Global chemical firmHenkelhas announced its resin 3D printing facility in Dixon, California has achieved zero production waste to landfill (ZWTL) status.
The site joins eight other Henkel production facilities in the US in achieving ZWTL, and more than 66 percent of the company’s facilities worldwide also hold the status as part of the firm’ssustainability strategy。
“Waste reduction is commonly thought of as one of the big benefits of additive manufacturing,” said Jake Kisner, Operations Manager, 3D Printing at Henkel. “However, the major focus today is on a narrow part of the supply chain. Certainly, there is less waste in production when comparing with a subtractive technology like machining, but there are also opportunities upstream, before a job is ever printed.”
在Dixon中实现ZWTL
Henkel的Loctite Brand启用了跨越汽车，航空航天，工程和消费品的行业中的3D打印应用程序。该公司的Dixon 3D打印设施为这些应用程序的3D打印生产树脂，并被汉克尔视为该领域的“全球卓越中心”。
The facility produces a variety of non-hazardous materials including cardboard, paper, and other packaging materials, which are recycled. Other waste materials produced by the facility which are not as easy to recycle were, up until recently, sent to landfill sites.
The team at Dixon developed new capabilities and business processes that allow them to process additional materials for energy recovery that enable the facility to reach its goal of achieving zero production waste to landfill.
汉克尔（Henkel）认为，该过程是可扩展的，随着其3D打印业务的增长，环境利益将变得更加深刻，因为最佳实践可以在其其他设施中实施。
基斯纳说：“在迪克森设施中实现ZWTL身份，这表明了我们的3D印刷团队在帮助汉克实现其环境目标方面的决心。”“我们不仅必须确定我们发送给垃圾填埋场的所有材料并找到回收它们的方法，而且还必须创建和实施新的流程。
“我们员工的动力和贡献很明显。他们很兴奋地影响了我们公司内部和整个社会的变化。”
亨克尔的可持续发展策略
德国汉高的可持续性战略旨在增加价值e through its business activities while reducing its environmental footprint. Alongside aiming to triple the value it generates from its products and service by 2030, the firm is looking to improve the efficiency of its operations.
Over the next decade, Henkel will address three key areas within its sustainability strategy: energy and climate, materials and waste, and water and wastewater.
“We are committed to fulfilling our sustainability promise,” said Kisner. “From a materials and waste perspective, we are working to reduce resource consumption, leverage renewable raw materials, and streamline our packaging to minimize waste. But we’re also keenly focused on improving our recycling efforts.”
Improving sustainability within 3D printing
随着对提高制造业可持续性的需求的认识不断增长，越来越多的公司正在寻求改善自己的流程，以减少其在地球上的环境足迹。
捷克3D打印丝制作的人Fillamentumand 3D printing materials firm聚合物have recently developed new 3D printing materials that提供生物降解性并设计为impart less of an environmental impact。在其他地方，3D打印服务提供商Materialise’sBluesint PA12process technology, which enables 3D printing withup to 100 percent recycled powder, has begun to be商业提供。
Towards the end of last year, 12 leading additive manufacturing companies joined the增材制造商绿色贸易协会（AMGTA）努力提高3D印刷领域的可持续性。该组织对environmental impact of metal 3D printingin June 2020 andpublished the resultslater that year.
Most recently, leading 3D printer manufacturerEOSwasselected to represent the 3D printing sector作为国际商业界的一部分50 Sustainability and Climate Leadersinitiative. Alongside its involvement in the project, which gives companies a platform to work together to combat climate change, EOS also announced the rollout of a “holistic sustainability approach” seeking to promote responsible manufacturing in the sector.
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Featured image showsHenkel’s 3D printing production facility in Dixon, California. Photo via Henkel.
