Case Study Analysis of Three Toner Cartridge Remanufacturers

Abstract

Remanufacturing is often seen as an environmentally sound way of salvaging the energy that is put into products when shaped. A sector of remanufacturing that today has high volumes - and still is increasing - is that of toner cartridge remanufacturing. The investigation found that, in the sector of toner cartridge remanufacturing, most of the companies are independent of the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), which creates a big competition between the actors, something that is especially evident when considering toner cartridge design. If the designs are to be improved and adapted for remanufacturing, the research found that designers must focus on introducing toner cartridges with the properties of ease-of-identification, ease-of-access and wear resistance. The companies studied had a high commitment to quality, and were very much customer-focused. Areas that the companies should consider in order to achieve a process that is more lean/efficient were concluded to be visual management systems and the use of space, movement of materials and product line flow. Furthermore, the number of companies dealing with remanufacturing makes it harder to retrieve empties for customers. In this paper, there are several different strategies mentioned on how to retrieve cartridges