Luca Ballarin
Friul Intagli Industries SpA, Villanova di Prata, 33080 Pordenone, ITALY
Abstract
Friulintagli believes that a medium/long-term company growth is simply not possible without sustainability.
To keep its market shares, the Company needs to reduce marginality and, in consideration of the fact that the prices for raw materials are already high, efficiency and reduction of material consumption per sold unit of product is considered as the main solution. Lighter materials, more recycling, less energy consumption, use of by-products, also in terms of cogeneration, introduction of “green economy” in every company activity at a global level, this is the Company's answer to the markets' new challenges.
At present, there is no standard index to measure product sustainability.
FriulIntagli aims at the definition of a specific product sustainability index for every product, by analysing new solutions concerning new materials and raw materials, energy consumption including cogeneration, the use of recycled material, the recyclability of finished products and recycling of wood waste.
Keywords:
Energy saving, recyclability of finished product, sustainability, economic and environmental intervention for the sustainability, sustainability index, efficiency, renewable energy.
1 INTRODUCTION
The attention paid by the public opinion and by companies to environmental sustainability and social responsibility has been increasing steadily over the past few years. Meeting customers' requirements and evolving the relations with the companies with all the figures it interacts with are the variables onto which innovation should be focused.
Figure 1: Company basis for GROWTH
To keep its market shares, the Company needs to reduce marginality and, in consideration of the fact that the pressure on prices for raw materials are already high, efficiency and reduction of material consumption per sold unit of product is considered as the main solution.
Figure 2: Company footprint
Lighter materials, more recycling, less energy consumption, use of by-products, also in terms of cogeneration, introduction of “green economy” in every company activity at a global level, this is the Company's answer to the markets' new challenges.
Figure 3: The Sustainability Integrated System Friulintagli
At present, there is no standard index to measure product sustainability.
However, there are large multinational groups that have defined or are defining their own indices.
Figure 4: Analysis of inefficiencies (COI)
Friulintagli aims at the definition of a specific product sustainability index for every product, by analysing new solutions concerning new materials and raw materials, energy consumption and its impact, including cogeneration, the use of recycled material, the recyclability of finished products and recycling of wood waste.
Figure 5: Sustainability Index
Figure 6: Trend Sustainability Index: goal 2014
This sustainability project includes the following research areas:
New materials and raw materials: panels made with wood substitutes have a density that is frequently higher than wood's, especially if they are made with recycled materials.
Figure 7: New materials
As a result, the first negative impact is related to the fast wear of the tools used to make them. The second negative impact is related to logistics and transport. For example, lorries that transport them travel at full load in terms of weight, but not in terms of volume. Another negative consequence is a higher weight, given the same performance, of the furniture mounting kits.
The end user finds operations more difficult without enjoying any benefit.
Some raw material companies are currently carrying out research on lighter materials, which, however, cannot be developed without the close collaboration of users and an in-depth knowledge of the various applications.
Consumption and energy impact: the cogeneration plants currently using wood-based waste material have been designed to heat environments using scraps. This type of system does not meet Friulintagli's requirements.
Therefore, at present, there is no cogeneration system that ensures poor use of the thermal part and maximum yield from the electrical part, which is optimised for the use of recycled materials and powders, and not pieces of wood, as raw material Finally, the system that FriulIntagli is studying about the sustainability project shall ensure full efficiency all year long, whereas the solutions that are currently available have been designed for seasonal operation.
Figure 8: Efficiency indicators
Use of recycled material: it is not about improving recycling, which is already 100% for chipboard panels. The problem here is to obtain lighter panels that are easier to process. The current situation is exactly the same as the one described above for "New materials and raw materials".
Recyclability of finished products: the problem here is to identify harmful or carcinogenic materials and to phase out non-recyclable materials from the manufacturing process of finished products and their packaging.
Recycling of wood waste: the current maximum limit for recycling scrap and waste resulting from company activities is 96%. This sustainability project aims at exceeding this limit, preventing, at least partly, the creation of waste sent to landfill. There are two problems: the first is related to the optimisation of the processes and the use of recyclable materials in the design of the products.
It is clear how, in this industrial context, a small fraction of waste (4%) represents a large amount to be disposed of, which cannot be recycled.
Moreover, sawdust outside of the company becomes waste. It is originated from the panel cutting and perforation processes. The main production unit in Friuli, Unit 1, currently produces 16,500 tonnes/year of sawdust, which means 44,100 km/year covered by 735 lorries and 38 tonnes of CO2 released into the atmosphere.
