling Remanufacturing

A remanufacturer can succeed as a small shop: one technician, a parts washer, a test stand, and a loyal local customer base. Many do. 

But remanufacturing's full potential—the ability to compete with new products at scale, to offer national warranties, to supply OEMs themselves—requires scaling. 

Scaling remanufacturing is not simply doing more of the same. It requires: 

▪ Facility design for workflow efficiency 
▪ Automation where labor costs dominate 
▪ Quality systems that survive volume growth 
▪ Certifications that signal credibility 
▪ Market acceptance strategies that overcome the "used product" stigma

Unlike manufacturing (raw materials in, finished goods out), remanufacturing has a variable flow. Cores arrive with unknown quality. Some move quickly; others require rework or wait for parts. It is therefore imperative to have a facility that is designed for remanufacturing workflow. (see figure above)

 

Reverse Engineering and Additive Manufacturing

When parts cannot be sourced or restored, the remanufacturer must create them. This is accomplished via reverse engineering and additive manufacturing. The processes can be quite involved, requiring multi-disciplined skills and specific equipment. It is not a one-man effort but a team of competent engineers and technicians who know their trade and tools. 

Reverse Engineering Example – Obsolete Bracket:

Part: Mounting bracket for alternator on 1990s diesel engine
Availability: OEM discontinued, no aftermarket 
Sample: Worn bracket from donor core
Measurement method: 3D scanner + CMM verification 
Material: Cast aluminum (identified via spectrometer) 
Manufacturing method: CNC machined from billet (no casting tooling cost)
Cost per part (10 units): $45 each (vs. OEM new was $18—but unavailable) 
Outcome: Bracket reproduced. Remanufacturing continues.

Of course, reverse engineering occupies a legal gray area. Remanufacturers must navigate intellectual property (IP) law carefully.

The Parts Availability Crisis

The core promise of remanufacturing is to extend product life indefinitely.  

But there is a catch— 

▪ What happens when the original manufacturer no longer makes the parts you need?  
▪ What happens when the product is 30 years old and the OEM has discontinued support?  
▪ What happens when the company itself is out of business? 

Without parts, remanufacturing stalls. A perfectly restorable core—sound housing, restorable shaft, reusable frame—becomes scrap because a $5 seal or a $50 bearing is no longer available. 

We need to address the parts supply challenge that defines the difference between remanufacturers who survive and those who fade away. This covers: 

▪ Sourcing existing parts (OEM, aftermarket, donor cores) 
▪ Reverse engineering obsolete components 
▪ Additive manufacturing (3D printing) for remanufacturing 
▪ Restoring parts that cannot be sourced (remanufacturing components themselves) 
▪ Legal and intellectual property considerations

 

Inspection and Sorting

This is the most critical quality control stage in the remanufacturing workflow. Every component is inspected—no sampling, no assumptions.

Sorting Decision Tree 

For each component after inspection, we need to ask: 

Is it within OEM new specification? 

• Yes → Clean, protect, move to reassembly 
• No  → Is it restorable (machining, coating, grinding)? 

        • Yes → Route to restoration (Stage 5) 
        • No  → Is a new replacement available?  

                • Yes → Source new part 
                • No  → Scrap component (mark as unusable) 

The inspection stage drives the entire remanufacturing process. Every component is sorted into one of four paths: reuse, restore, replace, or scrap.

 

Remanufacturing Workflow

Remanufacturing is the most process-intensive of the three strategies covered in this book. Unlike refurbishing (partial disassembly) or retrofitting (add-on modifications), remanufacturing requires complete disassembly, 100% inspection, systematic restoration, and full performance testing. 

The workflow presented here is generic—applicable to automotive engines, industrial gearboxes, heavy equipment components, and beyond. Specific industries will have variations, but the core logic is universal. 

The Seven Stages of Remanufacturing: 

1. Core Acquisition and Intake – Sourcing and grading used products 

2. Complete Disassembly – Down to the last component 

3. Cleaning – Multiple methods, multiple passes 

4. Inspection and Sorting – 100% dimensional and nondestructive testing 

5. Restoration and Replacement – Machining, coating, new parts 

6. Reassembly – To OEM specifications, with new wear items 

7. Testing and Certification – Full performance validation

The Mindset of Remanufacturing

Remanufacturing is not just a set of processes. It is a mindset. Five principles distinguish true remanufacturing from lesser imitations. 

