Explore the Circular Economy with Cat Reman

Today we speak with Cat Reman's Charles Avery about how remanufactured or second life products fit into a sustainable world.

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Transcript

Intro: Good Day and welcome everyone to Power Bytes!  I am your host Lou Signorelli and Power Bytes is your destination Podcast for power generation conversations.  As always please know how much we appreciate you, our listeners.  We hope you find our topics helpful and interesting.  There are several ways for you to get in touch with the show. You can send us an email at powerbytes@cat.com, visit us at Cat Electric Power on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Please remember to subscribe wherever you listen to our show… it really helps.
 
I recently had the opportunity to visit with our Caterpillar Remanufacturing team and learned just how much 'reman' has changed over the years.  Joining me today to talk about the importance of giving products a second life is Charles Avery 3rd generation Caterpillar employee with a degree in Environmental Biology from Illinois State.  Charles has nearly 25 years of experience ranging from: Electric Power, Emissions Solutions, Global Dealer Learning to Aftermarket – with an emphasis on Cat Reman products.
 
Welcome Charles!
 
Charles
 
Lou:  Charles let's start with some of the great advantages from a sustainability perspective of buying products with a second life.
 
Charles: Speak to circular economy, and the facts on this graphic.

Remanufacturing options deliver multiple sustainability benefits and helps Caterpillar contribute to a circular economy, Lou. We literally recycle millions of pounds of end-of-life iron annually – 131 million pounds in 2020, specifically, some years it has been as high as 170 million pounds! That’s material that could have just been scrapped and left to rust in a landfill but is getting a new life through remanufacturing instead.
 
The Caterpillar Remanufacturing division returns end-of-life components to like-new condition - we reduce waste and minimize the need for raw material, energy and water associated with manufacturing new parts. And they’re pretty significant numbers, Lou – we’re talking 61% less greenhouse gas emissions, 85% less raw materials used, 85% less energy consumed, 82% less water used, and 85% less landfill space.
 
Caterpillar as a whole is committed to sustainability – the 2030 Sustainability Goalsare impressive. Cat Reman is one of seven major sustainability goals for the entire enterprise… I think it’s pretty clear that remanufacturing makes a significant contribution to sustainable development by extending the value of the energy and water consumed in a component’s original manufacture and keeping high-value nonrenewable resources in circulation for multiple life cycles. 
 
 
Lou: Those are some impressive figures and certainly ones that will appeal to most of our listeners.  

What can we expect in the way of quality though.  Historically, folks have steered clear of second life products due to the perception of it being "used"
 
Charles: Emphasize the difference between used and second life products.  Emphasis the process 
 
The thing to understand about Cat Reman parts, Lou, is that when we get a core back – like an engine – it is disassembled so thoroughly that it loses its original identity. Then it is remanufactured by Caterpillar – the OEM that built the part first. No one knows the manufacturing or remanufacturing processes for our parts like we do! (Go through other steps above)
 
And Lou – we back up what we remanufacture. When a Cat Reman product leaves our factories, it is ready to provide like-new performance and is backed by a 12-month Caterpillar Parts Warranty – same as a new part. 
 
 Lou: Charles it sound like Caterpillar has leveraged its global manufacturing prowess to really make an impact.  Are these second life products covered by the same warranty as "new" products?
 
Charles: Yes, the Cat Reman products have same-as-new warranty.
 
Lou: This is all very impressive.  How do I purchase as second life product?  Go to my dealer?  Call Caterpillar?
 
Charles: There are two options for ordering Cat Reman parts – online through parts.cat.com or working with the local dealership. Either are great options but working with the dealership allows customers to discuss all kinds of parts and service solutions – Cat Reman is just one piece of a much larger picture of cost-saving repair options for the users.
 
Lou  There you have it folks.  I'd like to thank Charles Avery for sharing his expertise with us today, and thank you for joining us here on Power Bytes.  For more information on this and other topics please contact your local Cat dealer or write us here at powerbytes@cat.com, visit Cat Electric Power on facebook or on LinkedIn.  Till next time; thanks for listening to Power Bytes.