Total Rebuild

With many of the top OEMs offering rebuild and remanufacturing services via dealers and distributors, machine overhauls can be a cost-effective option for getting kit back to original condition, while also contributing to sustainability and the circular economy.

While there’s always plenty of focus on selling new machines, sometimes getting your older machines back to peak productivity is just as good. Machine rebuilds, which can essentially restore a well-used machine to its original condition, are less expensive than a new machine, while also allowing fleet managers to maintain preferred machines that their operators are familiar with. A rebuild carried out in the middle of a machine’s expected life cycle allows a fleet manager to potentially double the life of a machine, while improving residual values.

A certified rebuild for a Caterpillar machine typically costs around 40-60% of the new machine price, says Abdallah I. Mustafa, Product Support Commodity Manager at Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar, the Caterpillar dealer for the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. Rebuilds are most common for larger machines in the construction, quarrying and mining sectors.

The most common machines rebuilt from the Caterpillar population in Al-Bahar’s territories are wheel loaders 966 and larger, D8 to D11 dozers, hydraulic excavators 345 and larger, and 740, 769 and 771 articulated trucks, says Mustafa. Rebuilds can be carried out on machines as old as twenty years, he adds, and older machines can also benefit from optional upgrades to newer features found on the current range.

Depending on the state of a machine, customers can opt for different levels of rebuild, including a Complete Certified Rebuilds or a Certified Power Train Rebuild. When a Caterpillar machine is at the end of its first life-cycle, one can have full second life-cycle with Complete Certified Rebuild, explains Mustafa. “The machine is completely stripped down and all non-metal components are replaced. One can recover all the performance and productivity of the original machine while benefiting from the latest engineering updates.” In a Certified Power Train Rebuild, all components in the power train are rebuilt completely as per Caterpillar standards.

Whether a machine needs a full rebuild or repairs comes down to several factors. “Both planned repair indicators and problem indicators are taken into consideration, such as inspections, scheduled oil samples, machine performance, operator notes, SMU (hours on the machines) and chassis condition assessment. Additionally, we also consider other factors like smoke colour, low power, vibration, hesitation and more,” says Mustafa. “We can rely on technical analysis level 2 inspections if the machine is in working condition, as well as Product Link health indicators if the machine is connected.”

In total, Al-Bahar has carried out more than 120 machine-certified rebuilds – each a significant undertaking – and frequently sees return customers for the service, indicating their satisfaction, says Mustafa. “The majority of [these rebuilds] were done for repeat customers who were satisfied from their first experience and the outcome of the first machines rebuilt. We have also done fleet deals with rebuild agreements with more than 10 machines for a single customer.” 

The circular economy

Jacob Kihlberg, Rebuild Product Manager for Volvo Construction Equipment, Region Europe & International, says there is a clear economic argument in favour of rebuilding a machine in the existing fleet, versus buying a new or second-hand machine.

“By rebuilding your machine, you protect your initial investment and prolong the life of the asset for a much lower price than buying a new machine. In return, you receive a fully operational machine with high productivity and secured uptime, without making any impact on the capital expenditure. Studies also show that the total cost of ownership is reduced when rebuilding a machine compared to buying a new one, as the depreciation and insurance costs are lower, for example.”

Volvo CE offers rebuild services via authorised dealers. Rebuilds are suitable for any larger machines in the Volvo range of wheel loaders, articulated haulers and excavators, says Kihlberg. Depending on the application, environment and maintenance record, the time for the rebuild varies, but it normally occurs between 10,000 and 20,000 hours.

“Prior to any rebuild, the machine is carefully inspected by a Volvo technician who performs a health check of the machine,” explains Kihlberg. “In dialogue with the customer about the findings, we always tailor our offers based on the customer’s needs. The scope can be within the range of a powertrain rebuild, focusing on the performance of the machine, to a full-scale rebuild with renovated operator cab, repainting and retrofitted options.”

Overhauling a machine has environmental as well as cost benefits compared with buying a new machine and scrapping the old.   

The fact that a rebuild is planned, rather than the result of an unscheduled breakdown, means a fleet manager is taking responsibility for uptime and proactive measures, with a rebuilt machine also having a significantly lower risk of a major future breakdown.

“The rebuild is conducted with a planned downtime, which means the customer can also plan and adapt to the absence of the machine,” Kihlberg says. “With proper planning, we prepare and order everything needed for the rebuild in advance so that the machine can go back into operation until it is brought to the workshop for normally five to ten weeks.”

Volvo dealers frequently see repeat business for the rebuild service, speaking to the fact that fleet managers see it as a good alternative, from both a quality and financial perspective, to buying a new or second-hand machine.

“Taking in the aspects of the major environmental benefit of restoring instead of scrapping a machine, the rebuild alternative really attracts more and more customers who are in favour of a circular economy,” explains Kihlberg. “Today a large machine contains hundreds of kilos of copper, aluminium and bronze. To reuse these natural resources in the most effective way is becoming more and more important for our customers, and rebuilding is the most effective way.”