Principle 1: Assume Nothing 

The repair technician assumes a component is good until proven otherwise. The remanufacturer assumes a component is bad until proven good.

Principle 2: Wear Items Are Always Replaced 

Certain components have finite lifespans: bearings, seals, gaskets, brushes, filters, belts. Even if they appear functional, they have consumed part of their design life.

Principle 3: Restore, Don't Just Replace (When Economical) 

Some components (housings, shafts, blocks) are expensive to replace but can be restored to original tolerances through machining, grinding, thermal spray coating, or other processes.

Principle 4: Test to New-Product Standards 

A remanufactured product must perform identically to a new product under the same test conditions.

Principle 5: Warranty Parity 

A remanufactured product without a new-product warranty is not truly remanufactured. It is something less—rebuilt, reconditioned, or refurbished—regardless of what the marketing says.

Remanufacturing is not equally applicable to all products. It thrives where: 

• The core has high intrinsic value (e.g., cast iron block, precision-ground shaft) 
• Wear items are modular and replaceable 
• The product is designed for disassembly (or can be disassembled with reasonable effort) 
• New replacement cost is high 
• Customers value reliability and warranty 

Reman: The Gold Standard

Remanufacturing sits at the apex of the three strategies for several reasons. 

Reason 1: Reliability 

A refurbished product is a gamble. It might last years; it might fail next month. A remanufactured product carries the same statistical reliability as a new product—because it has been restored to the same tolerances and specifications. 

Reason 2: Warranty Parity 

Customers who buy new products expect warranties measured in years, not months. Remanufactured products can offer those warranties because the restoration process is comprehensive enough to justify the confidence. 

Reason 3: Environmental Impact 

Remanufacturing saves 80-95% of the energy, water, and raw materials required to manufacture a new product—because the core (the housing, the block, the frame) is preserved. Only wear items are replaced.

Reason 4: Economic Value 

A remanufactured product typically sells for 40-70% of the new price, with gross margins that are often higher than new (because the core is acquired at low cost and the labor-intensive restoration is still cheaper than virgin materials and new component fabrication). 

A customer who pays for a remanufactured product expects new reliability. A rebuilt or reconditioned product will not deliver that. Engineers specifying remanufacturing for safety-critical or high-reliability applications must ensure they are getting true remanufacturing—not a cheaper imitation.  

The Gold Standard?

No, I'm not talking about the precious metal that people the world over looks to as the standard for guarantee, security and stability in the current economic downturn. I'm talking about remanufacturing.

Let's recap the first two strategies for combating obsolescence:

• Refurbishing restores function and appearance but leaves most components original. It is a facelift—valuable, cost-effective, but not a reset. 

• Retrofitting adds new capabilities to old platforms but leaves the core systems untouched. It is an upgrade—powerful, but narrow in scope. 

Remanufacturing is different. It is total. It is complete. It is the closest thing engineering has to a resurrection. 

Remanufacturing takes a used product, disassembles it completely to its core components, cleans and inspects every part, replaces or restores every wear item, and reassembles the product to original (or improved) specifications. The result is indistinguishable from new—and often carries the same warranty.

In other words, remanufacturing is total transformation. Nothing is assumed to be good enough. Every component is inspected, and every wear item is replaced. Period.

Ps: Incidentally, my fourth book Manual PCB-RE: The Essentials, has been dubbed "The Gold Standard" by an Amazon reader.

Remanufacturing (Revisited)

In late March, I was contacted by the DGM of ASTER and was invited to tour their facilities in early April. Then, sometime early June, a representative from the Army sought me out via Facebook Messenger and arrange for a meetup with his superior in the middle of the month.

Was it coincidence that two organizations, one commercial and the other military, expressed interests in my niche skillset of PCB reverse engineering? All within the space of two months this year. Both are also involved in remanufacturing, albeit in their own operational capacities. The timing could not have been anticipated.

After ten years and six engineering books on PCB-RE and its related subjects, I couldn't believe that here, locally in Singapore, there are actually people who not only read my works but also actively practicing this craft. I was both consolated and excited! It has opened new opportunities for future collaborations as well as enhancing local expertise.

Now that I have drafted two out of the three Rs (Refurbishing and Retrofitting) of Solutions to Obsolescnce, perhaps it's time to work on the final R (Remanufacturing).

Ps: Overseas readers and professionals who have read my book or are involved in these three aspects of overcoming obsolescence, do comment on this post and give your views.  They may prove invaluable to the upcoming book I'm currently working on...