In the printing industry, compared with household printers/photocopiers, the "product-as-a-service" business model has been popular in commercial printers/photocopiers for many years. Instead of purchasing the ownership of the machine, many companies prefer to purchase "column/photocopiers". ” functions and related services, such as maintenance and repair, to save company operating expenses. This business model has also driven the vigorous development of circular economy-related industries in this field, such as the remanufacture, reuse and resource recovery and recycling of related components and modules to maximize material recycling. efficiency and economic benefits. Under this situation, this article will introduce an electromechanical module remanufacturing expert in the printing industry chain, APD International Ltd. (APDI). APDI is a small and medium-sized enterprise with over 30 years of remanufacturing experience. Its main service scope is the remanufacturing of electromechanical modules for medium/high usage printing systems, including xerographic and fusing (also known as heating) modules. wait. The company was established in Cinderford, England in 1985. It was originally a developer of polymer coating rollers and later focused on the refurbishment and remanufacturing of roller modules. In view of the rapid development of printing technology and awareness of its challenges and business opportunities, APDI has extended its technology to more complex electromechanical modules in printing systems, and has become an expert in remanufacturing in this field. In addition to the factory in Cinderford, there is another factory in Mikulov, Czech Republic, which jointly supports the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the printing industry chain [1]. Remanufactured “raw materials” are also called cores – they generally refer to any used, non-functional or damaged products, parts, components and modules that can be remanufactured. The stable supply of core components is not only related to whether the service life of materials can be extended, but it is also the key to the sustainable operation of remanufacturers. Therefore, every remanufacturer's business practices must include a recycling (also known as reverse logistics) mechanism. For example, when selling remanufactured goods, a deposit or additional fee may be charged when the goods are returned, or through "product as a service" (product as a service). a service) business model, etc., to ensure that core components can be returned to the company for recycling and sale after use. As for APDI, its business model is to cooperate with OEM contracts and remanufacture approximately 150,000 components every year for use by its partner manufacturers. When consumers purchase or lease products, if there is an after-sales service contract, the OEM will collect a certain number of core components, such as electrostatic printing modules, through maintenance and repair services and hand them over to APDI for processing. After a strict remanufacturing process, the remanufactured core components of the same batch and with the same performance as new products are returned to the OEM and given the same warranty as new products [2]. The OEM then assembles the component into the printer to be maintained or repaired to extend the life of the product, and collects the replaced damaged components and returns them to APDI for remanufacturing. In terms of manufacturing process, APDI's process is similar to traditional remanufacturing. When the used electromechanical modules arrive, their remanufacturing possibilities will be assessed first, and if they are not economically beneficial, they will be recycled. After the assessment, dismantle and clean the components if necessary, check the wear and tear of the components and evaluate the possibility of reuse. After removing the components to be replaced and reusable components from the bill of materials (bill of materials), assemble them according to the original manufacturer's operating instructions. The assembled electromechanical modules must undergo strict testing and reach the same performance as new products and the original factory standards before being given the APDI label for future product inquiry and tracking. Then, it is packaged and shipped according to the customer's needs [1 – 2]. Remanufacturing is one of the important ways to achieve a circular economy. Due to the recycling of raw materials and local processing, remanufactured products can increase the flexibility of the industrial supply chain and reduce the distance of product transportation. This is especially important in the current situation of global supply chain shortages due to the impact of the epidemic. In terms of product price, APDI's electromechanical modules are similar to other printing-related remanufactured products. Due to the recycling of materials, the price is at least 40% off new products. But more importantly to printer users, remanufactured products can greatly reduce the downtime required to purchase new products due to their short manufacturing process. Furthermore, the rapid development of printing technology means that the use of electromechanical modules is increasing. Therefore, the use of remanufactured products can promote the recycling of rare metals and reduce the cost of their disposal. Finally, the remanufacturing process can provide relevant information about how products malfunction, which can help improve the design of new products. We hope that APDI’s remanufacturing case will help Taiwan transform into a circular economy and achieve environmental sustainability goals. References: 1. APDI company official website, http://www.apdiltd.com/index.php, visited on April 20, 2021 2. APDI business model case analysis, European Remanufacturing Network (ERN), https:// www.remanufacturing.eu/studies/edcd0480edc9a0a960be.pdf, visited on 5 April 2021 Source: Circular Economy Promotion Office
