World Class Remanufacturing Productions Systems: An Analysis of Mexican Maquiladoras

With the vision to maintain leadership, enterprises are working to implement a green business strategy. The increase in the solid waste generation has promoted interest in the remanufacturing production system, which is considered the best end-of-life (EoL) alternative. In Mexico, remanufacturing takes place mostly in small workshops, including products as electronics, auto parts, heavy-duty engines, gas turbines, and others. However, on the Northern Border are located industrialized remanufacturer companies with global presence, these are characterized by monitoring the indicators of sustainability. This article presents an exploratory study on the current remanufacturing scenario and its main characteristics within the Mexican remanufacturing sector. This research is an analysis of three transnational remanufacturing enterprises located in this region; it selected the metalworking industrial sector. The objective of this study is to identify the elements are integrating its production system; make a comparative analysis of them and contrast them to identify similarities, differences, advantages, and disadvantages. The research is an attempt to review in a critical way remanufacturing practices and develop a theoretical framework.