The repair of electronic control units (ECUs) is always carried out as quickly as possible to ensure high vehicle availability.
With ESB REMAN (ECU Simulation Bench), Knorr-Bremse and Cojali are combining their expertise to create a Europe-wide repair service for electronic control units (ECUs). How diagnostics, industrial reconditioning and a strong aftermarket network work together – and why repair is now a real alternative.
Modern commercial vehicles are highly electronic. If electronic control units fail, the entire vehicle is often immobilized. For workshops and fleet operators, this has long meant replacement rather than repair. But new ECUs are expensive and sometimes difficult to obtain. Repair is therefore becoming a real alternative – if it is fast, reliable and of industrial quality. ESB REMAN from Knorr-Bremse and Cojali follows a clear principle: Understand. Repair. Return.
Katrin Gienger, Director Sales IAM EMEA at Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems, believes that Knorr-Bremse is well ahead in the market with the service solution which was developed by Cojali: ‘We are the first to offer an EU-wide, industrially proven repair service for over 1,100 different commercial vehicle ECUs and to consistently integrate it into an existing aftermarket ecosystem for commercial vehicles. While comparable offerings have mostly been limited to specific regions in the past, ESB REMAN provides us with a comprehensive solution.’
We are the first to offer an EU-wide, industrially proven repair service for over 1,100 different commercial vehicle ECUs and to consistently integrate it into an existing aftermarket ecosystem for commercial vehicles.
Katrin Gienger – Director Sales IAM EMEA at Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems
The basis for this is the close cooperation with Cojali, the Spanish specialist in diagnostic and connectivity solutions for commercial vehicles, in which Knorr-Bremse holds a majority stake, emphasizes Gienger: ‘Knorr-Bremse and Cojali have pooled their expertise: Cojali drives forward diagnostics, connectivity and electronics repair know-how, while Knorr-Bremse scales processes, quality and network.’ Both companies have already gained positive experience in the Knorr-Bremse Diagnostics project. Now the next step is ESB REMAN. The jointly implemented solution reduces maintenance costs and downtime for fleets and opens up new service options for all workshops – from independent operators to OE authorized workshops. At the same time, ESB REMAN contributes to resource conservation and the circular economy.
Understanding – diagnosis as a prerequisite for any repair
‘For Cojali, ESB REMAN is a project close to our hearts. As diagnostics specialists, we have already demonstrated beyond the Iberian Peninsula, France and Italy that the repair of control units is technically feasible, economically viable and accepted in the market,’ emphasizes Ana Muñoz, Key Account Director Parts Engineering at Cojali. ‘Now we are applying this expertise in a targeted manner to the first and decisive step in the process: the clear identification of the cause of the fault.’
For Cojali, ESB REMAN is a project close to our hearts. As diagnostics specialists, we have already demonstrated that the repair of control units is technically feasible, economically viable and accepted in the market.
Ana Muñoz – Key Account Director Parts Engineering at Cojali
The central tool for this is the Jaltest ESB (ECU Simulation Bench) in combination with the Jaltest Diagnostics software, both solutions and developed and manufactured in Spain by Cojali. In addition to general error codes, anomalies can be precisely assigned to individual components within the control unit.
Gloria Alberca, Marketing and Operations Management at Cojali, knows all the development details of ESB REMAN: "This powerful diagnostic, troubleshooting and simulation of ECU operating environments is the result of 15 years of development expertise. Only when we know which component or part of the board is affected is it possible to carry out a targeted repair. This precise initial diagnostic thus forms the basis for effective and quality repairs that represent a more and more demanded alternative compared to new, more expensive and slower delivered ECUs."
A precise initial diagnostic forms the basis for effective, high-quality repairs. Today, industrially reconditioned products are a more and more demanded alternative to new, more expensive control units with longer lead times.
Gloria Alberca – Marketing and Operations Management at Cojali
Cojali was recently honored for Jaltest ESB in the Innovation and Digital Transformation category at the first edition of the Spanish industry awards “Bien hecho en España” (Well done in Spain). King Felipe VI of Spain presented the award at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao. Gloria Alberca accepted the award on behalf of Cojali.
Repair – Professional reconditioning for electronics
In addition to high vehicle availability, sustainability is a key customer requirement for ECU repairs. Every control unit that is repaired avoids electronic waste and conserves resources. At the same time, one thing matters above all else for workshops and fleets: how quickly can the vehicle be returned to service?
