greenmanufacturer20130910 dl

833 Featherstone Rd, Rockford, IL 61107

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

Your guide to adopting green manufacturing practices

www.greenmanufacturer.net

Presorted Standard

U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D

FMA COMMUniCATiOnS

inC.

September/October 2013U.S. $10

Giants footprint shrinks in the washMary Ellen Mika relays how Steelcase reduced water, energy, cleaners use with counterflow wash system

Lighting savings slide down easy

Texas plants fans cool and dry

Electronic descaling

Giants footprint shrinks in the washMary Ellen Mika relays how Steelcase reduced water, energy, cleaners use with counterflow wash system

Lighting savings slide down easy

Texas plants fans cool and dry

Electronic descaling


SeptOct13GREEN.indd 1 9/12/13 12:47 PM

20

13 G

AF

9/13

Some Of Our Customers Can Live With Leaky Roofs.

Protecting a property against leaksand fi nding a green way to do itis crucial. GAF is proud to offer environmentally friendly green roofi ng optionsfrom garden roofi ng to white roof coatings to residential cool roofi ngthat will meet your needs and your budget. So youll not only protect your property, youll also help us to protect the precious creatures who share our planet (even if they dont mind a leaky roof). After all, working to benefi t more customers has always been our ultimate goal. Contact your GAF Territory Manager or visit Green Roof Central at www.gaf.com/green to learn more.

YO U R G R E E N R O O F I N G H E A D Q U A R T E R S


sprint.com/ruggedphones

855-878-4BIZReq. qualifying data plan & new 2-yr agmt./activation per line.

Screen image simulated. Offers avail. for corp-liable customers only. Activ. Fee: $36/line. Credit approval req. Early Termination Fee (sprint.com/etf): After 14 days, up to $350/line. Phone Offer: Offer ends 9/30/13. While supplies last. Taxes and svc charges excluded. No cash back. Req. activation of all same model phones on same account in one sales transaction. Data: Addl charges apply for premium content/downloads. Includes select e-mail. Usage Limitations: Sprint may terminate service if off-network roaming usage in a month exceeds: (1) 800 min. or a majority of min.; or (2) 300 MB or a majority of KB. Prohibited network use rules apply. Engaging in such uses will not result in throttling but could result in adverse action. See sprint.com/termsandconditions. Other Terms: Offers and coverage not available everywhere or for all phones/networks. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. CL Port-in Svc Credit: Offer ends: 9/30/13. Available online, via telesales, in participating Sprint Stores, and direct & indirect business channels. Purchases from other national retailers are not eligible for svc credit. Requires port-in from an active number (wireless or landline). Svc credit request must be made at https://www.sprintportcredit.com within 72 hours from the port-in activation date or svc credit will be declined. Must remain active with Sprint Business for 61 days to receive full svc credit. Excludes upgrades, replacements and ports made between Sprint entities or providers associated with Sprint (i.e. Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Sprint As You Go and Assurance), telephone numbers active on Sprint within the previous 60 days, all Individual-liable plans, Seasonal Standby plans, all plans with an MRC $10 or less, Business Freedom plans, M2M plans, special Government plans, and select custom pricing plans. May not be combinable with other offers. Port-in Payment Expectations: If the svc credit does not appear on the rst or second invoice following the 61st day, visit https://www.sprintportcredit.com and click on Wheres My Service Credit. Other Terms: Offers and coverage not available everywhere or for all phones/networks. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. Nationwide Sprint Network reaches over 278 million people. Sprint 3G network reaches over 275 million people. 2013 Sprint. All rights reserved. Sprint and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

29511_YSTG3431R1.indd 08/14/2013_03:02 PM Operator: tm Proof#: 6

Inks Used: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Fonts: Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk

Links:

Client: SprintCampaign: SDC Print Q3 2013 RefreshAgency Job #: 610-SPBRDMG3007AD #/AD ID: YSTG3431R1Clutch Job #: 29511Date Modified: 8-9-2013 9:58 AMCR: None, 07.15.13AD Round: 1

Bleed: 8.75 x 11.375Trim: 8.5 x 10.875Live: 6.875 x 9.5

Keyline Scale: Actual Size, 100%Output at: NonePage: None

Region: NoneLanguage: EnglishNotes: Magazine B

None

ECD: Not Provided CD: V. Cook AD: R. Delgado CW: J. Paull P: L. Stern CSM: J. Proctor PD: T. Marks


Contents


publishing affiliate of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International


4 green MANUFACTURER September/October 2013

2013 FMA Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

38

34

28

20Features20 Cover Story Steelcase shrinks water, energy, cleaners use in the wash: Counterflow wash system reduces giants environmental footprint, makes deep imprint

Steelcase Sustainability and Energy Manager, Global Procurement Mary Ellen Mika initiated Steelcases collaborative green partnership with chemicals supplier DuBois. The collaboration led to a significant reduc-tion of the office furnishings manufacturers water, energy, and chemicals consumption in its metal components finishing pretreatment process and, hence, its global environmental footprint.

Steelcases c:scape metal storage enclosures, tables, and walls, some shown here, are cleaned and prepared for powder coat application in the Kentwood West metals finishing plant. On the cover: Cover photography of Mary Ellen Mika by Craig van der Lende for Green Manufacturer.

28 White Castle manufacturer lights up at plants lighting, controls retrofit Iconic White Castle, established in 1934, manufactures its own cookware equipment and fixtures at its Porcelain Steel Buildings (PSB) division. The PSB plants lighting retrofit with lighting controls has already realized a $60,000 cost savings that slid down easy.

32 Technology SpotlightNew system combines high-efficiency chiller with hybrid solar technologies and leverages waste heat to put the freeze on building energy use and costs.

34 Texas plants fans cool workers, reduce drying timeHigh-bay fans installed in a Texas manufacturing facility not only helped regulate the temperature, they also cut process drying time in half.

38 Control scale to optimize HVAC equipment energy efficiencyIt costs U.S. industry billions of dollars a year to control and remove the limescale from heat exchangers, evaporative coolers, boilers, and chillers. Electronic scale prevention technology can help.

September/October 2013Vol. 4 No. 5



Printed on recycled paper, 30% postconsumer

Note: To opt for a digital version, visit www.greenmanufacturer.net and click on Subscribe, then Digital Version.

Departments 6 Surveying the Greenscape

In Influencing the future of the Earth for good, Editor Kate Bachman shares her experience interviewing Steelcase CEO Jim Hackett and relays how Steelcases supply stream dynamics led to quantum leaps in achiev-ing its sustainability goals.

8 Re: Readers respond to Efficiency is power. 10 Ecosavvy Newsmakers

New technology cleans polluted glycols; Sustainable Biodiesel Certifica-tion program launches; China Green Manufacturing Summit nears; Dell commits to waste-free packaging stream; Metal fabricator wind-powers its plant; Trellis Earth Products moves production from China to New York.

16 Plant ApplicationsPhosphate pretreatment recycling eliminates trailer-makers wastewater concerns.

18 On the HillDOE takes next step on energy efficiency standards for industrial pumps and nonhazardous classification for wipes to save up to $27.8 million an-nually, according to columnist Stephen Barlas.

43 Green Manufacturer Network Connections 44 Reusable Pallet Directory

Why discard when you can reuse?

46 GreenovationsMechano-electret filter media captures submicron-sized particles, reduces energy costs; ERV products dehumidify makeup air.

47 Product News 49 Advertisers Index 50 Under Cover

Bridge over onion waters is constructed of recycled plastic detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, milk jugs, car bumpers, and dashboards.




Surveying the Greenscape

Influencing the future of the Earth for goodAnd the power of supply stream dynamics

As a journalist, I have had the honor and privilege of interview-ing some of the most brilliant, in-fluential, and creative leaders on Earth. Then Ive had the opportunity to relay how they are helping save the planet for human habitation.

Five years ago I interviewed James Hackett, CEO of Steelcase, the largest office furnishings manufacturer in the world. The concepts and philosophies he discussed are still remarkably rel-evant today. (To read the interview tran-scripts, visit www.greenmanufacturer.net/ar ticle/management/Steelcase-ceo-james-hackett-shares-philosophy-sustainability-strategy.)

On the way to his office, I got to try out a hybrid treadmill/desk at which employees can work and exercise si-multaneously. Once in his office, I was invited to sit in his chairthe ultimate in comfort and work facilitation, of courseto view how he communicated in real time with his design team in Palo Alto, Calif., via videoconferencing.

For the interview, we lounged in a caf booth, one of the seating arrange-ments the company was testing out in its living-laboratory headquarters. While sitting across from him, listen-ing to him describe his macro concepts and vision for the company, I could not help but feel that I was in the presence of greatness.

I remember straining to soak it all in, mentally dog-earing every sentence, rapidly jotting noteworthy phrases, and checking and rechecking my recorder to make sure it was capturing everything

he said. It was not only that his word choices and phraseology were stimu-lating, but also that he introduced to me concepts and predictions that have emerged as sustainable truths.

