Autoelectro has told its customers that it believes the future of remanufacturing looks buoyant for many years to come and that it will be ‘sticking to its roots’ as a leader in this expanding field.

The UK based remanufacturer of starter motors and alternators has claimed that although the opportunity to obtain new units has grown, Sales Manager Nick Hood, says that Autoelectro’s formula of building to match or exceed original equipment units from core remains a cost-effective option, even after 30 years. He comments, “There are two key factors happening in our sector that support the case for remanufacture: part number proliferation and technology. Part number proliferation makes it harder to introduce new parts as the production run or batch size is smaller. As a result, remanufacturing core enables a supplier to introduce a part to range faster, as there is no minimum batch size required and is, therefore, sustainable if the volume remains low.”

Nick says the Ford Transit is an excellent example of part number proliferation because in 2006, it was specified with only one starter motor reference, which meant high volumes and high batch sizes for new manufacture. By 2011, though, four starter motor options were available, which reduced batch sizes and split volumes. He asks, “Will a supplier of new units introduce all four Transit starters? Is making four lower batch size variants commercially viable for the tooling and production costs of new units, if most of the volume centres around two parts?”

The advances in technology have also made life more difficult for technicians, according to Nick, largely due to the influence of ECU controlling, stop-start and smart charging. These examples are challenging installers, but, as it has done for three decades, Autoelectro is ready to help. Its online technical library of bulletins and fitting tips is free and easy to access and built so technicians can fit parts with confidence, avoid unnecessary warranty claims and futureproof their business.

With clear core management and credits raised within 48 hours of receipt of core, Autoelectro is committed to concise and controlled management of old units.