With the systematic remanufacturing of rolling bearings, the automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler has been offering its customers an important service in terms of a sustainable circular economy for many years. Remanufacturing saves valuable resources and reduces the_{CO2 footprint}- across all industries. Since March 2022, Schaeffler has bundled its bearing reconditioning services for the regional market in Schaeffler Industrial Remanufacturing Services, based in Wuppertal, and at the same time acts as a player in the "Circular Valley", a supra-regional initiative of the city of Wuppertal for the environmental and circular economy.

Customers have various options

Customers have three options for having bearings reconditioned. Firstly, bearings can be sent to Schaeffler in Wuppertal for reconditioning. The bearings are then sent back to the customer. The second option involves disassembly, reconditioning and assembly at the customer's premises by Schaeffler employees. As a third option, Schaeffler offers its customers the opportunity to obtain certification and carry out reconditioning themselves.

The example of a manufacturer of roller mills for raw material processing, which had its maintenance teams qualified and certified by Schaeffler, shows just how great the savings potential is. The customer's roller mills have four large spherical roller bearings that need to be replaced regularly. For a reconditioned bearing, up to 90 percent of_{CO2 emissions} and 70 percent of costs can be saved compared to new production.

Circular economy to achieve the sustainability goals

Schaeffler offers the reconditioning of rolling bearings for a wide range of industries, including_{CO2-intensive} industries such as mining, metal production and processing or pulp and paper production, but also for the railroad industry.