Feasibility assessment of remanufacturing waste sheet steel into angle mesh steel

Abstract

As a better alternative to the energy-intensive process of recycling waste sheet steel (WSS) from the exterior components of end-of-life vehicles to produce new steel, the feasibility of remanufacturing WSS into angle mesh steel (AMS) for construction applications is evaluated. A remanufacturing unit with a capacity of 1278 m²/day of WSS (30,000 vehicle/year) was evaluated using a triple-bottom-line sustainability analysis of the technological, economic, and environmental feasibilities by hybrid defuzzification–curve-fitting, solid-waste recoverability management, and weighting methods. Based on the remanufacturing productivity, an economic feasibility index was calculated considering the sales potential and profit, while the energy and CO₂ emission savings were used to evaluate the environmental feasibility. The technical feasibility considered machine parameters and topological properties of the WSS. The Volkswagen Passat has the best remanufacturability of 200 analysed vehicle models. Remanufacturability indexes of 0.61 and 0.86 were calculated, giving remanufacturing efficiencies of 58%–82%. All feasibility indexes exceed literature thresholds, indicating that the proposed remanufacturing process is a sustainable business strategy and contributes to the United Nations Sustainability Goals of climate action; responsible consumption and production; no poverty; and industry, innovation, and infrastructure.