Reman 101
What is Reman?
Remanufacturing is different from other “re-processes” such as refurbishing and reconditioning. But the distinction between these processes gets muddled in a sea of definitions.
Try your hand at the re-words quiz below to see if you can sort them out.
Defining Reman
The Remanufacturing Industries Council worked with a Remanufacturing Consensus Body to review countless definitions of remanufacturing and settle on a consensus definition along with documentation of the process of remanufacturing. The standard developed through this work was initially published in 2017 and revised in 2021.
Definition from RIC001.2-2021: Specifications for the Process of Remanufacturing
Remanufacturing is a comprehensive and rigorous industrial process by which a previously sold, leased, used, worn, remanufactured, or non-functional product or part is returned to a like-new, same-as-when-new, or better-than-when-new condition from both a quality and performance perspective, through a controlled, reproducible, and sustainable process.
How does reman make a product better-than-when-new?
When a product is remanufactured, engineering updates can be applied that may fix common failure points or include enhancements that were not available when the product was originally manufactured.
Visualizing Reman
The Reman Day Graphic Novella was developed to introduce students to remanufacturing in an effort to support workforce development efforts that aim to meet the demand for talent in the reman industry.
The graphic novella is available for free as a PDF that you can print yourself. Around Reman Day we also offer a printed version in our Reman Day store.
Finding Reman
Remanufactured products come in all shapes and sizes. There are 12 recognized sectors of the remanufacturing industry.
Aerospace
Automotive
Consumer Products
Electrical Apparatus
Furniture
Heavy Duty
Information Technology
Locomotive Systems
Machinery
Medical Devices
Restaurant Equipment
Tires
Recognizing Reman
The revised reman standard, published in 2021, introduced a mark that companies can use to identify that their process complies with RIC001.2-2021: Specifications for the Process of Remanufacturing. Look for this symbol, along with the label, identifying products that are remanufactured using a certified remanufacturing process.
Remanufactured by ABC Company, Inc.
in conformance with ANSI/RIC001.2-2021