He spoke of accepting the reality of a constantly changing, highly turbulent environment; not just riding out the waves of difficult times, but emerging from them more fit to survive the next onslaught; delayering complexity; paral-lels from geology to current economics; predictive mutations and historical new world constructs; and how technology has changed work from a place you go to a thing you do.

Green at Every TurnMost germane to this publications mis-sion, Hackett foretold of the realization among manufacturers that surviving the next economic downturn includes implementing green manufacturing. The company had just embarked on its 2006 plan to reduce its environmental footprint in leaps and bounds by its cen-turial anniversary in 2012. He spoke of producing products designed to be eas-ily dissembled at the end of their use-ful lives to enhance a cradle-to-cradle life cyclea new concept to me at the timeand embracing sustainability at

every turn, including water conserva-tion, energy use reduction, emissions and VOC reduction, and responsible waste management.

While Hackett has presided over the company, Steelcase has evolved and sustained long enough to mark its 100th anniversary and achieve its sus-tainability plan goals. The company has grown more ecoresponsible and respon-sive to an increasingly mobile, techno-logical, and conscientiously purchasing society. It has emerged as a significant environmental leader, influencing its supplier manufacturersand in some cases, being influenced by them.

Be sure to read this issues cover story, Steelcase shrinks water, energy, cleaners use in the wash, p. 20, which describes how Steelcases supply stream dynamics led to quantum leaps in achieving its sustainability goals.

Considering Steelcases widespread influence and resulting environmental benefits begs the question: How can you influence your supply network for the environmental good?

Kate Bachman, EditorGot [email protected]

Be sure to receive news and updates via Twitter from Editor Kate Bachman (www.twitter.com/greenmanufacts)

Surviving the next economic downturn

includes implementing green manufacturing.


Re:



Published by FMA Communications Inc.833 Featherstone Road

Rockford, IL 61107 Phone: 815-399-8700

Fax: 815-484-7700www.greenmanufacturer.net

Green Manufacturer Staff President & CEO, FMA Edward Youdell

Group Publisher Dave Brambert

Editor-in-Chief Dan Davis

Editor Kate Bachman

Contributing Editors Tim Heston, Eric Lundin, Amy Nickel

Senior Copy Editor Teresa Chartos

Graphic Designer Jennifer Paulson

Publication Coordinator Kelly Palmer

Director of Circulation Kim Bottomley

Circulation Manager Brenda Wilson

Data Verification Specialist Rhonda Fletcher

Senior Fulfillment Specialist Anna Peacock

Web Content Manager Vicki Bell

Multimedia Specialist Sherry Young

Senior Web Developer Jason Bartholme

Web Developer Johanna Albee

Green Manufacturer Advertising Sales Associate Publisher Jim Gorzek

Senior Account Representative Phil Arndt [email protected]

Classified Advertising Patricia DAmico [email protected]

Director of Accounting Bob Young

Accounts Receivable Mary Simons

Green Manufacturing Network Advisory Board Chair Bill Stough, Sustainable Research Group LLC

First Vice Chair Aaron Mason, Hawkeye Energy Solutions

Second Vice Chair Sue Max, Metcam Inc.

Board Members Phil Baerenwald, JL Clark Charles Gerhardt, UL LLC Mary Ellen Mika, Steelcase Inc. Ryan Pennington, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.

Statement of PolicyAs a publication of the Fabricators & Manu fac turers Asso ciation, International, Green Manufacturer seeks to be the information source for those who are responsible for driving the transition to environmentally friendly manufacturing. The policy of the publisher and this publication is to be non partisan, favoring no one product or com pany. The representations of facts and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher and this publication.

The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising it deems inappropriate for publication in Green Manufacturer in cluding ads for classes of products and services not considered of significant interest to the readership.

Publications of FMA Communications Inc. maintain a policy of keep-ing editorial and advertising separate to ensure editorial integrity that most benefits our readership. Editorial content, including fea-ture articles and press releases, is determined solely by the pub-lisher. Editorial content cannot be purchased, nor can it be used as a benefit of advertising dollars spent. Editorial is free-of-charge, subject to space availability, and open to all interested parties that submit items meeting our editorial style and format as determined by the publisher.

Note: Some photographs appearing in this publication may be taken with safety equipment removed for photographic purposes. However, in actual operation, it is recommended that correct safety procedures and equipment be utilized.

FMA Communications Inc. also publishes these other manufacturing- related publicatons:

The FABRICATOR TPJ - The Tube & Pipe Journal

Practical Welding Today The FABRICATOR en Espaol

STAMPING Journal CIM - Canadian Industrial Machinery

Powerful Efficiency

Just wanted to write to you and tell you that I loved the editorial, Efficiency is power, in the July/August issue.

I completely agree that energy effi-ciency is the differentiator between the successful manufacturers and the not-as-successful ones.

We are a contract manufacturer specializing in sheet metal and tubular

racks for the data communication in-dustry and also the solar energy indus-try. My twin brother and I are working hard to maximize our efficiencies in our manufacturing processes as well as our office culture.

Eddie GarciaVice President

A.G. Machining Inc. Moorpark, Calif.

Intersection of Economics and Environment

Your editorial Efficiency is power in Surveying the Greenscape [July/August issue, p. 6] was both educational and informative. That and your article How power metering empowers Toyota [p. 18] encapsulated a very critical mes-sagethat being economically efficient and environmentally responsible in business practices are not mutually ex-clusive ideas.

Exemplifying this is the scenario you discuss in which Toyota Production Sys-tems energy reduction initiatives cut in half the energy required to produce a car.

For so long we have perceived the adoption of solar power and alternative energy sources as trendy and perhaps

even expensive, but as technology evolves, it would seem that this will not be the case for much longer. I see evi-dence of this concept in the reduction in environmental waste expenditures that manufacturers are beginning to see by implementing lean manufactur-ing principles.

Thank you again for taking the time to express such an important mes-sage: the intersection of economically and environmentally beneficial busi-ness practices.

Kristie KarkanenMarketing Program Specialist

Bishop-Wisecarver Corp. Pittsburg, Calif.

Follow us @greenmanufacts

Hydraulic Institute working w/ACEEE, Alliance to Save Energy, NRDC, DOE on energy-efficiency stds. for clean water commodity-type pumps

EPA to wipe away hazardous designation of disposable industrial wipes in Jan. 2014.

Green brings out the best in the greenest. Find out who won the 2013 Green Manufacturer Product Innovation Awards!

Solar is now the fastest-growing energy source in the country, by 76% in 2012SEIA

EPA confirms 18 toxic water pollution from coal ash sites have contaminated local water

Green Manufacturer is happy to publish your letters. Send your comments to [email protected]. You must include your full contact informationfirst and last name, title, company, and address. We need

your address for author verification, but we will print only your name, position, city, state; company name is optional.

All correspondence will be considered for publication unless specifically requested otherwise and will be edited at the editors discretion. Letters written to advertise the benefits of a specific product or company will not be considered for publication.

Got thoughts?


ENERGY. SMARTER.www.oesx.com

Made in USA

2013 Light Years Ahead, InteLite, Apollo, ISON, Energy. Smarter., and the Orion logo are trademarks/servicemarks of Orion Energy Systems Inc., World Headquarters 2210 Woodland Drive, Manitowoc, WI 54220

800.660.9340

Remove existing lens or louver

Remove existing lamps and ballast cover then disconnect power

Insert completely assembled LDR into existing bracket holes

Reconnect wiring to LDR Close the LDR and latch

There is a new guy in the office and hes

more efficient and bright

And he is willing to work 168,000 hoursLED solid-state lighting is long lasting and extremely efficient. Orion Energy Systems is proud to offer the industrys first LED troffer retrofit completely assembled within the door frame. The LDR (LED Door Retrofit) can reduce your consumption by up to 70% with no mess. So bring on the new guy to reduce your energy waste and convert your tired recessed troffers to a modern, more stylistic fixture.

A quick, clean install is one of the many benefits of the LED Door Retrofit. See how an install can be done in approximately one minute with no mess and no tools. Install video can also be viewed online by visiting www.oesx.com.

2 3 4 51

more efficient and bright

I nstant RebateGet a 5% rebate on the LDR products purchased by 02/15/2014. Call 800.660.9340 for details.

00:00 - 00:11 00:11 - 00:40 00:40 - 00:52 00:52 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:18



Ecosavvy Newsmakers


FABTECH, Greenbuild convention centers showcase their green

The convention centers hosting FABTECH and Greenbuild both have made great green strides to create appropriate settings for the shows to be held in November.

