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Renault Group has opened the first factory in Europe to refurbish its own used models, called the Renew Factory. It is expected that customers will be able to prepare their cars for resale and will even be able to get a special warranty.
The Renault renew Factory in Poland is the first project of its kind in Europe, implemented by the Renault Group in collaboration with an authorized service center of the brand. It is located in Senkocin and has a total area of 2200 square meters.
It is reported that customers will be able to receive full body and other car parts restoration services using the latest technologies and specialized tools. The plant has a parking lot that can accommodate 600 cars waiting for repair, so the production rate will be high.
Refactory certified is a program for the restoration of used Renault and Dacia cars, and it is expected that after the renovation process the cars will be resold. Orders will be accepted from both companies and individual buyers.
By the way, the repaired cars will be covered by a special certified Refactory warranty. The establishment of this enterprise is part of the Renault Group's circular economy strategy. The restoration of cars is carried out using a methodology that reduces costs and waste generation.
Renew Factory is also a key start-up in the brand’s environmental strategy. In particular, the factory will use environmentally friendly products, such as water-based paints. At the same time, a significant part of the electricity consumed comes from a renewable source - a photovoltaic installation.
In addition, low-energy equipment is used, and car wash tools are designed to use a minimum amount of water. Finding savings is also one of Renew Factory's priorities. Experts focus on a thorough assessment of the car's condition, detecting and identifying any damage in order to optimize costs and reduce repair time with minimal intervention in the original body elements.
It is noted that the inspection process takes an average of about 1 hour for passenger cars and about 2 hours for commercial vehicles. Once the assessment is complete, all information regarding the condition of the car and the required repairs is entered into the application, which is also accessible to the client, ensuring full transparency and control over the process.
Like most inspections, the assessment process starts with a vehicle inspection, damage marking, equipment inspection, paint and tire thickness measurements, detailed photo documentation, and customer acceptance of the description and scope of the repair. It is noted that the current production capacity of the upgraded plant in the first phase of the project is approximately 300 vehicles per month/3600 vehicles per year with a planned increase to 5000 vehicles next year.
The plant has a fleet of specialized equipment and tools that allow you to restore or repair worn parts using the Smart Repair option, and if this is not possible, replace them. The scope of the innovative Smart Repair repair includes, for example, removing hail marks from the entire car body using the innovative PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) technology, which allows you to remove dents from the body without the need for subsequent painting, which leads to lower costs.
And also, among other things, the craftsmen perform: updating interior upholstery, repairing windshields, repairing damaged bumpers and wings, reconstructing body panels, regenerating aluminum wheels, spot painting, which eliminates the need to paint adjacent elements or removes scratches without painting.
In the case of a damaged windshield, for example, Smart Repair involves a specialist assessing the depth of the chip or crack and then, if the damage is in good condition, attempting to repair it. The repair process involves drilling the damaged area and filling it with a UV-curable resin that not only effectively fills the defect, but also protects against further cracking due to its flexibility.
The final stage of this process is grinding off excess material and polishing the glass. In general, after the restoration process, the cars receive a “Refactory certified” certificate - a refurbished used car.