Figure 9: Sawdust production
Figure 10: Current sawdust cycle
The main goals described for every area 1) Definition of a sustainability index
The Company want to establish a new index based on raw materials, meeting all legal requirements whilst respecting the sources; in other words, raw materials should come from sustainable sources with certified materials or verified at the source.
To do so, we need to extend our verifications to suppliers.
The index will refer to the single product and will no longer be generic as the current one, which produced these values. This new index will be applied and parameterised for every raw material used in the manufacturing process, thereby referring not only to wood, glue, and paper, but also to thermal energy and electricity.
2) Research and development of new products.
2.1) New materials and raw materials
The goal is to analyse prototypes and verify the use of new materials developed by suppliers, newly developed wood-based panels featuring very low density and made using state of the art technology. The Company also aim at developing new solutions to reduce density. This part of the research is closely linked to the study of honeycomb panels (BOS - Board On Style).
In both cases, the impact on the production cycle and the technical solutions used must be verified to establish how to adapt them to the use of these new materials. A typical case is given by handling via suction cups, which strongly depend on the nature of the material as well as on cutting systems.
2.2) Consumption and energy impact
The goal is to develop a new cogeneration system optimised to use recycled material and generate electricity.
Moreover, this system must be fully efficient all year round and must be sized according to its specific features and use.
The company is moving towards on-site electricity production and consumption to prevent any loss during transport. Moreover, the raw material used to power the system should be conveyed directly from the place of generation to the place of incineration through conduits that exclude the use of vehicles inside or outside the plant. From a functional point of
Figure 11: Trend renewable energy
This research takes only a small fraction of the activities into account, both from a quantitative and an economic point of view, and focuses only on the critical aspects of the project, which require a lot of research. In particular, the goal is to design and develop a new combustion chamber prototype and its subsystem, including the fumes line, which is considered the most innovative and critical aspect of the entire system.
2.3) Use of recycled material
The aim is to improve the composition of chipboard panels and to identify solutions for critical processes in order to obtain panels that are increasingly lighter and easier to process. Italian manufacturers have developed processes that can use 100% recycled materials. However, these panels do have some limitations, as they have a higher density and are more difficult to process.
Friulintagli is also a supplier of scraps used to make panels and, simultaneously, a user of these panels. Therefore, we are in a privileged position that allows us to enhance the value of these products by analysing the use of glue and paper, as well as particular processing cycles, in order to achieve the best performance with the highest use of recycled material.
Moreover, being in contact with major retailers, we can provide these materials to Mass Distribution and spread their use on a global level.
Figure 12: Wood cycle [5]
2.4) Recyclability of finished products
The first goal is to identify techniques to analyse incoming production factors to ensure that the materials use do not contain harmful or carcinogenic elements. This refers to both the finished products and the packaging. To this end, Friulintagli intends to carry out a research aiming at replacing expanded polystyrene used for packaging, with other sustainable materials, such as honeycomb cardboard or similar solutions, using vegetable or recycled fibres. We also wish to investigate the issue related to the selection of the adhesive, which can impact recyclability.
2.5) Recycling of wood waste.
The European Commission has defined the wood cycle according to the following representation and FriulIntagli following this cycle will produce energy only from the non-recyclable wood residues (particleboard and MDF wood dust)2 blank lines 10 Pt
People
It is very important create and implement a full communication package as part of overall marketing strategy determined to all stakeholders (customers as well as suppliers).
It’s also necessary identify the specific training needs of each position in the factory in order to contribute maximising savings and performance and conduct these trainings continuously.
Figure 14: It’s necessary everyone’s help
Economic and ecological crisis are giving growing importance to the so called “fourth industrial revolution". Efficiency, quality, innovation that all together we summarize as "sustainability" are for us the key of success.
REFERENCES
[1] E. Ronchi e R. Morabito, (2012) Green economy per uscire dalla crisi.
Edizioni Ambiente.
[2] UNEP, (2011) Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and poverty Eradication – A Syntesis for Policy Makers, www.unep.org/green
[3] Federlegno-Arredo, (2008) Rapporto Ambientale, lalitotipo srl.
[4] P. Pinamonti, (2005) Energia Prodotta dagli Scarti della Lavorazione del Legno, Litho Stampa
[5] CEI-Bois and EPF (2nd edition 2001), The eco-cycle of wood and wood-based product, www.cei-bois.org.