Proposed improvement of car bumper design to facilitate remanufacturing process

Remanufacturing is a closed-loop supply chain strategy that returns an end-of-life product to a like-new or better product furnished with a warranty. The remanufacturability of a product is much influenced by the product design. However, few products or parts can be easily remanufactured because of the lack of supporting features that facilitate remanufacturing. Automotive parts are good candidates to be remanufactured as the number of cars increases. This study aims to recommend how to improve the design of car bumpers to be more remanufacturable based on life cycle thinking guidelines. The life cycle thinking-based guidelines can help decide when designing a car bumper. Each life cycle stage has its role and advantages, such as reducing environmental damage, minimizing assembly stages, optimizing product life, and facilitating remanufacturing. The life cycle thinking-based guidelines have been applied to improve the design of three car bumpers. With the proposed improvement in the car bumpers’ design, the bumper design is expected to be more environmentally friendly and remanufacturable.