3 minute read
Leading the way in the Circular Economy
by Ponsse Plc
For more than ten years now, Ponsse has remanufactured components for used PONSSE forest machines, and the company has been engaged in the trade of used machines throughout its history. Ponsse’s pioneering role in the circular economy is, above all, based on its customers’ requests.
The Ponsse Reman & Parts Recirculation unit in Iisalmi processes damaged parts sent by customers, the factory or the sales network. After remanufacturing, parts are sold to customers at affordable prices or used in the modernisation of used forest machines. Remanufacturing provides customers with low-cost products, minimises material loss, and also solves challenges related to the availability of spare parts. The goal is to also implement remanufacturing operations in subsidiaries outside the EU, close to local customers.
Life cycle assessments for forest machines verify the environmental benefits produced by remanufacturing operations: the carbon footprint of a remanufactured component is only a quarter of that of a new part.
“The better we can reuse machine components, the fewer emissions there will be during the machine life cycle,” says Ville Ohukainen who is responsible for the Reman & Parts Recirculation unit’s operations.
The parts sent for remanufacturing are typically the largest and most valuable machine components, such as engines and gearboxes. The range of remanufactured products also includes large cylinders, hydraulic components and such cabin parts as seats and computer systems.
“Remanufacturing doubles the service life of components. Most of all, we remanufacture mechanical transmission components that also otherwise have a long life cycle,” Ohukainen says.
Remanufactured parts include a security deposit, which customers get back when they return the damaged part for remanufacturing. This ensures that spare parts do not end up as waste. Remanufactured parts carry the same warranty as new products.
THE LONG LIFE CYCLE OF A FOREST MACHINE
Alongside remanufacturing, Ponsse is strongly engaged in the circular economy in its used machine services that it offers in all of its market areas. In used machine services, used forest machines are delivered to Ponsse for refurbishing and resale when a new machine is purchased. As a result, the machine life cycle continues in the hands of the new owner. Even based on a conservative estimate, the service life of a forest machine is at least ten years, and you can even see machines of 20 to 30 years at logging sites.
Performance packages offer another way to upgrade used machines. They are sets of parts that professional mechanics use to upgrade machines to meet modern requirements and maintain the performance of older machines.
“The better we can reuse machine components, the fewer emissions there will be during the machine life cycle,” says Ville Ohukainen who is responsible for the Reman & Parts Recirculation unit’s operations.
When a machine finally reaches the end of its service life, it can be dismantled. Usable parts will be refurbished to make low-cost spare parts, while any unusable parts will be recycled as material. More than 90 per cent of a forest machine’s weight constitutes recyclable material, mainly steel and cast iron.
