What do companies do with old production lines in their electronic production? Scrap them or, if they are still of value, sell them to a second-hand hardware dealer. But what to do with old production lines that were specially designed for the company or for a certain process and therefore cannot be resold because their individualization is too high? Probably scrap them … or maybe sell them? To the manufacturer?
Let’s take a special machine in the field of selective soldering, which has been used for years in the automotive parts industry. The machien looks used due to shift work, even if it is working perfectly. But the traces of production are deceptive. The production cell is still in flawless condition and can be used for other machine concepts if the sustainability and cradle-to-cradle idea is applied. This approach is based on a continuous and consistent recycling management. The German chemist Michael Braungart and the US-American architect William McDonough developed this approach, which is based on “cradle-to-cradle products”, as “technical nutrients” that can be continuously kept in technical cycles.
But let’s come back to our special machine. After a general overhaul, the cell can be rewired, fitted with new modules and the control cabinet adapted to the new processes, and thus ready for new tasks. The wiring harnesses can no longer be used, but the soldering modules, robots or other kinematic systems can be used in, for example, price-sensitive projects after a test and overhaul … or they can be assembled to new machines that will experience their second spring as rental machines.
Do you have questions regarding this matter?
Your contact person: Matthias Fehrenbach
Company: Eutect GmbH
