Haldex goes green during remanufacturing

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Air brake and suspension control systems supplier Haldex says it will save over 3,900 tons in carbon dioxide emissions this year through its remanufacturing process.

This decrease is the result of energy saved by remanufacturing components rather than manufacturing new components. By recycling metal castings, Haldex eliminates the need to create and machine new castings, therefore, all emissions associated with this process are eliminated. Savings include energy used in production such as raw materials, electricity and transportation, the company explains.

Haldex operates a remanufacturing facility in Marion, North Carolina. In the facility, the majority of raw materials required for production come from cores.

According to Mark Owen, product manager of the Remanufactured Product Division, when it comes to heavy-duty truck components many major internal parts are salvageable, while items such as gaskets, o-rings and seals are replaced 100 percent. The components are cleaned, checked, gauged and then replaced, or machined as necessary to insure original product life. In addition to salvaging internal components, Haldex recycles all cardboard, paper, pallets, water and oils from the cleaning process.

Parts not reusable, such as gaskets and rubber products, are eliminated during the cleaning process and discarded. Other non-reusable items worn beyond use or damaged beyond repair, such as iron and aluminum castings, are recycled for new production.

“Many truck components can be remanufactured,” said Owen. “But some components are better suited for remanufacturing than others. High metal content of a component is obviously a key since it represents an area of significant energy/material cost savings.”