Session Details

Session 8: Innovations for Improving Productivity

Abstract Number:

128

This presentation will introduce to the audience a new metal-‎finishing specific sustainability metrics ‎system that can be utilized ‎to determine the sustainability and profitability of newly ‎developed ‎and/or recently introduced technical advancements to ‎the metal finishing market.‎‎

Topics:

Technologies for Improved Performance or Increased Efficiency

Accelerated technology innovation entails rapid transfer of new ‎technologies to the design and manufacturing of high ‎performance products and services. While those technologies ‎become an engine of change and progress, the net profit brought ‎to the environment and society could be questionable, if ‎sustainability principles were not fully incorporated into ‎technology development and application phases. In the metal ‎finishing industry, numerous technologies are being developed, ‎tested, or adopted in metal finishing facilities. It is highly desirable ‎that those technologies are evaluated systematically for their ‎sustainability performance improvement potentials. ‎

In the past year, we developed a metal-finishing-specific ‎sustainability metrics system. The metric system is composed of ‎three sets of indicators for measuring over forty aspects of ‎sustainability. In this presentation, we introduce a technology ‎evaluation methodology where the sustainability metrics system is ‎incorporated. The methodology can be used to conduct a detailed ‎analysis of sustainability performance of each technology, and ‎rank the evaluated technologies according to the predicted ‎sustainability performance and impact on profitability of a metal ‎finishing facility, if they are adopted. The efficacy of this proposed ‎methodology is shown through case studies looking at different ‎technologies and their effects on electroplating facilities.‎