Design Parameters for Enhanced Repairability and Remanufacturability of the Electric Front Cross Differential

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates the remanufacturing potential of the electric front cross differential (eFXD) within the context of the circular economy (CE) and the R‑framework. Environmental assessment, mechanical validation and structured component classification are combined to identify opportunities and limitations for remanufacturing. The results show that a limited number of components, the tube housing, coupling housing, drive shaft, and actuator, account for over 70% of cradle‑to‑gate (CtG) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions, making them key leverage points for circular strategies. The tube housing and coupling housing demonstrate strong potential for direct reuse, operating primarily in the elastic regime with high safety margins. In contrast, the drive shaft is fatigue‑driven and requires design modifications to enable multiple life cycles, with an increase in diameter identified as the most effective measure. Structured assessment using the Remanufacturing Potential Index (RemPI), complemented by engineering evaluation, enabled classification of components into repair and reuse categories. Life cycle assessment (LCA) indicates that remanufacturing can reduce total climate impact by approximately 12% over two product life cycles compared to a linear production scenario. This reduction is primarily achieved by avoiding a second full manufacturing phase for selected high‑impact components, which dominates total emissions in the linear scenario. Overall, the study highlights the importance of integrating design for remanufacturing (DfRem) early in product development, addressing life cycles, load conditions, disassembly, and validation in a system‑level approach. The eFXD shows promising remanufacturing potential, particularly at the component level, with performance strongly dependent on design choices, durability, and system constraints.