Remanufacturing, an untapped resource for productivity improvement
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Date
2012
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Abstract
Currently in Ghana, no opportunities have been identified in the open market where one could purchase a used part (e.g. an engine or gear box) and be assured of properly documented warranty or customer satisfaction guarantees. The aim of this project therefore, is to investigate the potentials of remanufacturing with the view to illustrate the potential economic, environmental and social benefits associated with the practice.
The findings of this research indicates that approximately 87,400,976.80 kilograms of used spare parts notably used engines, drive axles and differentials, used radiators, gear boxes etc. were imported into the Country between 2005 to 2010 to be used on ‘as is basis’. During the same period, GH¢30,822,609.06 was generated as other taxes for the government, apart from a total of GH¢50,252,918.32 generated as import duty. It was also noted that approximately forty eight thousand units of used engines are imported into the Country each year. Getting value for money out of the patronage of these components is by chance. This is so because facilities and systems for rebuilding them to such high standards are currently not available in the Country. It is only a few heavy equipment companies like Caterpillar that are remanufacturing for their clients in the heavy equipment industry.
It is realized that there is adequacy of cores to be used for remanufacturing in Ghana and eleven African Countries are already in the practice. Some of these Countries are South Africa and Kenya which are into automotive and engineering remanufacture as well as Botswana and Nigeria that run Microsoft Authorized Remanufacturing facilities, creating better economies and enhanced standard of living for their people. Ghana can tap into this hidden economic prospect and be part of this evolving trend in Africa.
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A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering,