INSIDE THE CAT^® REMAN PROCESS

Once a core piece passes dealer inspection, it’s sent to one of our global core processing facilities where it’s further inspected, disassembled, cleaned and salvaged using advanced techniques — like machining, laser cladding and metal deposition. This gives the part a new identity. Then, it’s reassembled in a manufacturing environment and rigorously tested to the same OEM specs as new Cat parts. Afterward, the core re-enters the supply chain as a Cat Reman product.

Sounds simple, right? But there’s a lot that goes into designing both new parts and Cat Reman parts to make sure performance and quality are accounted for every step of the way. In other words, our design process is not linear, but rather a continued cycle of collaboration, improvement and efficiency.

Jennifer Leustek, Cat Reman Product Manager, explains the process like this: “The strength of remanufacturing process design is that we must approach the product design differently than the [design of new parts] in some cases, because we take an existing material or an existing product condition [and place it] in a manufacturing environment and inspect it to identify key component degradation. [From there, we’re] able to remanufacture it through component replacement or additive manufacturing and [we’re able to] do this predictably. Using original design standards, [we] also [make sure] that we're able to meet performance standards at final test… which ultimately results in the quality that the Cat Reman brand demands.”

Bob Paternoga, Cat Reman Vice President and General Manager, notes that Cat Reman products are designed for multiple lives. He says, “We're designing [with] remanufacturability in mind, and we’re designing for highly reliable and durable products in the aftermarket.”   

So, what determines whether a new part will be considered for a future Cat Reman offering? Well, it needs to be:

• Designed for multiple lives
• Remanufactured through a practical, sustainable process
• Available at a price that offers customers value while lowering their Total Cost of Ownership

Before a core part enters the Cat Reman process, it’s already been evaluated on how well it can perform in the future. According to Danny Simon, Cat Reman Product Manager: “As long as we plan for the second, third and fourth lives, that allows us to have solutions that are more sustainable for our customers.”

When it comes to lowering ownership costs, Cat Reman Engines Product Manager Jeff Gutzwiller explains the careful planning that goes into designing large equipment and the role Cat Reman plays. “When Caterpillar designs and manufactures a very large piece of equipment like a large engine, gas compression engine or a large mining truck, that's going to be in service [for] 20 or 30 years. We are not just looking at the initial price tag. We’re looking at the total cost of ownership over the life of the product. And when we have that [Cat] Reman offering available, we know that the customer can factor in the [Cat] Reman price point… to get a lower total cost of ownership over the life of the product.”

Brian Edwards, Senior Vice President of the Caterpillar Remanufacturing Division, adds that as part of the design process, they’re continuously improving Cat Reman products throughout their lifecycle. “As you're getting a new warranty, every time this [Cat Reman product] goes back into service, it just tells you we're willing to stand behind it. We have that level of confidence in what we're doing for our customers.”

With these factors in mind, Cat Reman parts offer a more sustainable, cost-efficient option for customers — all with the same-as-new Caterpillar Parts Warranty*.

According to Gutzwiller, one of the biggest advantages of using a Cat Reman product is that “you're getting your product from the same people [who] designed it and validated it new — from the same people [who] have the access to all that intellectual property and know-how.”

The Cat Reman team doesn’t work alone. Collaboration with multiple teams across Caterpillar at all stages of design is crucial to delivering quality Cat products.

“One of the things we do in Cat Reman is we work with the rest of the company to make sure the new-side product and design and development teams understand where Cat Reman fits into the repair options strategy,” says Gutzwiller.

This is achieved through ongoing communication — with Cat Reman collaborating with the new side on how the Cat Reman process works. In fact, both Cat Reman and the new side work closely together early in the design phase, when it comes to decision-making and planning.

Jeff Gutzwiller further explains how both teams work together. “We actually get involved in new-side design as part of Cat Reman,” he says. “And we have a seat at the table when they're doing new designs to make sure that the product is designed for multiple lives. So that communication up front is very important. And then, as we start to go into production and go into the field on the new side, we look at the field population and start to get feedback from the field as to how these products are performing, and when they’re going to get up to service life and when we need to have that [Cat] Reman offering.”

When it comes to updates and changes, the Cat Reman design team stays in the loop with the new-side team to ensure Cat Reman parts maintain like new quality and performance — and product upgrades and improvements occur on a regular basis.

“If you have a design that's been in production for many years… say it's 10 years old… as technology improves from an engineering and salvage perspective through [Cat] Reman, those specifications for those old designs can be enhanced again to deliver more value to our customers,” says Simon. “Just like we would change and adapt specifications to meet customer expectations on a new fuel injector design, we can take those same principles and those same processes and apply them to a fuel injector that may be 10 years old… enhancing the value to our customers by delivering that like new performance, like new quality.”

“We in Cat Reman need to stay in touch with [new-side engineers], which we do because we're all part of the same company and same engineering family” says Gutzwiller. “So we keep up to date with their new offerings, and we're continually looking at how those products go into the field. When we reach a critical threshold of population, then we'll start to consider a Cat Reman offering.”

The ongoing communication between the Cat Reman and new-design teams ensures that the lifecycle of a product can last decades to come.

To Simon, the collaboration across design teams allows customers to get the most out of their component performance. “One of the things that Cat Reman offers to our customers that nobody else can [offer] on Cat parts is that linkage back to our new-component side of the business.… We are a company that continuously improves and innovates on behalf of our customers to maintain our competitive advantage.… We know our Cat equipment and Cat machines.”

Currently, there are over 8,000 products in the Cat Reman line. As technologies and research and development (R & D) dollars continue to evolve, Cat Reman looks to focus on scaling up smaller parts and components to align more closely with the range of their larger equipment solutions. “We can continue to take the lessons that we've learned and apply them moving forward,” says Trent Tippey, Cat Reman Commercial Manager for Construction Industries. “[With] a robust portfolio in our very large product lines… as we continue to invest more energy in these smaller scaled operations, you're going to see a lot more offerings come in the future as we invest more time and energy to bringing some of those offerings out.”

Ultimately, Simon emphasizes that Cat Reman must stay in tune with customer needs. “As those products continue to evolve and get enhanced over time, those enhancements get put into our [Cat] Reman products in parallel to [those] on the new side of our business.”

He goes on to say, “From a longer perspective, we know that our customers’ needs continue to evolve. And so, it's the anticipation of those needs. [We] grow within our product portfolios to make sure that we continue to deliver that value, not only today, but also in the future for our customers.”

Check out the range and variety of available Cat Reman parts.

^{*Warranty can vary by model and application; limitations may apply. For complete details about the applicable Caterpillar Limited Warranty, contact an authorized Cat dealer.}