# Improving Part Reuse to Cut Carbon Emissions Discover how a global equipment manufacturer achieved a 40% reduction in component scrap rate and avoided 2,903 tCO₂e through part reuse powered by NETVIBES on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform. From Waste to Value: How One Industry Leader Optimizes Part Reuse When a major equipment manufacturer wanted to enhance its reuse of parts and components, Dassault Systèmes developed a blueprint to make it happen. In equipment manufacturing, the stakes are high. Massive energy consumption and extensive carbon footprint define its landscape. The problem intensifies when components or parts produced are used only once, leading to significant waste. As a global leader in manufacturing equipment for electrical, aerospace and automotive companies, this customer faced a big challenge. With operations in over 175 countries, its carbon impact was exponential. **How can it leave a positive handprint?** Recognizing that today’s decisions shape tomorrow’s outcomes, this customer committed itself to enhancing the reuse of its parts and components. By embracing sustainable manufacturing practices under the circular economy initiative of reducing, reusing and recycling at the lifecycle end, it mitigated risks, decarbonized processes and successfully reduced scrap and waste. Discover its journey toward a more sustainable and efficient manufacturing future empowered by Dassault Systèmes’ innovative solutions. About the Customer ***Use case:*** Deployment of NETVIBES on the **3D**EXPERIENCE® platform for engineering and design-enabled product part sourcing and standardization. Industry Equipment manufacturer Company size 92,000 employees Location Strong presence in more than 175 countries worldwide The Challenge The customer’s key challenges stemmed directly from its **Business needs** - Complex product data quality and quantity across five divisions and 70 brands - Complicated data management due to its fast-paced integration, mergers and acquisitions **Operational requirements** Must ensure the highest quality output, improve product traceability, and achieve cost-effectiveness in its four core processes: Machining, electroplating, forming, and assembly—connecting more than 100 machines simultaneously. [Part Reuse-The Challenge](/media/24971) The Solution Dassault Systèmes’ approach addressed two crucial parts to achieve this reuse objective: - Software used during the **design** phase - Benefits observed during the **end-of-life** phase [Part Reuse Loop Solution](/media/25118) The Outcome Through advanced, integrated platform-driven solutions, the complete control of component inventory and reusing or repurposing existing capacitors and printed circuit boards were efficiently established from the start. This enabled the decarbonization of product development by repurposing materials, components, and products while reducing scraps and waste. The usage monitoring enabled by NETVIBES on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform uncovered any issues from a designer’s new part introduction and ensured that a single part or component was used in more than one product. Improved visibility provided real-time insights throughout production to make informed decisions on part or component reuse. [Part Reuse-The Outcome](/media/24973) The End Result $45M part reuse value ![](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-03/icon-070b-quality.png) 40% avoided emission estimation in scrap rate ![](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-03/icon-115-refresh-object-blue-rvb.png) 50% of components were saved from being scrapped ![](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-03/icon-093-refresh-blue-rvb.png) One of the most powerful features we adopted was the search module. The immediate impact we had using it, as early as a week after deployment, was that we were able to find and reuse parts that we would have never been able to find previously. We only wished that we had this capability ten years ago IT Analyst Methods The avoided emission estimation was estimated following the: - EU Taxonomy (Regulation Guideline), ISO 14067, 11044, and Guidance of WBCSD Net Zero Initiative Guidelines. - Methodology based on the comparison of two scenarios for one given functional unit (ISO 14067:2018 and ISO14064-2:2019) 14067:2018, ISO 14064-2:2019). - Each of these case studies are past or current projects for which emissions avoided or reduced have been estimated following EU Taxonomy (Regulation Guideline), ISO 14067, 11044 and Guidance of WBCSD Net Zero Initiative Guidelines. The 3DS approach and these calculations, along with the allocated contribution of the software, have been certified by an independent third party. External View URD 2023, Chapter 2. Measuring the Sustainability Benefits of Our Solutions Discover how we accurately quantify the sustainability benefits of our solutions for customers, using a certified methodology. Through real-world use cases, see how we support organizations in their sustainability transition, delivering tangible, measurable results. [Measuring the Sustainability Benefits of Our Solutions](/media/24468) [ Learn more ](/sustainability/measurable-sustainability-benefits) Frequently Asked Questions What is part reuse and component reuse in manufacturing? Part reuse is the practice of identifying, standardizing, and reusing existing components across multiple products rather than creating new ones. Component reuse extends this principle to the broader engineering process by reusing proven assemblies, subsystems, or modules to accelerate design and avoid redundant development work. Together, these practices reflect a "parts last for life" philosophy—one that keeps components in active use throughout their life cycle, eliminating unnecessary inventory costs and reducing material waste. For manufacturers operating across industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, and industrial equipment, formalizing a reuse strategy is especially critical given the complexity of their part libraries and supplier networks. Engineers often recreate parts simply because they cannot find existing ones, a structural problem that parts classification and searchable attributes directly solve. By organizing components into structured categories, organizations make it straightforward for users to select the right part from approved suppliers before a new part is ever introduced. Ultimately, part and component reuse is a proven way to extend product lifecycle value while supporting [circular economy goals such as optimizing product