Being environmentally conscious as a company can be demonstrated with an appropriate certificate and shown to the outside world. Becker & Müller Schaltungsdruck from Kinzigtal in the Black Forest does the same. Manufacturing companies and industries with relatively high material and energy requirements have an additional incentive to take the issue seriously: Because environmental protection is also an economic factor.
An investment that promotes environmental protection. A new air conditioning system uses the discharged air to heat the supply airBercker& Müller Schaltungsdruck GmbH has been certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard (environmental management) since 2007. Recently, the company was re-certified. You can read about this on the TÜV-Süd website:
...The overriding objective is to promote environmental protection and reduce environmental pollution...
ISO 14001 is not a mandatory standard for companies. Each company decides for itself and uses certification to document internally and externally the high priority that environmental aspects have in its own company. The energy requirements of the various processes have been greatly reduced over the past few years. For example, exposure has been converted to a resource-saving direct exposure process. This has resulted in energy savings of 80%. Becker & Müller was able to achieve a significantly better efficiency of +20 % with a newly purchased compressor. As with the multilayer press, the waste heat is also used to heat the building and contributes to the in-house eco-strategy.
The use of waste heat in various processes has become a matter of course at the Kinzigtal plant. A new air conditioning system uses the discharged air to heat the supply air. A rainwater utilization system for the sanitary facilities was already installed during the construction of the production building. The recycling of used, spent fluids in production was introduced very early on and is already standard in the industry today. In addition, Becker & Müller only uses halogen-free base material for multilayer production and the need for process chemicals has also been optimized.
Momentum for environmental aspects
Environmental aspects are an issue that has developed a great deal of momentum of its own, but is also being strongly promoted by the German government. But politics alone cannot fix it. The economy must follow suit responsibly or lead the way with innovative developments. Becker & Müller wants to develop a role model function here.
A photovoltaic system with a peak output of 42 kW has been installed on the roof of the company building. This means an annual electricity production of approx. 50,000 kWh and a CO2 saving of 35 tons per year, while covering around 12% of the company's own energy requirements. Respectable figures that help to improve the company's energy balance. An environmental project to save paper for technical documents and in the accounts department has also already been successfully implemented.
New A11 direct imagesetter: one of the investments that benefit environmental friendliness and economic efficiency in equal measureBuildingup an environmentally friendly machine park and giving clients a choice when selecting a production facility are part of the process. Becker & Müller Schaltungsdruck GmbH shows that all these aspects can work. "At our company, replacement or new investments are always strongly assessed in terms of environmental compatibility." For example, all new chemical systems for the rinsing process have four to six cascades. The legal requirement is three. Conversion and modernization of existing machines takes precedence over scrapping and buying new ones. All replacement investments must undergo a detailed assessment from an environmental point of view.
Sustainability in PCB production begins with the adjustment of the order volume for the manufacturer. This allows the yield of the panels to be optimized. The miniaturization trend also has a positive influence here. Less material consumption means lower costs and less environmental impact. Open communication between client and customer is therefore important.
And Becker & Müller Schaltungsdruck GmbH is not standing still. We are constantly working on reducing operating processes. And in the near future, a waste water system will be purchased that can optimize the process via PLC control.