Chicagos McCormick Place, which hosts the 2013 FABTECH metal fabrication tradeshow Nov. 18-21, has made a showy presence of its sustainability efforts. In May the Windy City center switched to 100 percent wind energy by purchasing Green-e Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) generated from wind power to match 100 percent of the annual electricity demand. In total, the center will purchase an estimated 130 million kilowatt-hours of wind power each year over the course of a new three-year REC purchase pro-gram provided by Sterling Planet.

We are committed to having renewable energy as part of our comprehensive efforts to implement environmentally friendly, sustainable practices, said David Causton, general manager of McCormick Place, the nations largest conven-tion center. Purchasing wind power helps our organization become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reduc-ing carbon emissions with green power.

The center also has installed green, vegetated roofs atop the convention center. Forty thousand plants have greened approximately 15 percent of McCormick Places 1 million square feet of rooftop. St. Louis-based Green Roof Blocks, maker of portable green roof systems, performed the instal-lation. It is the second-largest such installation in the U.S.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center, site of this years Greenbuild convention Nov. 20-22, has committed to reduc-ing its environmental impact on its operations and services:

Low Environmental Impact CleanersThe center uses Green Seal-certified cleaning chemicals to improve the air quality and create a healthier indoor envi-ronment for building personnel and visitors. These include bathroom hand soap.

Waste Reduction/RecyclingThe center uses single-stream recycling. In 2009 and 2010 the center recycled and diverted a combined 469.83 tons of waste from landfills. In addition, it serves its food and beverage with sustainable cutlery, hot/cold beverage cups, napkins, and plates made of 100 percent decomposable and biodegradable materials. Restroom paper products are made from recycled products. Automatic dispensers for wa-ter, soap, and paper products in the restrooms are intended to reduce waste.

LightingAutomatic lighting has been installed to help reduce energy use.

Show-stoppers

Be sure to visit these Green Manufacturer advertisers at FABTECH and Greenbuild:

Association of Energy Engineers

Big Ass Fans

DuBois Chemicals

Durr Ecoclean

GAF Building Materials

Industrial Maid

Kimberly-Clark Professional

Orion Energy Systems

Packsize

SCA

Schneider Electric

Siemens Industry

Solatube International

TRUMPF

Zing Enterprises


11green MANUFACTURERSeptember/October 2013


Ecosavvy Newsmakers

GlyEco begins Type 1 recycled glycol productionGlyEco Inc., Phoenix, has completed initial technology upgrades and begun producing Type 1-compliant recycled glycol for commercial use. Its lab has shown the recycled materials comply with ASTM 1177 EG-1 standards, the same purity level expected of refi nery-grade glycol. The company will send samples out to independent third-party labs to verify its results.

We can clean any type of used gly-col to meet these standards, and that same material can be used, recycled, and used again indefi nitely, said John Lorenz, chairman and CEO.

GlyEco Technology can clean pollut-ed glycols from all fi ve waste-producing industries: HVAC, textiles, automotive, airline, and medical.

Aveda launches packaging collection, recycling program Aveda, a professional botanical hair care brand based in Blaine, Minn., has introduced its new Full Circle recycling program in the U.S. The company has partnered with g2 revolution, a recy-cling innovations company, to allow cus-tomers to return Aveda packaging not accepted by some municipal curbside recycling programs to all 107 Aveda Ex-perience Center retail locations in the U.S.

The collected packaging is sorted to be recycled into reusable material, with the goal of eliminating waste and mak-ing it into new Aveda packaging or ac-cessories. The company develops pack-aging with high levels of postconsumer recycled content that can be continu-ously cycled in the industrial world.

Randall Mfg. recognized as a 2013 Top Green ProviderFood Logistics magazine has named Randall Mfg., Elmhurst, Ill., as a Top Green Provider for its commitment to sustainable leadership and its invest-ment in green products, including the new GREEN InsulWall. The modular, energy-effi cient, reusable curtain wall system, made from recycled insulation, has a superior R-value, according to the company.

The manufacturer launced a blog series in June entitled LEEDing Questions. At www.randallmfg.com/warehouse, Todd Jessup, warehouse territory manager, asks a variety of de-sign and build contractors a series of questions about todays green building trends and the products they see shap-ing the future of green buildings.

Standard Safety Signs Choose from DANGER, CAUTION, NOTICE, EXIT or No Smoking signs made from recycled plastic, recycled aluminum or pressure sensitive eco-poly. TriView 3-Sided Projecting Signs Highest visibility option for critical sign messages. Available in glow-in-the-dark versions. Standard V and L Projecting Signs Great for standard high visibility applications. Available in bilingual. Exclusive Corner Sign Unique safety signs mount in corners. Parking Signs Heavy gauge recycled aluminum signs using 3M reflective sheeting.

Where Safety Meets EnvironmentalZING is a market leader in high-quality, environmentally friendly safety signs. From standard OSHA style safety signs to parking lot signs, all ZING signs are made from high post-consumer recycled or sustainable materials.

Categories:

TMAll signs can be customized and support LEED accreditation. Plastic and aluminum signs are UL validated for recycled content. Made in the USA. www.ZingGreenProducts.com

or pressure sign visibility reflective

WhereEnvironmentalZINGFrommade

Categories:

All signs can be customized and support



Ecosavvy Newsmakers


Clean Energy, Covanta open CNG fueling station

Clean Energy Fu-els Corp., Newport Beach, Calif., a provider of natural gas fuel for trans-portation, and

Covanta Energy Corp., a provider of sustainable waste management and re-newable energy, have opened the first compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in Newark, N.J., built as part of a nationwide partnership between the two companies to expand the CNG fu-eling infrastructure across the country.

The new station, built and main-tained by Clean Energy on-site at Cov-antas energy-from-waste facility, sup-plies CNG fuel to refuse trucks serving communities and businesses in north-ern New Jersey and New York City.

We are moving forward with a ma-jor program to replace our existing fleet of diesel-powered garbage trucks and street sweepers with new, cleaner-oper-ating, CNG-fueled trucks, said Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

Grainger opens LEED-certified, platinum-rated distribution center in IllinoisGrainger, a supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions, has opened a new distribution center in Minooka, Ill. The 1 million-sq.-ft. facility serves as the companys new central stocking distribution center.

This distribution center is one of the worlds largest LEED-certified, platinum-rated facilities for commercial interiors. It features a 2,200-sq.-ft. so-lar wall, which uses air and solar capa-bilities to help reduce energy consump-tion; energy-efficient lighting, along with motion sensors; electric automobile charger stations; and a recycling pro-gram initiated to collect cardboard and shrink wrap from operations.

Sustainable Biodiesel Certification program launches GreenCircle, Royersford, Pa., and the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance (SBA) have announced the official launch of the Sustainable Biodiesel Certification program. The announcement came at Willie Nelsons 80th birthday party in Times Square, five years after the SBA kicked off with Nelson.

We didnt realize how long it takes to create a certification program, but Im here today to tell you we have completed [it] with the help of GreenCircle Certi-fied, said Kelly King, chair of the SBA.

With the support of Nelson and other honorary SBA board members, includ-ing Woody Harrelson, Daryl Hannah, and Jack Johnson, the Sustainable Bio-diesel Certification is poised to receive national recognition for evaluating and verifying sustainable alternatives to tra-ditional petroleum-based fuels, Green-Circle reports.

Coca-Cola, WWF partner to advance sustainability stewardshipThe Coca-Cola Co. and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are working to advance the Coca-Cola systems sustainability stewardship with new global environmental goals and an expanded global partnership.

These goals, which complement other Coca-Cola well-being and com-munity commitments, focus on sustain-able management of water, energy, and packaging use, as well as sustainable sourcing of agricultural ingredients through 2020.

Building on the initial successes of their nearly decade-long partnership, Coca-Cola and WWF have agreed to extend their efforts by meeting new conservation and performance targets, promoting the integration of natures value into decision-making processes, and convening influential partners to help solve shared global environmental challenges.

Carbios collaboration supports creation of biotechnology laboratory for bioplasticsCarbios, a Paris-based green chemistry company specializing in the develop-ment of industrial bioprocesses and proposing new approaches for recover-ing plastic waste and producing biopoly-mers, has announced the signature of a 3.2-million-euro (about $4.1 million) collaboration with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Poitiers University.

The project is part of the THANA-PLAST private-public consortium on plastics, one of the largest projects in the field of plastics technology. Carbios is leading a team of participants from in-dustry and academia that includes INRA, TWB, INRA Deinove, Limagrain, and the Barbier Group to find ways to reclaim plastics at the end of their useful life.

The THANAPLAST SP-Carbios bio-plastics cooperative biotechnology laboratory in Poitiers is the R&D cen-ter for the consortium. Its mission is to develop a biotechnology platform to be used in plastics technology.

ABB director receives award from Green Parking Council

ABBs Cal Lank-ton, director of the companys Electric Vehicle Charging Infra-structure for its

North American operations, has re-ceived the 2013 Pioneer Award for Sus-tainability from the Green Parking Coun-cil (GPC). The award recognizes leaders of the parking industrys transition to an environmentally conscious business model.

This award can be shared by ev-eryone at ABB who is working toward sustainable mobility, from the EV team deploying charging infrastructure to our cross-divisional work supporting a smarter grid, Lankton commented.




Ecosavvy Newsmakers

Construction Specialties, Earth911.com launch recycling locatorConstruction Specialties (C/S) and Earth911.com have launched the Con-struction Specialties recycling loca-tor at www.c-sgroup.com/corporate/recycling#. The web tool addresses recycling of commercial building prod-ucts and provides consumers with the information and resources necessary to recycle and dispose of C/Ss materials.

The companies worked closely to-gether to create the custom recycling tool that addresses C/S customers specifi c needs, including identifying and verifying new facilities that would take the companys materials, in addition to using Earth911s recycling directory.

Smith Electric fl eet surpasses 700 vehicles, 5 million miles of operation

Smith Electric Vehicles Corp., a producer of all-electric, medium-duty commercial vehicles in Kansas

City, Mo., has announced it has pro-duced more than 700 of its all-electric Edison and Newton trucks, which have cumulatively generated more than 5 million miles on the road. This mile-stone shows that the adoption rate of commercial electric vehicles by major global blue chip corporations continues to expand.

According to the company, custom-ers that work with Smith Electric to transform their fl eets save an esti-mated 70 percent annually on fuel and maintenance during the life of the ve-hicle and eliminate all vehicle-based emissions. The 5 million miles traveled by Smith Electric vehicles have offset an estimated 700,000 gal. of fuel, eliminating more than 10,000 short tons of greenhouse gases.

ASSOCIATES

Engineering,

Environmental

and Energy Solutions

TO ADVANCE YOUR GREEN BUSINESS

T&M's team of

engineers, environmental

specialists and energy

consulting professionals

deliver a unique mix of

expertise to reduce

your operation's

environmental footprint

and increase your

competitive advantage.

T&M's experts can help you with:

Energy auditing and master plan

development

Energy efficiency strategy and

implementation

Energy procurement and aggregation

Renewable energy project engineering

and development

Infrastructure hardening and resiliency

Environmental compliance

Site investigation, remedial investigation

and remedial action

Health and safety consulting

Stormwater management

Call T&M today to make

your facilities and operations

more sustainable and profitable.

www.tandmassociates.com

OFFICES IN NJ / PA / DE / KY / OH

732.671.6400

Solatube Intl. launches rebranded websiteSolatube Intl., Vista, Calif., has launched a new, rebranded website to support its line of commercial and resi-dential products, including tubular day-lighting devices.

The site provides before-and-after

photographs, a one-click residential dealer and commercial distributor lo-cator, product information featuring the new Smart LED system, lighting comparisons, things customers should know before they buy, and FAQs.



Ecosavvy Newsmakers


T&M Associates adds staffT&M Associates, Middletown, N.J., an engineering, consulting, and envi-ronmental services provider, has an-nounced the addition of several energy consulting specialists to assist clients in navigating deregulated energy mar-kets and securing more competitive and predictable pricing for their gas and electric service.

Daniel Swayze, PE, CME, has been named senior vice president and re-gional manager of energy and utilities. He has more than 21 years of experi-ence providing consulting and engi-neering services to private and public clients and has extensive experience developing solutions for energy efficien-cy, energy procurement, and renewable energy projects.

Michael Mandzik, CEP, has been hired as director of energy procurement advi-sory services. Mandzik has more than 30 years of experience in the field of

energy procurement, having worked pre-viously as an instructor for the Associa-tion of Energy Engineers energy procure-ment professional certification program and as a marketer of energy futures for the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Tara Pasca, CEP, has joined the company as energy procurement proj-ect manager. She has more than seven years of experience in the identifica-tion, analysis, and delivery of energy procurement strategies and retail mar-ket opportunities and has managed multimember aggregation groups and cooperative pricing systems (co-ops).

Michelle Trumbetti has been named utility billing analyst with the companys Energy and Utilities Group. She is re-sponsible for gathering historical usage data, analyzing utility energy usage and consumption, auditing commercial and industrial energy bills, analyzing tariffs, and monitoring commodity markets.

TRUMPF Inc. names new president/CEOFabricating machinery manufacturer TRUMPF Inc., Farmington, Conn., has named Dr. Lars Gruenert as pres-ident and CEO, suc-

ceeding Rolf Biekert. In this position, he is responsible for all of the companys subsidiaries and business operations in North America, including manufactur-ing, engineering, research and develop-ment, customer service, technical train-ing, product sales, and applications.

Gruenert previously served as execu-tive vice president of TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG and CFO of the Laser Technology/Electronics business division. In this role he was responsible for the central de-partments IT and processes, purchas-ing, and organizational development.

After 25 years with the organization, Biekert leaves to lead Maintecx, an in-dependent fabricating equipment sales representative company and an exclu-sive distributor of TRUMPF fabricating equipment in the Midwest.

Gilchrist Metal Fabrication recognized by U.S. EPAGilchrist Metal Fabrication Co., Hudson, N.H., has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for powering its facility with 100 per-cent renewable energywind power.

As a metal fabrication company, its no secret that we use a lot of power, said Jack Gilchrist, president. Not only is [wind energy] more sustainable for businesses and communities, but it also allows us to help contribute to green initiatives on both a local and na-tional level.

Evolucia opens new headquarters, R&D facilityEvolucia Inc. has moved to a 61,000-sq.-ft. facility in Sarasota, Fla., to expand its operations. The facility serves as the companys world headquarters and center for research, development, test-ing, and manufacturing of LED lighting controls and fixtures.

The company maintains its offshore international mass-production capabili-ties through its partnership with Leader Electronics and continues to develop contract manufacturing relationships in Radom, Poland, for distribution of its products into the European markets.

New manufacturing and optical test-ing equipment has been installed at the facility, allowing the company to per-form photometric, thermal, optical, and other product and component analysis internally rather than contracting this work to external organizations.

J.W. Winco launches green roof projectJ.W. Winco Inc., a supplier of standard industrial machine components, has be-gun installation of a green roof system on its New Berlin, Wis., facility. Benefits include recycling of rainwater and sav-ings on cooling costs. The companys remodeling project has been approved under the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sew-

erage District (MMSD) Regional Green Roof Initiative. The green roof project will take approximately three weeks to be completed.

Our existing conventional roof sys-tem was installed in 1993 and needed to be replaced, so we researched the possibility of installing a fully vegetat-

ed green roof system, said Mark M. Winkler, CFOoffice of the president of J.W. Winco Inc. The addition of the green roof is part of the companys effort to be a leader in environmental stewardship by reducing our carbon footprint and managing rainwater effi-ciently, while at the same time cutting energy costs, he added.




Ecosavvy Newsmakers

Trellis Earth Products moving manufacturing production from China to New YorkTrellis Earth Products has announced it will move its manufacturing operations from China to its first U.S. manufactur-ing facility outside of Rochester, N.Y., with production set to begin in 2014. The company, a manufacturer of sus-tainable food service products, will in-vest $8.3 million in the new 80,000-sq.-ft. facility, creating 189 jobs.

The company will manufacture more than 50 million forks, knives, and spoons monthly at its new facility, as well as flexible products including clam-shells, school lunch trays, and plates. All products will be made from its bio-plastic blend that is composed primari-ly of plant starch, helping to reduce pet-rochemical consumption and lessening the burden on landfills.

China Green Manufacturing Summit scheduled for November Apex Intl. will present the 2nd Annual China Green Manufacturing Summit 2013 on Nov. 14-15, 2013, in Shanghai. The event will focus on deepening the understanding of clean, energy-efficient, green, and sustainable manufacturing concepts while also serving as a plat-form for presenting the latest regulatory changes and sharing best practices.

Topics to be discussed include in-centives and regulations in China for the promotion of green manufacturing; sustainable manufacturing techniques for the pharmaceutical, chemical, electronics, automotive, and transport manufacturing sectors; energy-efficient supply chain and carbon management; manufacturing process design and de-velopment; and automation.

Dell commits to waste-free packaging stream by 2020Dell Inc., Round Rock, Texas, has an-nounced its sustainable packaging ini-tiatives, including goals for a waste-free packaging stream by 2020 and a new wheat straw material that turns agricul-tural waste into boxes.

The company is ensuring that 100 percent of its packaging is sourced from sustainable materials, including recycled and rapidly renewable content, or material that was formerly part of the waste stream, and that it is recyclable or compostable at the end of its life. Currently more than half of Dells pack-aging meets both these criteria.

The company also announced it will begin using a new sustainable mate-rialwheat strawin many of its card-board boxes for notebooks originating in China.

LEEDIS VERY

Train your company LEED Green Associate Training LEED AP Project Experience Training Corporate Social Responsibility Training & Development

Mention Green Manufacturer for a Special Offer!

poplarnetwork.com 866.715.7737 [email protected]


www.greenmanufacturer.net16 green MANUFACTURER September/October 2013

Plant Applicationsw a s t e w a t e r

SituationBri-Mar Mfg., a manufacturer of hydrau-lic dump trailers in Chambersburg, Pa., was dealing with a growing concern over proper disposal of used phosphate pretreatment solution from its metal surface paint preparation line.

By itself, the cleaning and pretreat-ment application process is pretty straightforward, said Kevin Kelley, president and CEO. The trick is what to do with the used phosphate solution after it hits the wash bay drain.

The company historically had been treating and dumping the water, but in an effort to keep up with increasingly stringent regulations on sending waste-water to the borough, it began search-ing for a more environmentally friendly option.

ResolutionAfter a lot of research, Bri-Mar selected a CPR phosphate cleaning system from CPR Systems for its ability to recycle and reuse the pretreatment waste.

The closed-loop recycling process frees us from the limitations and costs imposed by our waste stream permit, Kelley remarked. As a result, we will reduce our chemical and water con-sumption by roughly 70 percent with nothing going down the drain.

The system has freed up labor hours, since there are no more inspections of wastewater being sent to the borough. On top of that, by switching to Phos-Bite 101, the secret sauce to the CPR system, we are cleaning and degreas-ing in one step, said Lance Harringon, plant manager. Not only does this im-prove our cleaning process and the fin-ish quality of our trailers, but we have significantly reduced our chemical and water consumption by recycling.

CPR Systems, A Division of T. George Podell & Co. Inc., 1400 S. Main St., South Bend, IN 46613, 800-897-7515, [email protected], www.cprsystemsonline.com

Phosphate pretreatment recycling eliminates trailer-makers wastewater concerns


Big Tubes For Big Spaces

New Solatube SkyVault M74 DSThe Solatube SkyVault M74 DS is the fi rst phase in a trailblazing new line of daylighting products intended specifi cally for high bay, high-volume environments. Our largest tubular daylighting device ever, it features a 29 in. (74 cm) diameter tube that is nearly twice the aperture of our SolaMaster Series products. As a result, it maximizes light output and minimizes the number of roof penetrations required.

We have an expansive network of Commercial Representatives trained on design and implementation of all Solatube products, from new construction to retrofi t projects.

Let us help you turn your electric lights off! Contact your local Commercial Representative:

Call: 800-809-3112 Email: [email protected] Visit: www.solatube.com

NEW SkyVault M74 DS (29 dia.)

WAREHOUSES

MANUFACTURING

AIRPORT TERMINALS

AGRIBUSINESS

CONVENTION CENTERS

RETAIL SPACES

Solatube International, Inc. 2210 Oak Ridge Way, Vista, California 92081-8341



On the Hill


The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has taken the next step in establishing first-time energy efficiency standards for industrial and commercial pumps. The agency is in the process of putting together what is called a negotiated rulemaking commit-tee composed of users, manufacturers, and environmentalists who ostensibly hammer out a standard which then flies through the rulemaking process, with-out any objections.

The DOE had released a request for information in 2011 and then a frame-work document last February providing some direction on where it expects to go, in terms of the categories of pumps covered and the kind of metrics that could be used to set new efficiency standards. The pump manufacturers, represented by the Hydraulic Institute, are pressing for an extended product approach using an Energy Efficiency In-dex (EEI) that would take into account the pump, motor, variable-speed drive, and control and feedback systems.

The association has been working with environmental groups such as the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Alliance to Save Energy, and the Natural Resources De-fense Council (NRDC) on consensus standards with those efforts focusing on clean water commodity-type pumps. However, environmentalists want to ex-pand the types of clean water pumps to include double-suction and circulator pumps.

The European Union (EU) already has a directive (Regulation 547/2012/EC implementing directive 2009/125/EC) on efficiency standards for clean water pumps, and the DOE generally tends to follow it. Charles Llenza, proj-ect manager for the rulemaking, said, We have sort of borrowed from their playbook a little until we get our footing with this rulemaking and the stakehold-ers input in the U.S. industry.

The DOE estimates clean water pumps represent about 70 percent of pump sales by value and 90 percent of pump energy use. Those pumps can be used for chemicals and other liquids also, and so the DOE is considering tying chemi-cal pumps into the new standardat least, to the extent any are used primar-ily for that end use. But wastewater, slur-ry, and API 610 pumps are outside the purview of this rulemaking.

A major issue will be whether to in-clude variable-speed drives (VSDs) in the standard. Greg Towsley, director, regulatory and technical affairs, Grund-fos Pumps Corp., the Danish concern that claims to be the worlds largest pump manufacturer, wants VSDs to be included.

But Steve Rosenstock, senior man-ager, energy solutions, the Edison Electric Institute, which represents in-vestor-owned utilities, said, EEI does not support establishing standards or test procedures based on pump perfor-mance with a variable-speed drive con-troller. Pumps are used in a variety of applications, and not all are a good fit for VSD.

EPA Wipes Away Hazardous Designation of Disposable Industrial WipesIndustrial companies and manufactur-ers that use disposable wipes on sol-vent spills just got some good news from the U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA). As of Jan. 31, 2014, those wipes no longer will be classified as hazardous waste, except in the case of wipes contaminated by trichloroeth-ylene. This means that users no longer will have to manifest most dispos-able wipes when they are sent off-site, and they can be sent to nonhazardous-waste handling facilities. That will re-duce costs.

But the used disposable wipes have to be managed, while on-site, in closed

DOE takes next step on energy efficiency standards for industrial pumps

Nonhaz classification for wipes to save up to $27.8 million annually

Clean water pumps represent about

90 percent of pump energy use.


On the Hill


From Green Manufacturer BriefNews items from our e-newsletter

By Donna Bacidore, Contributing Writer

Wind power experiences banner yearIn August the U.S. Department of En-ergy (DOE) issued two reports on the state of domestic wind power.

The DOE and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released a report on the state of the U.S. wind market overall. According to the 2012 Wind Technologies Market Report, last year was a banner year for wind energy. More than 13.1 gigawatts (GW) of new wind power capacity was added in the U.S., almost double the added capac-ity in 2011, bringing total wind power capacity in this country to 60 GW.

This makes wind power the largest source of added U.S. electric-generat-ing capacity for 2012, at 43 percent. This exceeds natural gas-generation additions. Much of the increase is at-tributed to the federal tax credits that had been set to expire at the end of last year and then were extended. It is also attributed to improved cost and perfor-mance of wind power.

The report also points out that the U.S. installed more wind capacity than any other country last year, resulting

in a wind power capacity that meets 4.4 percent of this countrys electricity demands.

Equally as impressive is that 72 per-cent of the turbine equipment installed last year, which includes blades, gears, and generators, is U.S.-made, making it a good job source as it employs an esti-mated 80,000 workers in this country. This almost triples the domestic manu-facturing of turbine equipment, which was 25 percent in 2006-2007.

In 2012 Texas led the country in wind power capacity additions, install-ing 1,826 megawatts (MW). Other states that added more than 1,000 MW last year are California, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

2012 Market Report on Wind Technologies in Distributed ApplicationsAlso in August, the DOE and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the 2012 Market Report on Wind Technologies in Distributed Applica-tions, which shows that the domestic distributed wind energy market grew by 175 MW last year. This puts U.S. wind turbines in distributed applications at 10-year cumulative installed capacity of more than 812 MW from more than

69,000 units across all the states. Distributed wind energy installations

supply power directly to local grids near homes, farms, businesses such as manufacturing facilities, and public places as opposed to being part of a centralized power plant. These smaller applications range from several hun-dred watts to multimegawatts.

Of the 2012 installations, most of the distributed wind projects consisted of single turbinesthe largest was six turbines. These installations were in 38 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Iowa led the way, adding 37 MW of distributed wind ca-pacity last year, followed by Massachu-setts, which added 27 MW, and Califor-nia, which added 23 MW.

Among the reasons industry leaders gave for the use of distributed wind are a desire to cut utility bills, concerns over future rate increases in gas and coal prices, the availability of state incen-tives, and the desire to reduce pollution.

While it was noted in the 2012 Wind Technologies Market Report that the renewal of the wind energy produc-tion tax credit would spur utility-scale development for two or three years, the tax credit is likely to have little impact on distributed wind projects.


containers that are labeled Excluded Solvent-Contaminated Wipes. The wipes can be stored on-site no longer than 180 days. Solvent-contaminated wipes must not contain free liquids at the point of being sent for cleaning or disposal.

Petitions from first Kimberly-Clark and then Scott Paper, the first arriving at the EPA in 1985, sparked this long-ruminated change. In 2003, according to the agency, the estimated respective

annual market share was 88 percent for reusable wipes, which have never been classified as hazardous waste, and 12 percent for disposable wipes. The final rule will make disposable wipes more attractive.

Disposable wipes that are then sent to landfills must meet a no free liq-uids standard. That must be met us-ing what is called the Paint Filter Liq-uids Test (Method 9095B). EPA notes that generators do not have to conduct

the test for every solvent-contaminated wipe. Rather, generators must ensure that if the test was performed, the wipe would pass.

The EPA estimates that the final rule will result in a net savings for manufac-turers of between $21.7 million and $27.8 million per year.

Stephen Barlas, a freelance writer based in Arlington, Va., can be reached at [email protected].



Steelcase shrinks water, energy, cleaners use in the wash

Counterflow wash system reduces giants environmental footprint, makes deep imprint

Steelcase by the Numbers

1 Rank in global market share 30 Locations globally 101 Years in business 500 Product lines 14000 ISO-certified 80,000 Customers 124,000 Employees $2.9 billion Annual sales in 2013 to date

The Greenquation

As a direct result of implementing a new pretreatment wash system on seven powder coating lines, Steelcase reduced and saved:

Energy: 46%; $728,006 Water/Sewer: 54%; $171,338 Process Chemicals: 66%; $41,675 Labor: $113,411GHG Emissions: 41%Total Cost Savings Annually: $1,054,430

Steelcase installed a counterflow wash system in its finishing pretreatment process that substantially reduced

its consumption of water, sewering, energy, and cleaning chemicals.


SeptOct13GREEN.indd 20 9/16/13 8:40 AM

www.greenmanufacturer.net 21green MANUFACTURERSeptember/October 2013

Figure 2Keith Lane, senior account manager for chemicals supplier DuBois, demonstrated to the finishing group at Steelcase not only how to improve the environmental impact of the clean-ing chemicals they supplied, but also the entire wash process.

Figure 1Mary Ellen Mika, Steelcases sustainability and energy manager, global procurement, believes that the supply chain ecosystem is a fluid one, and developed a collabora-tive relationship with a cleaning chemicals supplier that yielded substantial benefits for Steelcase in its finishing pretreatment lines. Metal components going through the pre-treatment wash system, shown at left, are cleaned in a counterflow wash system that uses half the water, half the energy, two-thirds of the chemicals, and a fourth of the labor that its predecessor did.

By Kate Bachman, Editor

Over the course of its 100-plus-year-old history, the worlds largest office furnishings manu-facturer has not only redefined office environments, it has helped to redefine work.

Steelcases Grand Rapids, Mich., headquarters is a living laboratory for the development of new concepts for its office seating, tables, storage, space-separating screens, desks, walls, and other architectural elements. The man-ufacturer has undergone a transforma-tion of its own to keep pace with the increasingly mobile and evolving work-force it aims to support and equip.

One core value that has remained constant throughout the FORTune 500 companys century-long existence from its inception, however, is its com-mitment to protecting the environment (Read Steelcase as Environmental Leader at www.greenmanufacturer.net.)

We believe that however small, ev-ery action that safeguards and restores the environment is significant. Our vi-sion is to excel in every environmental dimension to protect, replenish, and re-store the communities in which we live and serve, said Steelcase CeO James Hackett.

As a manifestation of that commit-ment, the company set goals and de-vised strategies in 2006 to reduce its overall environmental footprint by its 100-year anniversary in 2012. One area prime for improvement was its en-ergy-, water-, and chemicals-glutting fin-ishing plants where water, chemicals, and energy consumption was high.

Mary ellen Mika, sustainability and energy manager, global procurement, with others at Steelcase, initiated the companys collaborative green partner-ship with chemicals supplier DuBois (see Figure 1). That supplier relation-ship led to a systemic revision to the manufacturers finishing pretreatment

process for metal components that sig-nificantly reduced its water, energy, and chemicals consumption.

A Pulsating Supply Ecosystem

In any manufacturing ecosystem, sup-pliers are integral to the success of a company. When a manufacturer is as large as Steelcase, the supply chain is as vital as an artery.

That is why Steelcase is very en-gaged with its suppliers, extending its expertise into their operations and plants along with its expectations for quality, leanness, energy efficiency, cost competitiveness, and environmen-tal stewardship.

When Steelcase wanted to green its finishing pretreatment systems at its Kentwood West metals finishing plant



beginning in 2007 as part of its over-all environmental strategy, it invited six potential pretreatment chemicals sup-pliers, including DuBois, to bid on a contract to supply cleaning chemicals.

Because manufacturing in an en-vironmentally responsible way was in Steelcases DNA, it was natural that the criteria for the chemicals supplier to win the bid included not only meet-ing quality and cost standards, but also helping the office furnishings-maker to reduce its environmental impact.

Part of that offer to DuBois was a nomination to join the U.S. EPA Green Suppliers Network (see Lean and Green sidebar). The network advises compa-nies on how to wring out energy, ma-terial, water, and solid waste in their plants. Steelcase recommended that its supplier consider accessing the net-works expertise to apply a lean manu-facturing approach to the environmen-tal realm, Mika explained.

The idea was that as the customer, knowing what we want and having a lot of experience in finishing operations, we could help provide expertise to as-

sess the suppliers facilities so they could make products better, more cost-effectively, and greener for us.

How could we directly help our sup-pliers at their manufacturing locations? How could we work together to achieve that? Mika continued.

Another aspect of the manufactur-ing giants supplier network is that for a company trying to break into that sup-ply chain, Steelcase is a tough shell to crackit is extremely loyal to its high-performing existing suppliers.

As a field manager in this area for 20 years, every time someone said Steel-case, I said, Dont waste your time, because we spent so much time and re-sources from the 70s to the 90s trying to crack the shell to no avail, said Keith Lane, senior account manager for Du-Bois (see Figure 2). That was because they are trusting, loyal people, and they had long-term partners already.

So when DuBois was invited to sub-mit a bid and nominated to engage in the EPA Green Suppliers Network, Lane wanted to say yes.

However, DuBois had already leaned and greened and actually had picked up some knowledge in the field that it could share with Steelcase. At that time, our parent company was as far down that path as Steelcase was. I was getting some resistance. I was going to our people and saying, Lets do this, and they were saying, Weve done all that, Lane said.

Figure 4Previously, fresh water was fed into every stage of the wash system and water flowed to the drain at every stage as well. An enormous amount of water and cleaning chemicals were wasted this way, as well as the energy to heat the water.

Figure 3DuBois introduced phosphate-free, low-temperature cleaning chemicals to Steelcases pre-treatment process that reduced its environmental footprint by ridding it of toxins and reduc-ing the amount of energy required to heat the water.

Drain Drain Drain Drain Drain Drain

Stg 1 Stg 2 Stg 3 Stg 4 Stg 5

City Water

AG Filter

Carbon

Soften

RO Unit

Virgin Arches

Chemicalcleaner/phos

Chemicalcleaner/phos

ChemicalSealer

Recirc RORinse

Pretreatment Washer - Former

City water

Processed RO waterVirgin arch, counterflow makeup

Process makeup (as needed) from pressure side of pump

Counterflow makeupfed as neededto chemical stage(s)

Process flow to drain

Stor

age



We were not thinking that this philosophy could be ap-plied in reverse, Mika said.

In fact, the patient became the doctor.Ultimately that is the essence of the supply chain partner-

ship and cooperation. How can we best access each others skills and expertise to make improvements? Mika added.

Greening the Wash System Beyond Cleaners

Lane knew that bringing something extra to the table could only improve DuBois chances of winning the bid and nurtur-ing the coveted supplier relationship.

Rather than submit a bid based on price per pound, Lane and his group offered to show Mika and the finishing and supply chain groups at Steelcase not only how to improve the environmental impact of the cleaning chemicals they sup-plied, but also the entire wash process.

DuBois wanted to take a total cost/lean and green ap-proach. Rather than give us a material price, they asked for a demonstration opportunity on our line, Mika said. After much internal deliberation and concern about possible ad-verse effects on product quality, Steelcase granted DuBois a six-week trial.

First, the cleaners supplier introduced low-temperature, nonphosphate chemicals to Steelcases pretreatment pro-cessand then went a step further (see Figure 3).

We got to week two into the six-week trial and then really started pushing hard, Lane said. We said, While were in the washer, please let us show you another approach.

The other approach Lane proposed to the Steelcase group was a cascading, or counterflow, wash system to reduce wa-ter, sewering, energy-and even the amount of cleaning chemicals needed.

The latter effort might seem counterintuitivea supplier wants to sell more product, not lessbut metabolizing Steel-cases environmental footprint reduction effort helped se-cure DuBois supplier relationship, which, in turn, helped the chemicals company sell more product in the long run.

That cant be overemphasized, Lane said. We found ourselves speaking the same language.

How the Counterflow Wash System Works

The line on which DuBois demonstrated its system was Steel-cases Kentwood West Line 3-4, on which it manufactures its

Steel components are in the queue to enter the finishing lines on which they will be pretreated and then powder-coated.

Metal components are pretreated and powder-coated on the same line.

Operators test samples each shift from the four tanks in the washer system in this titration station to make sure the chemical concen-trations, pH, temperatures, and spray pressures in the nozzles are correct.

less heated water is going to drain, so we arent losing all that

energy anymore.Mary Ellen Mika, Steelcase



large case storage product line. Before the steel and aluminum components head to the powder-coat process, they first must go through a five-stage pre-treatment wash line.

The five-stage washer has one pre-wash and only one chemical cleaner stage. The prewash gets chemicals and heat from the carryover from the clean-er stage into the rinse stage and back through the counterflow system. There are three rinse stages total. The manu-facturer had been feeding fresh water to all three rinse stages and draining water at every stage (see Figure 4).

They were making reverse osmosis [RO] water and using it in a halo at the end of the washer and in stage five. Then that water was going to the drain. The rest of these stages were made up of fresh city water, Lane said.

Lane recommended that they switch from a system that sourced fresh wa-ter and sewered water to drain at each stage to a counterflow wash system that feeds fresh water to only one rinse stagethe final oneand filters and reflows the water from the last rinse stage to the first one.

In the new counterflow system, while parts travel in one direction from stage 1 to stage 5, water flows in the oppo-site direction, from stage 5 to stage 1.

Steelcase Finishing Engineer Mike Warners explained how the water flows in the finishing pretreatment process (see Figure 5). We take the virgin wa-ter at stage 5 and instead of overflowing it to the drain, we run it into an overflow trough and it gets pumped back to stage 4; then it runs over from stage 4 and gets pumped back to stage 3; at stage 2, the heated chemical stage, process makeup water is taken as needed from the pressure side of the pump. Coun-terflow water from stage 3 is pumped to stage 1, the prerinse stage, and that overflow is the only water that goes to the drain. (See Figure 6.)

Stage 1 is a prewash station that removes much of the oil from the fabri-cated metal. Water is sourced from the stage 3 overflow tank. Whatever excess water is remaining from this first stage goes to the drainin fact, this is the only point in the whole washer system where water drains.

This cascading approach helps us get rid of soils on a gradual, consistent basis instead of as a big dump. We can keep each stage a lot cleaner by doing it gradually and consistently, Warners said.

Theres discharge there, but were continuing to clean the process as we use it. We like to think that were matching the demand with chemical additions and match the soil loading with this overflow and depletion. Over the course of the life of the tanks and process, things stay much better, War-ners said.

Stage 2 is a cleaner chemical stage. One of the changes to the clean-ing system is that the cleaning chemi-cals are low-tempdesigned to run at lower temperatures. Now the tank is heated to 100 degrees, which is much lower than the 120 to 135 degrees it was heated to previously. This change came about when Steelcase converted from a liquid-based paint to a powder coating process.

Water is sourced from the stage 3 circulation pumps as detected by a level sensor.

Stage 3 is an ambient-temper-ature, clean-water rinse. No cleaning chemicals are added in this stage. Heat and cleaning chemicals are transferred from stage 2 as components are rinsed off into this tank. Water is pumped from stage 4 overflow.

Stage 4 is a second ambient-temp rinse stage. Water is pumped from over-flow water sourced from stage 5.

Stage 5, the RO stage, is very pure water. A rinse aid is pumped from a drum into the water in this stage to

help drain water from the parts before they are dried. The company installed a Siemens Industry Water Division RO system because sourcing the purer, vir-tually minerals-free water dramatically reduces the limescale accumulation,

Ultimately that is the essence of the supply chain

partnership and cooperation. How can we best

access each others skills and expertise to make

improvements? Mary Ellen Mika, Steelcase

Figure 5Steelcases Mike Warners explains how the water flows in reverse order in the counter-flow wash process from the last stage to the first stage.



which, in turn, greatly reduces the labor associated with removing it.

This is the only stage in the washer at which any water enters the process (at a rate of 3 to 4 GPM).

As a result, we have one process input and one output. We reserve the purest water for the final rinse stage, Warners said.

So, in the new version, there are only two points where water goes to the drain, Mika added. The water for stage 5 is processed through RO, so some of the water from that process goes to drain and water from the first washer goes down the drain. In the past, all of the water from those sta-tions went to drain.

Priming the System Timing

The timing of each of the five wash stag-es had to be mapped out so that the components are washed sufficiently but without wasting water, chemicals, and energy. Warners gave another reason

why the mapping was necessary. If you dont map that part of the process, you cant ask, Could we turn a stage off? Can we combine two chemical stages? It all starts with understanding the system in terms of time.

DuBois developed a spreadsheet to calculate optimal contact time and wash durations using actual measure-ments of the stations.

We literally got inside the washer and measured how long each section was, from the first riser of the first stage to the end. They entered the dimensions and line speeds into a spreadsheet, and used a formula to

convert it to determine how much time, in seconds, the component needed to stay in any given stage.

For example, in one 12.9-ft. section, traveling at 18 feet per minute (FPM), the component needed to stay in the stage for 43 seconds.

While we were doing this, we were also mapping the flow through the pro-cess for the water, Lane said.

Global Environmental Gains, Cost Savings

Steelcase realized energy savings both from using low-temperature cleaners and reducing the amount of water that needed to be heated. The less water you use, the less energy you need to pump and heat the water for the pro-cess. Conversely, the more water you flood to the drain, the more energy you consume to heat the incoming water supply, Mika said.

Process improvements were real-ized as well. I really cant emphasize

Drain Drain Drain Drain Drain Drain

Prerinse Chemical Rinse Recirc RORinse

Pretreatment Washer - Current

City water

Processed RO waterVirgin arch, counterflow makeup

Process makeup (as needed) from pressure side of pump

Counterflow makeupfed as neededto chemical stage(s)

Process flow to drain or recycle

Stor

age

Stg 2

City Water

AG Filter

Carbon

Soften

RO Unit

Virgin Arches

Stg 5Stg 4Stg 3Stg 1

Figure 6Clean, reverse osmosis-purified water enters stage 5. It runs into an overflow trough and is pumped backward to the stage 4 rinse tank and then to the stage 3 rinse tank. That overflow is then pumped to the stage 1 prerinse tank. The rinse water that is pumped to stage 1 is the only water that goes to the drain. Energy-efficient Baldor motors pump the water from stage to stage.

Water remaining from the

first stage goes to drainin

fact, this is the only point in

the whole washer system

that wastewater does.



enough how significant the process control we gained is by having one in-put and one output instead of four or five inputs and three or four outputs, Warners said.

Mika said the new wash system hugely contributed to helping the compa-ny achieve its environmental footprint re-

duction goals. What we ended up see-ing as a result of this change on the first wash line was significant. In only one quarter in 2006, this process brought about a 15-million-gallon reduction.

Less water is being wasted by going to drain. Because of that, less heated water is going to drain, so all that energy

Lean and Green

The Green Suppliers Network is a collaborative venture among industry, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Commerces National Institute of Standards and Technologys Manufacturing Extension Part-nership (NIST MEP).

The network works with large manufacturers to engage their small and medium-sized suppliers in low-cost technical reviews that focus on process im-provements and waste minimization. The assessments are designed to help sup-plier manufacturers increase energy efficiency; identify cost-saving opportuni-ties; and optimize resources to eliminate waste to reduce their environmental impact, improve the efficiency of their processes, and increase profits.

Steelcases global headquarters in Grand Rapids, Mich., is a living laboratory for the development of new concepts that keep pace with todays mobile and evolving work-force.

Patented

Removesscalefrompipework Removesscalefromheatexchangers andsteamboilers

Savesenergybykeepingheating elementsscalefree

Increaseslifeofcapitalequipment Reducescleaningcosts,chemicals&labor Saves50%oncoolingtowermakeupwater Savesirrigationwater Providesshorttermpayback

Scalewatcher North America Inc., Oxford PA, Call Toll Free (800) 504-8577 or email [email protected]. Dealer territories available.

Applications: Residential Commercial Industrial

ELECTRONICHARDWATERCONDITIONERNO MAINTENANCE NO CHEMICALS GUARANTEED RESULTS

www.scalewatcher.com



that we were losing before, we arent losing anymore, she continued. Plus, because we began using low-tempera-ture cleaners, we didnt need to heat the water to as high a temperature, sav-ing even more BTUs.

As a result of implementing the new wash system on six additional powder-coating lines, Steelcase reduced its wa-ter consumption globally by more than 45 million gallons per year. The company saved $728,006 in energy, $113,411 in labor*, $171,338 in water/sewer costs, and $41,675 in process chemi-cals for a total of $1,054,430.

We are saving $1 million per year in energy, water, labor, and chemicals as a result of the improved pretreatment system, Mika said.

The new wash system is a huge ad-vantage for Steelcase, Warners added.

The project had a happy ending for DuBois as well. After that fi rst success-ful project, DuBois was awarded many more projects in other wash lines, ulti-mately becoming Steelcases sole pre-treatment chemical supplier.

