Green Industry Steel Fabrication: Approaches and Considerations
In the manufacturing industry, the pursuit of sustainability is transforming traditional practices, with advancements in steel fabrication helping bring green industry initiatives to everyday operations.
Steel plays a pivotal role in industrial development, but its production has been historically energy-intensive. As the global demand for eco-friendly solutions rises, steel fabricators like BSG are harnessing innovative techniques and technologies to minimize environmental impact while maintaining quality workmanship.
Let’s explore green industry steel fabrication and the ways that BSG has used a green approach to make their steel fabrication and other manufacturing operations more sustainable.
Environmental Concerns in Steel Fabrication
While steel is an integral material and important component of various industry products, it comes with several environmental concerns. The production of steel is known for being energy-intensive and relying on fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
Waste generation through slag and industrial byproducts is also an issue. The amount of waste generated per project through conventional steel fabrication methods may seem small, but in high-demand manufacturing facilities, it adds up quickly. When manufacturers fail to manage this waste effectively, it results in a rise in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Our Green Approach to Steel Fabrication Services: Ball Service Group
Ball Service Group (BSG) is a Kitchener-Waterloo manufacturing facility specializing in a wide variety of manufacturing technologies and techniques, including laser cutting, welding, machining, and much more. We’ve worked in industries from automotive and oil and gas to even home renovation.
Seeing as we are always undertaking diverse, multi-scale projects in our facility, we consider it highly important that we take a green approach in every aspect of our work. Even the most minor efforts make a difference in how we take care of our environment, and it’s our responsibility to be mindful of our impact.
Lean Manufacturing and Its Impact on Green Industry Steel Fabrication
We utilize lean manufacturing techniques for waste reduction in our steel fabrication services.
If you don’t know what lean manufacturing is, it’s a method of production which focuses on minimizing waste while continuing to operate efficiently and delivering high-quality products. It follows the industry-wide lean principle — anything that requires resources but isn’t adding value for the customer is considered waste.
To follow lean manufacturing principles, we utilize additive manufacturing techniques through our 3D printing services, which ensure we use only the material we need for the final product. This can completely eliminate the waste that would otherwise result from other traditional manufacturing practices.
We also do the same with our high-power Amada fiber laser cutting machine, designed to make high-tolerance cuts on sheet metal, tubes and pipes. Our laser cutting services can fabricate metal with intensive accuracy and precision, while also reducing the amount of raw material used compared to manual methods.
The Toyota Production System defined the 7 areas of waste in lean manufacturing, which are:
Transportation
Inventory
Motion
Waiting
Overproduction
Over-processing
Defects
Here are some of the other ways we’ve reduced our environmental footprint as steel fabrication service providers:
We upgrade HVAC and ventilation systems for enhanced energy-efficiency and air quality. Better air quality means less pollutants in the air.
We recycle any scrap materials used in our facility, ensuring metal, plastics, and other materials can be reused and not wasted.
For our paint and assembly services, we utilize low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and coatings, which contain less harmful chemicals. This has a positive impact on both the environment and the health of our staff.
We minimize our use of paper by opting for digital documentation. Our blueprints and SolidWorks drawings are all housed digitally.
We’ve reduced the consumption of electricity in our facilities by installing motion-activated LED lighting, which ensures we’re never consuming electricity unnecessarily.
Choosing a Green Industry Steel Fabrication Service Provider
BSG is dedicated to providing high-quality, green steel fabrication solutions that meet the needs of environmentally conscious businesses.
As the demand for sustainable manufacturing practices continues to grow, selecting a service provider that aligns with your goals is crucial. BSG stands out by integrating eco-friendly practices throughout the entire fabrication process and even outside of it, from utilizing recycled materials to implementing energy-efficient technologies.
By prioritizing sustainability, BSG helps clients reduce their carbon footprint without compromising on the strength and reliability of their steel products.
How can our skilled manufacturers help? Request a Quote on your next project!