Assembly Planbook - July 2008 - (Page 34)

State of the Profession 2008 Green Initiatives Catch On Manufacturers are more environmentally aware than ever. They’re ramping up efforts to save energy and reduce waste on the plant floor. That involves everything from recycling initiatives to installing new lighting systems. According to the 2008 ASSEMBLY State of the Profession survey, almost one half (46 percent) of respondents claim that their plant has initiated some type of green or sustainability initiative within the last 12 months. Green activity is most common in the transportation equipment industry, where 61 percent of assemblers work in plants that have implemented environmental programs. Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn, MI) and Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc. (Erlanger, KY) are two good examples of automakers that have green assembly plants. Earlier this year, both companies received Energy Star awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, Washington, DC). Ford earned the award for superior energy efficiency at several of its assembly plants in the United States. Since 2000, the company has reduced total energy use by 30 percent. Renewable power currently supplies 5 percent of Ford’s energy needs. Toyota was lauded by the EPA for replacing lights in its plants with more energy-efficient technology that saves $500,000 annually and reduces CO2 emissions by more than 10,000 metric tons. Toyota recently set a goal of reducing energy consumption by 2.7 percent per unit annually between 2007 and 2011. Assembly professionals in the computer and electronic products (53 percent) and electric equipment and appliances (49 percent) industries are also actively engaged in green programs. For instance, Schneider Electric/Square D Lexington, the recipient of ASSEMBLY’s 2007 Assembly Plant of the Year award, is a good example of a manufacturer that is committed to protecting the environment. The 480,000 square foot plant has made numerous changes in the way that it consumes electricity and natural gas. It has installed variable-frequency drives on boiler feed pumps; replaced the roof of the plant to minimize heat loss and leakage; and installed motionsensing lights in key areas. Large manufacturers (companies with 2,000 or more employees) are more likely to implement green initiatives. For example, 59 percent of assemblers in that category claim they have implemented sustainability programs at their plant during the last 12 months, compared to only 27 percent of small manufacturers (companies with fewer than 50 employees). 34 ASSEMBLY / July 2008 www.assemblymag.com ASB04084global.indd 1 3/10/08 2:32:14 PM http://www.globalautomation.com http://www.globalautomation.com http://www.assemblymag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Assembly Planbook - July 2008

Assembly Planbook - July 2008 Contents Editorial Quality in Assembly Station to Station Assembly Lines Assembly in Action Surviving the Roller Coaster The Human Side of Manufacturing Do Your Fasteners Need a Preapplied Thread-Locker? Manufacturing Innovation A Century of Progress Trendsetting Plants Pulse Tools Get Smart Plastics: Design for X Product Reviews Products Advertisers Index Classified Leading Lean

Assembly Planbook - July 2008

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