Tata’s Sixth Vehicle Scrapping Facility Inaugurated In Pune, Here’s How It Functions

Parting ways with your old vehicle is understandably tough and the emission regulations are indifferent to this sentiment. However, to make things easier, the government does offer incentives for scrapping your old vehicle by giving you tax rebates and discounts on the purchase of a new vehicle. 

But, have you ever wondered how a car is actually scrapped? What’s the process like and what happens to the parts that are usable? We answer all those questions in this article as we take you on a tour of Tata’s latest ReWiRe scrapping facility that has opened in Pune. 

Note: This is a process followed at a typical ReWiRe scrapping facility, and the steps might not be applicable in the exact same manner for other scrapping players in the industry.

Inspection

Before a car is squished into a disfigured block, it is inspected and evaluated on different levels.

Step one is the verification of its documents, post which it is registered onto the ReWiRe platform. After a quick weight check, the car heads to the evaluation stage, where each part is given a thorough inspection. If found usable, it's sold for further usage as per policy guidelines. 

Depolluting

Before a car can be dismantled, certain components and fluids needs to be removed - a process which Tata ReWiRe states depollution. That means removal of batteries, and all the fluids like your various oils, coolant, and brake fluids. The airbags are also exploded at this stage itself. 

Dismantling line

Post the depollution process, the car reaches the dismantling line, which comprises 5 stations. Wheels, doors, and lights are chucked out at the first station, followed by the removal of bumpers and seats at the second one.

The de-marriage of the car happens at station number three, where the drivetrain components like the axles, engine, exhaust and fuel tank are taken out. Only things remaining are the dashboard panel and glasses, which are removed at station number four. 

With the car stripped down to its bare bones, the skeleton is then divided into three sections using a plasma cutter.

Each section is thrown in the baling machine, which compresses the parts into the metal box you see in the pictures. These are then sent to steel factories (Tata Steel in ReWiRe’s case) for further reuse. 

So that’s how an old vehicle is scrapped at a Tata ReWiRe facility.

The one in Pune is said to have an annual capacity of disassembling up to 21,000 vehicles with environmentally friendly processes. It is the sixth ReWiRe facility after successful operations in Jaipur, Bhubaneshwar, Surat, Chandigarh, and Delhi NCR.