We're in the midst of a climate crisis, and factories worldwide are doing their best to reduce their impact on the planet. It seems like a fruitless effort given the massive carbon footprints old manufacturing facilities had.
But modern factories are much better. Everything from eco-conscious design to greener materials is making a difference. That's not all.
One overlooked way of reducing carbon emissions is by focusing on manufacturing sustainability. It has more of a positive impact than most realize.
What is Manufacturing Sustainability?
Most people see "sustainability" and automatically picture greener materials and more earth-friendly factory processes. However, manufacturing sustainability is a bit different. It refers to production yield and ongoing productivity.
Sustained manufacturing is about working at peak performance to maximize yield.
Why You Should Increase Manufacturing Sustainability
Why does this all matter? More productivity seems like it would only increase carbon emissions at face value. But in reality, that's not the case.
Sustainability helps to reduce yield losses. It limits waste and prevents factories from producing not quite perfect products (NQPP) and defective goods. Anything that doesn't meet production benchmarks gets tossed, taking up more room in a landfill.
Not only that, but factories have to go back and try again! That leads to more energy usage and a sudden influx in carbon emissions. Remanufacturing can take its toll and significantly increase emissions.
Other issues arise from equipment failure. Unplanned downtime, unnecessary machine idling, and operating at reduced speeds can lead to a bigger carbon footprint. Factories that aren't operating at capacity will have to work overtime or utilize more energy to push equipment to its limit.
Both situations are undesired.
How to Increase Manufacturing Sustainability
The important thing in manufacturing sustainability is keeping the equipment in good shape. It's about monitoring performance, being proactive about potential problems, and fine-tuning operations to waste as few resources as possible.
The goal is to do things right the first time to avoid remanufacturing and substantial yield losses. With the right technology in place and automation by your side, you can turn your factory into a highly efficient facility and do your part to save the planet.
Read a similar article about digital transformation in manufacturing here at this page.