durability](/sustainability/circular-economy/product-durability "Optimize Product Durability to Transcend Take, Make and Waste"). When embedded into a PLM strategy, it becomes a scalable, systematic driver of both cost efficiency and sustainability across the entire product portfolio. What is the value of AI for part reuse and standardization? AI transforms part reuse and standardization from a manual, time-consuming effort into an intelligent, scalable process. By analyzing vast part libraries across divisions, brands, and supplier networks, AI-powered solutions deliver **sourcing and standardization intelligence**—automatically identifying duplicate components, flagging reuse opportunities, and recommending approved alternatives before a new part is ever introduced. The immediate impact is felt in **streamlining standardization**: instead of engineers independently searching disconnected catalogs or recreating parts that already exist, AI surfaces the right component at the right moment in the design workflow. In this case study, the search module alone allowed engineers to find and reuse parts within a week of deployment—parts that would otherwise have gone undetected across five divisions and 70 brands. At scale, this intelligence directly supports the **reuse of product parts** across the full product portfolio, reducing scrap rates, cutting material consumption, and lowering carbon emissions. AI also enables smarter governance, tracking which components are actively used, which are redundant, and which are candidates for retirement or consolidation. To see how AI-driven intelligence enables [smarter part sourcing and s](/products/netvibes/value-network "Value Network")[tandardization](/products/netvibes/onepart "OnePart"), or to explore how connecting suppliers, engineers, and procurement teams through a [collaborative value network](/products/netvibes/value-network "Value Network") can amplify these gains, discover our solutions. How can digital solutions enable part reuse? For **manufacturers** operating at scale, part reuse doesn't happen by accident; it requires the right digital foundation. **Product lifecycle management systems** are at the core of this foundation, connecting engineering, procurement, and operations around a single, trusted source of component data. On the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, ENOVIA plays a central role in making part reuse systematic and measurable. By centralizing product data across divisions, brands, and supplier networks, [ENOVIA's next-generation PLM](/products/enovia/next-generation-plm "Next-Gen PLM on ENOVIA") gives engineers real-time visibility into existing component inventories, so they can identify, classify, and reuse approved parts before a new one is ever introduced. This eliminates the silent inefficiency of engineers recreating components that already exist simply because they had no way to find them. In practice, this connected approach enabled the real-time monitoring of component usage across more than 100 machines simultaneously, supported the reuse of capacitors and printed circuit boards across product lines, and delivered a 40% reduction in scrap rates. The result: fewer redundant parts, lower material consumption, and a measurable contribution to circular economy targets. When part reuse is powered by an integrated PLM strategy on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, it becomes a companywide capability and not just an engineering best practice. How does part reuse strategy contribute to circular economy goals? A structured part reuse strategy is one of the most direct levers manufacturers can pull to advance circular economy objectives. By repurposing existing materials and components rather than sourcing new ones, organizations immediately reduce material consumption, minimize scrap production, and decarbonize product development, tackling waste at its source rather than managing it at end of life. This approach is most effective when reuse is built into the design phase itself. **Eco-design** principles embed reusability, standardization, and component longevity into product decisions from the very beginning, ensuring that parts are conceived with their next use in mind, not just their first. When engineers design with reuse as a constraint, circular outcomes become a natural byproduct of the engineering process rather than a retrospective adjustment. Measuring and validating these outcomes requires rigorous methodology. [Life Cycle Assessment](/sustainability/circular-economy/eco-design/lifecycle-assessment "Life Cycle Assessment: Do more than measure your environmental impact") provides the analytical framework to quantify the avoided emissions, reduced resource extraction, and lower environmental impact that part reuse generates across a product's full lifecycle. In this case study, avoided emission estimations were certified by an independent third party following EU Taxonomy guidelines, ISO 14067, and WBCSD Net Zero Initiative standards, demonstrating that reuse strategies can produce credible, auditable sustainability results. Together, eco-design and life cycle thinking ensure that part reuse is not just an operational efficiency, it is a measurable contribution to Climate Change Mitigation and Transition to a Circular Economy. Sources 1Scrap reduction achieved were mainly due to solutions fitting the 334418 - Printed Circuit Boards — with mounted semiconductor components North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) description (where proportion components designated as capacitor, resistor, coil, transformer, and other inductor manufacturing). Related Content Regulatory Compliance Drive profitability and meet consumer demands while ensuring regulatory compliance with the **3D**EXPERIENCE® platform. [Discover](/industries/consumer-packaged-goods-retail/regulatory-compliance) Optimize Sustainable Product Design for Climate Neutrality Approach product design with sustainability in mind to effectively decarbonize products and value chains for a low-carbon future. [Learn more](/sustainability/decarbonization/design-climate-neutrality) Circular Economy How circular economy practices can help your business dare to be bold through new business models that preserve the environment for future generations. [Discover](/sustainability/circular-economy) Circularity in Action It’s time for concerted action. Here’s how to make the circular economy achievable, scalable and profitable. [Learn more](/sustainability/circular-economy/circularity-action) ![-](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-05/part-reuse-hero-banner-1920x856_0.jpeg) Part Reuse