Product category:
Structural Fixings and Fasteners
News Release from: SFS intec
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 16 May 2006
SFS intec 'green' European manufacturing
SFS intec multi-million pound investment programme will see the creation of one of the most eco-friendly factories of its kind anywhere in the world.
Europe's leading fastener manufacturer SFS intec has embarked on a multi-million pound investment programme at its chief manufacturing plant in France which will see the creation of one of the most eco-friendly factories of its kind anywhere in the world The investment affirms SFS intec's commitment to European manufacturing and further enhances the quality of its service to customers at a time when sustainability is becoming an increasingly significant factor for those forward thinking UK architects, specifiers, manufacturers, design engineers and window and door fabricators
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 11 Mar 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Through key upgrading of its production processes at the Valence plant, the company is now able to assure customers that every effort has been made to ensure manufacture of fasteners, for many construction and industrial applications, has left a minimal environmental footprint.
The investment programme will see multiple benefits across the 210,000 sq ft factory, including the reduction of lubricant consumption, improvement to the heat treatment process and ensuring 100% clean up of waste water, processing oils, and gases.
In addition to the environmental improvements, SFS intec will also increase its storage capacity at Valence to keep pace with growing customer demand.
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The extra facility will help the company continue its ever improving customer delivery performance, which is already at over 99 per cent on-time for UK window and door industry fabricators.
Glen Wainwright, director of SFS intec's UK industrial fasteners division says, "With our advanced European manufacturing and research and development operations, we have been able to produce fasteners of the highest quality for many years.
This quality is backed by unrivalled supply chain management excellence and optimised logistical solutions to ensure our customers receive the best possible products when they need them.
"But we never stand still and understand that being able to give assurances on sustainability and environmental performance is now what our customers are increasingly demanding.
"Firstly, the fact that our fasteners are manufactured in France means UK customers are not forced to rely on fasteners that have been shipped half way around the world.
Transporting goods over long distances is being acknowledged more and more as a significant contributor to unnecessary global carbon emissions.
"These factory improvements at Valence are at the cutting edge of technology.
Production machines that consume large quantities of lubricant will now be fitted with a filter station that recycles waste oils and hence reduces consumption.
To improve the heat treatment process and reduce fume emissions, a hi-tech cleaning operation will be introduced before transfer into the new furnaces." Other environmental initiatives at the plant include changes to the surface treatment process.
This involves many chemicals so to ensure pollution to normal waste channels are avoided, SFS intec has installed an effluent treatment plant to clean the water to recognised acceptable levels.
The surface treatment baths also emanate gases and these are now captured so the foul air can be treated before being released to the atmosphere.
Any harmful particles are filtered out which means only 100% clean air is emitted.
SFS intec has been manufacturing fasteners for numerous industries, including the UK window sector, at its French factory in Valence for more than 30 years.
At current production levels, over 40 million fasteners are manufactured for global distribution every week.
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