Facilities and divisions within Freudenberg Sealing Technologies are proactively launching special initiatives to promote greater sustainability and energy efficiency. Two units of the Application Center Transmission & Driveline – Bursa and Kecskemét – are good examples.
One image shows the earth weeping. Another portrays the planet divided from north to south into two halves, one a light green-blue in color and the other dark and polluted. The left side of the globe relies on renewable energy and depicts wind turbines and electric cars. On the right side, power plants and conventional automobiles send smoke billowing into the air.
As part of the site’s annual “Culture Week,” 33 children of Bursa employees turned their attention to sustainability and expressed their thoughts with colored pencil artwork. A quiz sensitized adults to the issues. It consisted of a grid full of letters containing several terms relating to sustainability. The idea was to take a close look at the grid and identify them as quickly as possible. The best part was that players only had to scan a QR-code to compete and win, dispensing with paper printouts. More than 200 people took part.
Feedback by smartphone
A paperless feedback system is another environmentally-friendly innovation. Employees can conveniently report hazards and wasted energy using their mobile phones. It is often enough to upload a photo with a smartphone to get the improvements rolling. The staff can use the same approach to describe and promote their own ideas on occupational safety, sustainability and energy efficiency.
A whole range of measures are included in the sustainability initiative at the Bursa, Turkey, and Kecskemét, Hungary, facilities, which are part of the Application Center Transmission & Driveline. They are cutting CO2 emissions by many tons annually as they reduce energy consumption. Compressed air lines are regularly inspected at each facility to identify and stop leaks so the compressors’ use of electricity can be minimized. The Kecskemét facility has switched the lighting throughout its warehouse to energy-saving LED technology and has installed motion and dusk sensors. That means the lights are only on when and where they are actually needed. Advanced LED lighting is also replacing neon tubes in Bursa’s production areas.
Measuring consumption
These kinds of activities are part of the comprehensive sustainability and energy-efficiency initiatives that Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) is undertaking. Since early 2022, Enablon software has made differentiated, standardized reporting and monitoring of energy and resource consumption possible at the company’s sites. The measurement system ECON will soon help Bursa and Kecskemét capture electricity, water and compressed air consumption usage data in much greater detail than has been the case until now. Targeted corrective action is only possible if you know exactly where the peak loads and high levels of consumption are occurring. “We are getting requests from customers who want to know the CO2 emissions per part. We have to have a competent answer for them,” said Markus Hauck, who coordinates sustainability activities across Application Center Transmission & Driveline locations. Sustainability is becoming a competitive advantage.
Expert support from outside the company can only help. The European sites of the Division Powertrain & Driveline are working with the energy services provider Trigenia on energy audits based on the European standard EN 16247. On the Group level, Freudenberg is charting the same course at a number of facilities with its “Bee – Be energy efficient” initiative, part of the “Sustainability Drives Climate Action” program.
Where can energy consumption be cut, processes be optimized and more energy-efficient technologies be used? What is the cost-benefit relationship and what are the savings? How quickly would investments be amortized? Audits offer the important clues on these issues. The Powertrain & Driveline (P&D) Division’s Italian sites have already had Trigenia audit them and provide advice, and Kecskemét, Bursa and Langres (Lead Center Engine), another unit of the P&D Division, will follow suit this year.
