Category: Manufacturing and Industry
P2 Through Teamwork at Freudenberg-NOK
Summary Freudenberg-NOK, an automotive parts manufacturer, successfully uses waste reduction teams to identify and implement pollution prevention opportunities throughout their Cleveland, Georgia facility. Background Freudenberg-NOK produces a variety of automotive parts such as oil seals, O-rings, valve stems, and dust covers. Total Quality Management (TQM) plays an important role in the operation. Freudenberg-NOK’s “Growtth” program, which stands for “Get Rid Of Waste Through Team Harmony”, uses Kaizen teams for problem solving and process improvement. Kaizen is the Japanese word for improvement. Kaizen teams are formed monthly at Freudenberg facilities to…
Use of Airless Spray Guns to Apply Heated Coating in a Cabinet Shop
Summary A cabinet manufacturer in Georgia uses an airless spray system to apply lacquers and top coats, reducing coating and volatile organic compound (VOC) usage. Background The airless spray system used by the cabinet manufacturer utilizes a high pressure pump to supply coating to the paint gun at up to 3,000 pounds per square inch. The coating is also heated to reduce viscosity. Coating atomization takes place through an orifice in the gun nozzle without the use of compressed air. The coated cabinet components are then air dried. The coating…
Alternatives to Halogenated Cleaning
January 1, 1996 is the deadline for companies to find alternatives to Class I ozone-depleting chemicals. Many of these chemicals are commonly used cleaning solvents, such as Freon and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. Many companies in Georgia have already begun the transition to non-halogenated solvent alternatives; however, a number have not. Several large manufacturers have stopped producing ozone-depleting chemicals. Production capacity for alternatives may not be adequate to meet demand for companies that procrastinate until the 1996 deadline. As a result of the phase-out and the increasingly restrictive requirements on the use of…