*Labor cost reductions were a result of using the RO water system, which re-moves minerals that otherwise build up as limescale that must be removed.

Photography by Craig van der Lende

Editor Kate Bachman can be reached at [email protected].

DuBois, 3630 E. Kemper Road, Sharonville, OH 45241, 800-438-2647, [email protected], www.duboischemicals.com

Steelcase, 901 44th St. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49508, 616-247-2710, www.steelcase.com

WAREHOUSE & STORAGE AREAS

PRODUCTION & PROCESSING AREAS

FABRICATION & WELDING

GRINDING & FINISHING

BREATHE EASY WITH OUR PRACTICAL, ENERGY-EFFICIENT AIR FILTRATION SOLUTIONS

www.industrial-maid.com 1-877-624-3247 [email protected]

COMBATING DUST, SMOKE AND FUMES

For more information on how Steelcase reduced its environmental footprint in its fi nishing lines and achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifi cation in its Wood Finishing plant, read: First to LEED; VOC-less fi nish, www.greenmanufacturer.net.

For more information on how to reduce water consumption, read: How 5 manufacturers reduce water use, http://www.greenmanufacturer. net/article/machinery-and-equipment/ how-5-manufacturers-reduce-water-use

Water reuse, recycling, conservation in manufacturing, http://www.green manufacturer.net/article/facilities/ water-reuse-recycling-conservation-in- manufacturing

SeptOct13GREEN.indd 27 9/16/13 8:36 AM


Behold the White Castle slider. The moist, steam-grilled, slender, uniquely textured, 2-in. by 2-in., 2-ounce 100 percent beef burger rests unapologetically on a soft, square bun, topped with tasty fi xins, and slides into an open-top box. It is the inspiration for eating competitions and the object of late-night cravings. (Think Harold & Ku-mar Go to White Castle.)

The square burgers in their square buns are served out of white turreted build-ings sided with square building panels that mirror the squareness of the burgers. Porcelain Steel Buildings Co., in Columbus, Ohio, originally made porcelain steel tiles and now manufactures White Castles fi xtures and cooking equipment.

The manufacturers 700,000-kWh, $60,000 annual savings that resulted from a lighting retrofi t was a tantalizing treat that slid down easy.

Greenquation

Lighting and Controls Retrofi t:

Annual 700,000 kWh saved = $60,000

Total project cost = $188,178

Utility incentives paid = $48,967

ROI with AEP Ohio incentive = 2.4 years

ROI without AEP Ohio incentive = 3.2 years



Manufacturing an IconWhite Castle first developed its pat-ented building designa castle motif framed with cold-rolled steel channels holding white porcelain panelsfor a Chicago restaurant in the 1930s (see lead photo). The concept ultimately led to the development of White Castles metal fabrication division, Porcelain Steel Buildings Co., or PSB, in Colum-bus, Ohio.

By 1934 all of the building materials were fabricated by PSB, as well as all of the stainless steel fixtures and cook-ing equipment used in White Castle res-taurants. Today the company no longer

makes the building materials,

but it continues to manufacture all of the restaurants stainless steel fixtures and equipment (see Figure 1). PSB also has fabrication contracts in other sectors, including automotive and agri-culture.

PSB sits on the companys 10-acre campus in a 107,000-sq.-ft. building White Castle has owned since 1934. It houses mechanical stamping presses, shears, plasma and laser cutting ma-chines, press brakes, welding booths, grinding, and powder coating lines.

Legacy of Green in WhiteLong before being green was cool, White Castle System was reusing its bun boxes, sending them from its bak-eries to its restaurants and back again and again until they could no longer be used, and then recycling them at the end of their useful lives. This practice began 70 years ago, when the cost of the iconic slider was just 5 cents.

Since then the company has contin-ued its environmentally friendly prac-tices, the latest of which was to install a lighting retrofit, complete with occu-pancy sensors, in its PSB plant (see Figure 2).

Energy efficiency makes sense for our company. It makes sense economi-cally and it goes along with what has been a part of White Castles DNA since the very beginning, said Environmen-tal Engineer Jeff Miller. We have never been a company that green washes its reputation to be something we are not. We practice what we preachin our bakeries, at our restaurants, and in all of our facilities.

As a result of the lighting and con-trols retrofit, White Castle is saving over 700,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) an-nually at PSB, which amounts to ap-proximately $60,000 on its electric bill yearly. The manufacturer is likely to con-tinue to realize the full effects of the lighting control system years after its installation.

LightingThe overarching goal for White Castle and PSB was to achieve uniformity in light levels throughout the facility for PSBs 50-plus employees. The uneven light levels created challenges, such as the need for welders to work using flashlights. A simple lighting retrofit would not address all of the issues we had in our facility, said John Wheeler, building maintenance supervisor. We needed to address the dim lighting and patchwork lighting issues throughout.

The company hired local electric contractor Loeb Electric to retrofit the plants lighting and to install a lighting controls system. Loebs team crafted a plan that puts the right amount of light in all workspaces and saves electricity.

After analyzing the facilitys lighting systems, Loeb installed 4-foot, 28-watt T8 linear fluorescent lamps to replace a patchwork of lamp types that created uneven lighting conditions. In addition, the electric contractor installed occu-pancy sensors, photocells, low-voltage switching overrides, and energy-effi-cient timers. Using sensors, the sys-tem supplies lighting in spaces based on occupancy and lighting conditions.

It wired the lighting into a low-volt-age panel to further reduce energy consumption in the PSB facility (see Figure 3).

The company wanted to reduce the amount of electricity used while still providing the right amount of light for its working team members, according to Wheeler.

Utility Incentives Sweeten the ROI

White Castle is a big company with plenty of internal competition for invest-ment dollars. A specific protocol must be followed to get approval for invest-ments such as the lighting retrofit. Wheeler, himself an electrical contrac-tor for 20 years, drew on his experience and developed a well-thought-out plan,

Above Left: Behold the slider, a White Castle staple.

Above: White Castle System Inc. devel-oped its patented building design of a one-story castle motif framed with cold-rolled steel channels holding white por-celain panels in the 1930s. The concept ultimately led to the development of White Castles metal fabrication division, Porcelain Steel Buildings Co., or PSB, in Columbus, Ohio, which now manufac-tures its fixtures and cooking equipment similar to those shown in this historic photo, as well as products for many other industries.




which he presented to Director of Con-struction & Corporate Facilities Craig Martin, who then took it to the com-panys Capital Expenditure Committee.

The regional utility company, AEP Ohio, offered incentives that helped

White Castle make the decision to in-vest in improving its lighting. Johns [Wheelers] understanding of what needed to be done and AEP Ohios incentives made our internal decision process much easier, Martin said.

The incentives also allowed us to do more of the lighting work than we first thought we could do.

Wheeler can now monitor the build-ings lighting system and troubleshoot from his laptop computer wherever he and his computer may be. He can tell if lights are on in an unused area of the facility or if lights have failed to come on at the right time in an area while team members are working.

Social Responsibility and Environ-mental Sustainability Manager Shan-non Tolliveralso great-granddaughter of White Castle founder Edgar (Billy) Ingramprovided a historical perspec-tive about the lighting retrofit: Our cor-porate responsibility policy touches on every aspect of what we do. Yes, we may decrease our costs. But by saving electricity or recycling bun boxes, we are taking a big picture, long-term view of our sustainability.

She added, That is how White Castle has built its heritage over 90 years.

AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power Co. Inc., www.aepohio.com

Porcelain Steel Buildings Co., 555 W. Goo-dale St., Columbus, OH 43215, 614-228-5781, www.psbcompany.com

Figure 3The lighting control system is wired into a low-voltage panel.

Figure 2Bright, evenly distributed light on the PSB shop floor has improved working conditions and safety while saving the company thousands of dollars per year.

Figure 1PSB continues to manufacture all of White Castles stainless steel fixtures and equipment used in the restaurants.


FABTECH represents every step of the metal manufacturing process from start to fi nish. Its where new ideas, products and technology are highlighted through interactive exhibits, education and networking. Compare solutions from 1,500+ exhibitors, find machine tools to improve quality and productivity, and learn ways to increase profi t. REGISTER NOW for the show with a degree of difference.

November 1821, 2013 | Chicago, IL | fabtechexpo.com

North Americas Largest Metal Forming,Fabricating, Welding and Finishing Event

A 360 VIEW OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESSES. FABTECH 2013.

METAL FORMING | FABRICATING | WELDING | FINISHING

Cosponsors:

Scan code to watch video.

Follow us:

FABTECH13_AttndAd_Green.indd 1 3/6/13 3:14 PMSeptOct13GREEN.indd 31 9/13/13 1:10 PM

Johnson Controls has introduced a solar cooling system to reduce en-ergy costs for large buildings such a

greenmanufacturer20130910 dl

Documents