Green Manufacturing

Green Manufacturing Goes Mainstream

July 20, 2011 - Green manufacturing activity has remained steady over the past 12 months, buoyed by the rebounding economy. Manufacturers are engaged in a wide variety of sustainable initiatives, such as recycling, landfill gas and solar panels.

According to the 2011 ASSEMBLY State of the Profession survey, green activity is quite common in the transportation equipment industry, where 78 percent of assemblers work in plants that have implemented environmental programs.

General Motors Co. recently revamped its Orion Assembly Plant and turned it into a showcase for green manufacturing. When production of the fuel-efficient 2012 Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano begins this fall, 40 percent of the energy to power the facility will come from burning landfill gas created nearby.

The use of the landfill gas will save GM more than $1 million a year in energy costs, while also cutting the amount of greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released in the air.

“Environmentally friendly choices often translate to higher efficiency and quality,” claims Maureen Midgley, GM executive director of global manufacturing engineering. “With these improvements, we’ll reduce greenhouse gas production by about 80,000 metric tons at a full three-shift capacity. This is equivalent to the emissions from 14,000 vehicles per year, and the electricity reduction equals at the output from 3,500 homes.”

Use of landfill gas is just one of the sustainable methods that will reduce the plant’s environmental impact. For instance, assemblers will track energy use on an hourly basis with sophisticated software, enabling them to see real-time usage by department to improve their equipment shut-down activities. In addition, recycled cardboard packaging from the Orion plant will be combined with used denim to create sound insulation for the Verano compact sedan.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes is also a key player in the green game. Its new assembly plant in North Charleston, SC, will operate as a 100 percent renewable energy site. read more>>>