From Guest Blogger Brooke Chaplan: Green Solutions for Manufacturing and Production Facilities

Eco-friendly manufacturing and production facilities provide needed goods while having less impact on the environment. Going green also lowers long-term costs through efficient use of energy and resources. Putting these tips for environmentally responsible manufacturing and production into practice will create this win-win solution for your company.

Get Leadership Onboard

Before any specific tips are implemented in your plant, leaders have to buy into the cause of going green or it will become a passing fad. Get leadership together to discuss the importance of using less energy and reducing, reusing and recycling materials used in production. It will then be the leaders’ responsibility to share the vision with those they supervise and implement the specific measures required.

Conduct an Energy Audit

According to the Berkeley National Laboratory, more than $100 billion is spent annually to power manufacturing facilities. Its Energy Star Guide for Identifying Energy Savings in Manufacturing Plants is must reading for producers committed to cutting energy use and costs. Only when you know how much energy you’re using and where it is being used can you takes steps to reduce. Inspection companies that have a national reach can perform an energy audit of your plant or facility that will identify exactly how energy is being used and where it can be reduced. Such an audit starts with an “energy consumption inventory” that supplies you with information needed to improve production efficiency, reducing your costs and boosting the bottom line.

An Environmental Management Solution (EMS) is similar to an energy audit but evaluate the plant’s processes and practices looking for ways to boost eco-friendliness. Motorola’s Six Sigma and Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing are two industry-leading EMS plans any facility manager will learn much from studying.

Update Plant Systems

Every system needs to be evaluated including HVAC, refrigeration, hot water and steam, lighting, motors and drives, pumps and fans. As your operating budget allows, replace older equipment with energy-efficient alternatives. A properly done energy audit will include payback times for these upgrades to help you make those that are most cost-effective.

Test Production Efficiency

The use of an engine dynamometer, a “dyno,” to measure force, torque and power can yield energy-saving results. Engine dynamometers are used to test and identify inefficient engines, motors and other equipment in manufacturing and production facilities, so that they can be repaired or replaced. Some companies, like Power Test Inc., know how important it is to have efficient production equipment. After all, you want to maximize your rates while minimizing the time required. This process can be made cost-effective in small and mid-size companies by hiring a testing company that has its own engine dynamometer.

Reduce and Recycle Paper

The best way to do this is to go paperless wherever possible as Tesla, Ametek, Haas Automation and other leading manufacturers have done. Visual work instructions, for example, rather than printed ones, have been shown to improve productivity, speed operator feedback and enhance traceability. Have recycling bins available with clear instructions for collecting and sorting paper, cardboard and other materials that can be recycled.

Embrace Digital Manufacturing

Digital manufacturing speeds the time from design to production while reducing costs for testing and materials. Products are produced virtually in a digital environment to eliminate many of the time-consuming and costly physical steps. Once the design is perfected, the physical prototype or process can be developed.

Manufacturing and production facilities must pay attention to the bottom line in order to be competitive, and that’s why you might be asking if these tips are worth it. The beauty of going green is that after moderate initial costs the savings begin rolling in. Your facility will use less energy, materials and man-hours, and all of those reductions contribute to a healthier bottom line.