A Comparison of Maintenance, Refurbishment, and Remanufacturing—An Analysis Based on Layout and Material Flow Planning

In line with the principles of the circular economy, these concepts aim to keep products and components in the value chain for as long as possible through targeted refurbishment, thereby significantly reducing resource consumption and waste volumes. This presents new strategic and operational challenges, particularly in the area of major repairs to complex machinery and equipment—especially with regard to the design of production environments, logistics processes, and material flows. The question of how companies can optimally structure their infrastructure to efficiently support both conventional maintenance and remanufacturing processes represents a current and practically relevant field of research.

The aim of this thesis is, first, to clarify the concepts of (major) maintenance, remanufacturing, and refurbishment and to distinguish them from one another. On this basis, similarities and differences in layout and material flow planning for the three areas will be systematically identified. The findings will then be applied to a specific process defined by the company and translated into practical layout and material flow planning.

Are you interested in a practice-oriented bachelor’s thesis at the intersection of production planning, intralogistics, and sustainable maintenance? The project will be conducted in close cooperation with a medium-sized mechanical engineering company specializing in heavy maintenance located near the university and offers you the opportunity to actively help shape real-world planning processes.

We look forward to receiving your application, which should include the following documents:

• Cover letter describing your motivation and relevant prior knowledge
• Resume
• Current transcript of grades