Standardizing Guidelines and Procedures for Reassembly of Complex Second-Hand Heavy-Duty Equipment

Due to the high cost, the need for cost rationalization and even in compliance with sustainability principles, complex equipment is increasingly pushed to the limit of its useful life. When they stop being profitable and interesting in more developed countries, they are usually sold and transferred to countries where the degree of technological development is not as high, and labor costs offset some loss of productivity due to technological origin. This work’s main motivation was to try to standardize procedures for the reassembly of complex equipment acquired second-hand. In fact, the standardization of procedures can greatly assist the acquisition and reassembly of complex equipment, as they are increasingly frequent and, when not properly conducted, lead to considerable loss of time, which immediately affects the profitability of the equipment and can compromise the expected workflow for the equipment. In order to validate the concept, equipment acquired as used in the USA was used, which is part of the type of equipment usually used in the cork and rubber-based composites industry. The concept has been successfully validated and can be used by the most varied types of industry in equipment that needs to be transferred from facilities or even companies located in different countries.