Focusing on sustainability in the manufacturing sector 

Manufacturing dates back to several millennia ago, with the earliest tools found so far being located within the Great Rift Valley and dating back to almost 3 million years ago. Lithic cores would have been struck with hammerstones to flake them, creating sharp edges that would transform the items into tools. The resulting tools helped hunter-gatherers form others made of softer materials as well, such as wood and bone. It took many more centuries for kilns to be created and for copper smelting to occur. The Bronze Age led to major improvements from stone, and the Iron Age was defined by the use of iron and steel. Simple machines like the wheel, axle, and the potter’s wheel were created in Mesopotamia. 

The Middle Ages and Early Modern Period brought a multitude of developments, including papermaking, blast furnaces, and stocking frames. Eyeglasses and improvements to textile production occurring due to improvements to weaving looms and fulling mills allowed for production on a larger scale and made countries such as England major exporters of wool and cloth. The Industrial Revolution moved manufacturing even more decisively from manual labour to machinery, and from then on, processes have evolved increasingly fast, with assembly lines, mass production, massive supply chains, and large-scale operations being the rule nowadays. 

But while the ability to have all these products readily available is definitely amazing for both the businesses and the consumer, there’s also no denying the fact that manufacturing has become much less sustainable as a result. While some measures have been implemented over the years, more consistent and proactive choices must be made in order to not just keep up with environmental regulations but also to ensure that companies reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. 

The energy 

The energy that goes into powering manufacturing processes is very important for carbon footprints, and if you use power derived exclusively from fossil fuels, you can expect the numbers to be quite elevated. Switching to renewable sources requires considerable investments, as you’ll have to install new infrastructure. While the upfront costs will most likely be quite elevated, transitioning to clean energy and reducing (if not completely eliminating) your reliance on fossil fuels will save you quite a bit of money in the long run. 

The machinery you work with should be perfectly efficient as well. Upgrade all your old equipment as they’re more likely to be power-guzzlers and optimise production processes to reduce energy consumption. For instance, you can schedule the processes and tasks based on the consumption patterns in your region so that you reduce the strain placed on the grid. 

The materials 

The materials are very important for sustainability as well. Bio-based and recycled content, eliminating potentially harmful substances, and designing products to last longer are some of the fundamental pillars of sustainability. Processes such as structural foam moulding create strong items that are also highly flexible, even when they’re quite large, with a high strength-to-weight ratio, and which guarantee cost effectiveness as a result of the use of fewer tools and machines as well as the lower pressure processes. The method also guarantees improved properties like dimensional stability, better insulation, and a product that is overall much more durable than other plastic alternatives. 

Specialists such as those from https://www.hsv-tmp.com/ can help you find the best solutions if you have to manufacture large plastic products. As one of Europe’s leading companies in this sector, they are known for their commitment to innovation and the ability to offer several different techniques, including structural, high-pressure, sequential injection, and project + technique moulding, so that you have the opportunity to use the process that best fits your company. 

Using recycled fabrics or materials means that the amount of energy consumed is vastly decreased and that there’s no need to resort to the use of virgin resources. Bamboo, bioplastics made from sugarcane or corn starch, cork, or hemp are all bio-based materials that have fewer greenhouse gas emissions and reduce pollution at the end of their lifetime. In the case of some materials, you can also ensure that you work with those who have obtained the appropriate certifications. For instance, organic cotton is grown with fewer chemicals and water, while FSC-Certified wood comes from forests that are managed according to strict environmental standards. 

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Lean manufacturing 

Lean manufacturing can be aligned with sustainability if using fewer materials and less energy is implemented. The philosophy is also based on the idea of creating as little waste as possible. Using technology like monitoring systems and sensors can help optimise energy consumption, while real-time data analysis will reveal areas where you can consume less. There are always ways to improve, so you’ll need to ensure that regular assessments and training programs take place within your company. 

Having thorough plans for every single task and procedure will reduce errors since everyone knows exactly what they have to do, meaning you don’t have to discard inadequate objects and start fresh, wasting materials and power. Working side by side with your suppliers to boost delivery times as well as decrease lead times can help tremendously as well. 

Circular economy

The ways in which you could make manufacturing more sustainable will naturally depend on the specifics of your business as well. For instance, you can make the circular economy part of your company’s culture. This means you’ll have to exclusively design products that can be used for longer or which are 100% recyclable. Find ways to use materials more than once as well, reuse water during different stages of production, and find ways to integrate the scraps into new goods. You can create a repairing service as well and encourage your customers to send you any products that have become ripped, broken, or damaged in any way so that they can be fixed for a much smaller fee instead of them buying something new. 

Becoming more sustainable when it comes to manufacturing is something all businesses aim for. If you want to improve your procedures as well, make sure to run a thorough assessment of your processes as they are right now before investing in new technology, machinery, or infrastructure. This way, you know exactly which areas you need to improve.