Photo courtesy of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
Remanufactured components help reduce replacement costs and extend vehicle life while reducing environmental impact of new part production.
Remanufactured components help reduce replacement costs and extend vehicle life while reducing environmental impact of new part production.
Remanufactured components help reduce replacement costs and extend vehicle life while reducing environmental impact of new part production.
Remanufactured components help reduce replacement costs and extend vehicle life while reducing environmental impact of new part production.
Remanufactured components help reduce replacement costs and extend vehicle life while reducing environmental impact of new part production.

The impact of clones

Feb. 12, 2018
As remanufactured component manufacturers work to create transparency with the reman process, it’s important to define all types of components available.

The value proposition that remanufactured parts bring to a fleet’s maintenance strategy isn’t new: Cost savings, high quality, performance and reduced environmental impact are all well-recognized as benefits to the bottom line and beyond. 

What is different in today’s aftermarket is a proliferation of higher-profile, slickly produced components aimed at capitalizing on the popularity of those benefits, but without any guarantee of actually providing them to the users.

It has become easy to forget that as recently as five to 10 years ago, the credibility of remanufacturing was in question: There was still a fair amount of confusion over rebuilt components versus those that were truly remanufactured to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications. And when rebuilt parts came up short of OEM standards performance-wise, the remanufacturing market as a whole often took a hit to its reputation.

Defining industry changes

Continued outreach and education by remanufacturers, along with efforts of the industry organization MERA – The Remanufacturing Association, with the Manufactured Again Certification program, have significantly improved the perception of remanufacturing.

Reman is growing in the aftermarket, and generating high levels of interest from second and third purchasers of vehicles looking to maintain safety and performance without the cost of service-new components. And while those opportunities are welcome, the increased visibility of remanufacturing is also putting dollar signs in the eyes of what we call “clone” manufacturers.

It’s important to first understand the definition and process for creating these types of components:

  • Remanufactured (reman) parts

Genuine remanufactured products are factory rebuilt by an OEM using a mix of reconditioned components and brand-new components from the original equipment suppliers. Components that are exposed to high stress or increased temperatures, or at risk of fatigue or corrosion, are replaced with original spec components identical to those on a brand-new product. Remanufactured components help reduce replacement costs and extend vehicle life while reducing environmental impact of new part production.

  • Rebuilt parts

Rebuilt parts are often seen as lower-cost alternatives to reman parts, but the two terms are not interchangeable. When a rebuilder breaks down the core of a part for reuse – an air compressor, for instance – they may simply just clean or repaint it and either reuse the wear components or replace them with inferior versions, lacking full access to OEM-quality replacements. Brake shoes may just be relined with new friction without being recoined to their original OEM geometry.

  •  Clone parts

Clone parts are form-fit-function copies of OEM products even though they lack OEM performance; they are designed using dimensional approximations, since the manufacturer doesn’t have access to the original design specs. The quality of these parts ranges from extremely poor to questionable. Clones are marketed as value-priced alternatives (in some cases they are fraudulently referred to as remanufactured), and they often appeal to second, third and fourth owners – or first owners who may be looking for a cheap fix before trading in their vehicle.

A growing market segment

While remanufacturers have long aimed to educate the industry about the difference between reman and rebuild, clones are a growing market segment that muddies the waters even further.

In the aftermarket, it’s very difficult for a clone product to compete among buyers looking for a service-new replacement, so we see clone manufacturers instead trying to ride the coattails of the improvements in remanufacturing and the growth in reman demand.

And clone manufacturers have become better at it: We’re not talking about people selling these parts out of the back of a truck, or even companies providing parts in the old “white boxes” associated with knockoffs. Through better marketing, packaging and website development, clones can be perceived as superior to reman parts because they’re a “new” part – even though the product itself lacks the engineering involved in remanufactured products.  

The simple truth is that you can’t get OEM performance, reliability, longevity and support with a knockoff, no matter how nice the box looks.

Consider that a true remanufactured part goes through two complete series of stringent OEM evaluations and validations: Once when it’s first built, and then again when the core comes back in for remanufacturing. So when that reman part goes out for delivery, its components have been validated and confirmed to meet OEM standards not once, but twice.

Remanufactured components certification program

Under the new Manufactured Again Certification program, remanufacturers are required to show that their reman processes, facilities and standards all meet the same quality performance levels as new manufacturing. All this will help purchasers easily identify remanufactured goods with like-new quality and warranty coverage.

Launched in November 2016, the Manufactured Again Certification program is based on the internationally recognized quality management standards ISO 9001 and IATF 16949. ISO 9001 can be used by any organization, large or small, in any industry, and the supplemental IATF 16949 is one of the automotive industry’s most widely used international quality standards. To receive Manufactured Again Certification, remanufacturers are required to submit third-party evidence of conformance to the accepted quality standards. The Manufactured Again Verification Committee oversees the program and reviews all applications.

Weighing the risks

Now take a closer look at that competing clone part: Even if you’re familiar with the name or “house brand” on the box, do you know who the actual supplier is? Are you sure it was built using the dimensions, processes and surface treatments that go into supporting OEM specification? And if you’re paying less, are you prepared for the likely trade-off in product life, corrosion resistance or performance?

You might save money initially, but end up spending much more in the long term due to component failure, more frequent replacements and increased downtime.

It’s a risk you don’t have to take.

Henry Foxx is the Director of Remanufactured Products at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC. He has been involved in the automotive/commercial trucking industry for more than 20 years in engineering and product management roles at both the OEM and supplier levels. He works closely with customers to expand their understanding of the advantages provided by remanufactured products.

About the Author

Henry Foxx | Director of Remanufactured Products, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC