Llink Technologies, a tier-1 supplier; manufacturer of custom automotive interior and exterior products, have been named a phase-1 winner of the Re-X Before Recycling Prize by the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy) for their innovative automotive headlamp remanufacturing program. The program remanufactures damaged headlamps to OEM specifications, easing supply chain issues, returning valuable chips to the market, cutting 95 per cent of waste per headlamp, and extending vehicle lifespans.
The first-of-its kind program currently remanufactures headlamp assemblies for more than a dozen GM vehicles. Out of the 20 phase-1 winners, Llink are the only automotive supplier and the only Michigan-based winner.
The recognition highlights the program’s ability to deliver significant environmental and economic benefits by extending product lifespans, fostering circularity, and advancing the United States’ transition to a circular economy.
This three-phase competition launched by the DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office aims at promoting innovative approaches to extending the useful life of products and components through reusing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, or repurposing—collectively known as ‘Re-X’.
Llink’s headlamp remanufacturing program exemplifies these principles by providing automakers with a reliable supply of collision replacement parts, addressing capacity and supply chain challenges, and returning valuable chips to the market. The US-patented process, with international patents pending, remanufactures exterior vehicle lighting assemblies to OEM specifications, achieving an impressive 95-per-cent waste reduction per headlamp while significantly extending vehicle lifespans. When integrated into an expanded re-X supply chain, this innovative program has the potential to deliver transformative environmental and economic benefits.
Llink Technologies was awarded USD $50,000 in cash and $5,000 worth of consultation from National Renewable Energy Laboratory to support the refinement of their program during Phase 2 of the competition. CEO Jeff Goulet says, “As the world’s first remanufacturer of automotive headlamps, we are honoured to receive recognition for the environmental and economic benefits of this program. Our team put a significant amount of work into bringing this program to life and we’re proud of the role we play in advancing sustainability practices within the automotive industry”.
DVN’s Paul-Henri Matha comments: I talked with CEO Jeff Goulet, CEO and General Manager Lisa Spencer to have a better understanding of what they are proposing. Circular economy is one of the major issue we will face in the next decade, and it is really interesting to see this sort of initiative and try to understand how it works. All lighting engineers know how complex it can be—lamp diversity management including subcomponents, end-of-line calibration, ECU software flashing, and more. Here’s an extract from a Llink paper:
To read more, you need to log in as a DVN Lighting member.
Not a DVN member yet? Contact us now to join the DVN Community!