Page 42 - MetalForming August 2014

40 MetalForming/August 2014 www.metalformingmagazine.com
In the Classroom
The Business Case for Using Greener Industrial Lubricants
By Rodney Walker, vice president of technology, Safety-Kleen/EcoPower Re-refined Oil
Environmental stewardship and sustainability no longer are viewed by manufacturers as merely creating extra expense and causing trade- offs with other company goals. Rather, the ideals of “green manufactur- ing” now are known for creating
opportunities to reduce costs,
improve safety and gain the favor
of eco-responsible customers.
We see green initiatives, partic- ularly related to lubrication, allow- ing manufacturers of all sizes to decrease operating expenses, improve customer feedback and improve corporate image (see Fig. 1, the Triple Bottom Line).
By effectively using environ-
mentally improved products, such
as re-refined hydraulic oils, manu-
facturers create successful envi-
ronmental strategies that move
them and their customers toward environmental sustainability. The connection between cost savings and developing a sustainable supply chain is strong, as noted in a recent report from Deloitte Consulting, described in an Iowa State University (ISU) report on the sustainable supply chain. Say ISU researchers:
“Leading businesses recognize that (savings opportunities in the supply chain) go beyond demanding cost cutting from their suppliers, but re-looking at their supply chain and focusing on reducing use and production of five metrics that are ubiquitous within it—energy, carbon, water, materials and waste.”
How important is it that suppliers exhibit to their current and prospective customers a commitment to green practices? A recent sur- vey of supply-chain professionals by the Professional Purchasers’ Blog provides some answers to that critical question. Here are three key findings from the survey:
• Greening the supply chain is strategically important and creates value for OEMs—27 percent “strongly agree” with this statement, 28 percent “somewhat agree.”
• More than half (58 percent) already are involved in greening their company’s supply chain. And, when asked if they will in the future be involved in greening their supply chain, 71 percent either “strongly” or “somewhat” agreed.
• Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, more than 80 percent of pur- chasers favor suppliers with green practices.
One surefire, cost-effective and readily achievable path to becoming green is for manufacturers to reconsider their selection of hydraulic oil and industrial lubricants. These fluids are called on to lubricate, clean, protect and cool machinery, and to transmit power in hydraulic presses,
Triple Bottom Line
Environmental Performance
Sustainability
Social Financial Performance Performance
Fig. 1
Slaper & Hall