Knorr-Bremse uses its process experience in the industrial reconditioning of products for ESB REMAN. Thomas Meyer, Global Director Product Group Reman, Reuse, Repair at Knorr-Bremse: "Building on our remanufacturing expertise from the EconX® portfolio, we have developed a standardized, quality-assured repair process for ECUs. The result is not a “repaired old part”, but a professionally reconditioned product with defined, new quality standards.
The electronics repair involves precision work at the component level, which few others can master to this degree. Thomas Meyer: "We can specifically replace individual components on the circuit board. If the microcontroller is affected, the existing software is transferred to the new component. The key point is that it is always the ECU that was sent in that is repaired. Replacement devices, standard software or resetting to a different status are therefore taboo. Especially with different software versions and vehicle configurations, this is a clear advantage over classic replacement solutions."
Meyer sees ESB REMAN as a learning system that thrives on the interplay of workshop practice, technology and networking: ’There are already over a thousand repair instructions stored – and all of them are based on real fault patterns. Every repair expands our knowledge pool." Technologically, Knorr-Bremse sees little limitation to the repair of ECUs. Control units from a wide range of manufacturers – whether for brakes, engine control, transmissions or dashboards – can generally be repaired and simulated.
Return delivery – the aftermarket network as an enabler
Central to the smooth workflow of the ESB REMAN repair concept are an efficient booking process and a regional network of specialized repair centers in Europe, currently with facilities in Spain, France, Italy and Czechia. Short transport routes, local contacts and standardized processes enable repaired ECUs to be returned quickly to the workshop – the process is designed for short turnaround times of around 36 hours. In total, up to around 2,700 ECUs can be repaired annually in the regional network.
‘ESB REMAN is an additional service for our distributors, which they can actively offer to their customers – workshops and fleets,’ explains Katrin Gienger, emphasizing that ‘distributors remain a central part of the value chain.’ Workshops trust the performance of ESB REMAN – Cojali and Knorr-Bremse have a reputation advantage here. Nevertheless, it is necessary to convince workshops to switch their ordering and repair processes to the ESB REMAN platform. That is why the ordering process is deliberately designed to be low-threshold: the workshop enters the OE reference of the ECU, selects its preferred distributor and triggers the repair order. Billing continues to be handled by the distributor.
For workshops and fleets, ESB REMAN offers clear benefits over investing in new ECUs: lower price, high availability and increased sustainability with an effective contribution to the circular economy. Gienger first mentions the economic benefits: "New control units cost up to several thousand euros, depending on the type, and are sometimes difficult to obtain. Repaired ECUs are ready for use more quickly and are significantly cheaper – a clear advantage, especially for older vehicles and in terms of total cost of ownership.‘ In addition to cost, availability is also an issue: ’The past few years have shown how fragile supply chains for electronic components are. Every supply chain crisis has a direct impact on price and availability – our repair service makes you less dependent on this."
Furthermore, a high level of sustainability is now deeply ingrained in the mindset of workshops and fleets, reports Gienger: ‘Repairing with ESB REMAN saves resources, avoids electronic waste and extends the service life of existing components. This enables workshops to expand their business model by offering their customers a value-for-money solution – repair instead of new parts.’
Outlook – together into a circular, digital future
ESB REMAN involves all relevant players in the aftermarket ecosystem: workshops, distributors, fleets, technology partners and manufacturers. Knorr-Bremse's comprehensive commitment to managing electronics sustainably throughout their entire life cycle does not end with its own product range. Remanufacturing expert Meyer emphasizes this point: ‘Through its involvement in industry-wide initiatives such as the EU research project rEUman, Knorr-Bremse is actively driving forward the further development of remanufacturing technologies and standards. The aim of the project is to keep pace with growing digitalization and to continuously develop repairability, efficiency and sustainability.’
Through its involvement in industry-wide initiatives such as the EU research project rEUman, Knorr-Bremse is actively driving forward the further development of remanufacturing technologies and standards.
Thomas Meyer – Global Director Product Group Reman, Reuse, Repair at Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems
With this continuous improvement in industrial repair solutions, the industry is well equipped to handle the growing proportion of electronics in commercial vehicles. ESB REMAN is already demonstrating how availability, cost-effectiveness and the circular economy can be combined in the aftermarket – and how repair is increasingly becoming a viable option for the mobility of tomorrow.