Sustainable Manufacturing: Green Factory : A case study of a tool manufacturing company

Abstract: Efficient use of resources and utility is the key to reduce the price of the commodities produced in any industry. This in turn would lead to reduced price of the commodity which is the key to success. Sustainability involves integration of all the three dimensions: environmental, economic and social. Sustainable manufacturing involves the use of sustainable processes and systems to produce better sustainable products. These products will be more attractive, and the industry will know more about the climate impact from their production. Manufacturing companies use a considerable amount of energy in their production processes. One important area to understand the sustainability level at these types of industries is to study this energy use. The present work studies energy use in a large-scale tool manufacturing company in Sweden. Value Stream Mapping method is implemented for the purpose of mapping the energy use in the different operations. To complement this, an energy audit has been conducted, which is a method that include a study and analysis of a facility, indicating possible areas of improvements by reducing energy use and saving energy costs. This presents an opportunity for the company to implement energy efficiency measures, thus generating positive impacts through budget savings. Less energy use is also good for the environment resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions level. This also helps in long-term strategic planning and initiatives to assess the required needs and stabilize energy use for the long run. Social sustainability completes the triad along with environmental and economic sustainability. In this study, the social sustainability is reflected with the company’s relationship with its working professionals by conducting a survey. The sustainable manufacturing potential found in the case study indicates that significant progress can be made in the three sustainability dimensions. Although, the scope of the thesis is limited to a tool manufacturing company, several of the findings could be implemented in other tool companies as well as industries belonging to other sectors.