Moving Towards Sustainable ManufacturingSteve Ellis

SustainabilityYou are working hard on improving the sustainability of your business and want to know how to properly execute that goal

You have made some great headway and your work has improved the bottom line and now you’re wondering what’s next

Taking the next step involves exploring how to design sustainability into your machines, conveyance, and information infrastructure

Since manufacturers rarely get the opportunity to build new plants with state of the art machines, they must undergo incremental changes and build accordingly

Manufacturers need to explore how to design sustainability into their machines

U.S. Sustainability RulesThe U.S. Department of Commerce’s definition of sustainable manufacturing, is detailed by 4 key factors listed here:

1. Minimize negative environmental impacts

2. Conserve energy and natural resources

3. Are safe for employees, communities and consumers

4. Are economically sound

A Global ViewCertain manufacturing processes can be quite harmful

For instance the manufacturing process for batteries is so harsh that most battery suppliers offshore their manufacture to countries with environmental standards that are much more lenient than those the United States enforces

The negative impact of battery manufacturing includes the release of harmful byproducts such as acid, unassimilated lead and sulphur dioxide

The byproducts contaminate soil, drinking water, and air

Similar damage occurs when batteries are disposed

Global View Cont.The second area of change in which we can design with sustainability in mind is in reducing consumption of natural resources

Energy and raw materials for machines and products are quite limited and most be used sparingly and responsibly

Multifunction machines and flexible design are effective at reducing energy consumption as well as component materials

Machines and conveyance should be designed to be as energy-efficient, compact and multifunctional as possible within cost and production constraints

Conclusion

Now that you have made some great progress in improving sustainability in your factory its time to take a hard look at how to design sustainability into machines