TAF specializes in the manufacturing of many types of aluminum truss products, along with the production of a vast palette of accessories from other materials. There are many ways in which the processing of aluminum for use in the production of products can be viewed as unfriendly for the environment. On the other hand, protection of the environment is an important responsibility that manufacturing companies have for wider society. As always, this responsibility can be approached in different ways. Following is a simple list of measures that we have already taken to make our production process and, consequently, the company as a whole, more ecologically responsible.
How do we reduce our pollution footprint?
Cleaning Up Production
We cut, weld, clean and mill various aluminum profiles and parts as part of our everyday production process. As a result, a substantial amount of aluminum waste is generated. To avoid negative impacts on the environment, the aluminum scraps, scobs and redundant parts are sorted and disposed of through trusted professionals in TSR, who specialize in metal processing.
Paper management also plays an important role in our production process. Incoming material is mostly packaged in cardboard and a variety of paper, which is sorted and processed by a professional recycling company. This represents one step in our reduction of paper waste.
Another step in paper management is at the end of our production line, where finished products are packed and wrapped up before transport to our customers. For some time now, we have only used high-quality recyclable cardboard and paper for packaging. This allows us to be environmentally-friendly and still maintain a high standard of quality for packaging and protecting our products.
A large number of wooden pallets and boxes accompany the material that enters and exits our company each month. Fortunately, they can be re-used many times before repair is necessary. After repairs are carried out, they are quickly put back to use.
Saving Energy at the TAF Production Plant
We installed 168 solar panels on the roof of our factory. There are two main advantages of green solar energy. First, it helps us cope with the ever-increasing costs of electricity. Second, the amount of CO2 produced by our company is reduced by 40 tons a year. This reduction of CO2 is comparable to planting over 1800 trees.
We also replaced all lights in the company and manufacturing hall with new LED lights, thereby cutting our energy consumption in half.
The skylight system in our factory features a special thermal insulation foil that reduces heat from the sun, enabling us to significantly reduce the time required to cool down the working areas. It also helps us to save energy that would otherwise be required for extensive air conditioning during the summer months. The welding carried out in our factory generates high temperatures, so a reduction of heat from the sun makes sense.
And last but not least, we managed to utilize the excessive heat generated by compressors in our production hall for heating water in all of our buildings, i.e., we are completely self-sufficient in this respect.
Making Offices Greener
We introduced paperless communication within our company and its different departments a couple of years ago. We currently issue and receive invoices, as well as other documents, solely in electronic form. This allows us to minimize our consumption of paper. Digitalization of the business world is not cheap, but has a positive impact on the environment after its implementation.
Searching for Eco Suppliers
An important step for greener production, which also led to more eco-friendly products, was the introduction of REDUXA aluminum in our manufacturing process.
Since our factory specializes in the welding of aluminum pipes and profiles, we understand that the material we require has a certain impact on the environment. We therefore introduced a low-carbon aluminum alloy into our production processes, Hydro REDUXA 4.0, which is used in close to 80% of our products.
REDUXA 4.0 branded aluminum is produced at smelters and foundries in Norway. Every aspect of the aluminum production process is optimized to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, a maximum of 4.0 kg of CO2 per kilogram of aluminum is produced during the entire production process. This is just one fourth of the global average of CO2 released during production of one kg of aluminum within the entire industry. The use of Reduxa 4.0 is definitely a huge step towards greener aluminum materials.
We are very proud to be the first truss manufacturer that uses this aluminum in their production processes. The cost of this material works out to be the same as standard aluminum, which means the price of our products remains unchanged with the use of REDUXA 4.0.
The lower carbon footprint of this material, due to its professional and controlled mining, refining and production, is verified by DNV-GL according to ISO 14064, which is available on request.
Another great leap in achieving a smaller carbon footprint of our manufacturing activities was by ensuring the majority of suppliers that deliver materials and goods to our factory on a daily basis are within a one hour drive from our doorstep. By reducing the distance between us and our suppliers, the overall carbon footprint of TAF products are further cut to a minimum.
A Greener TAF in the Future
As we strive to further develop all aspects of our business, the impacts that our production processes and business operations have on the environment are always firmly in mind. Following are a few additional points that will help ensure the sustainable, energy saving and environmentally-friendly future of our company.
We are already working on replacement of the current aluminum alloy used in the production of TAF connectors and half connectors with a more eco-friendly version. There is no question that this new alloy must have at least the same mechanical and chemical properties that ensure the highest degree of safety. The current alloy used in production of these connectors contains a high percentage of lead. One of the many goals of our environmental responsibilities is to lower the use of lead in our industry, as well as within our lives in general.
Improvements in our welding process include cooperation over many decades with suppliers of welding material, welding machines and welding gas. The goal of this cooperation is to help make the welding process better and ensure higher effectivity with respect to electrical power consumption during the production process.
Our successful acquisition of an old and long abandoned zinc plant next door to our current production line is the first step in building a new TAF production hall. This project, however, puts us firmly in the area of brownfield development, which means giving an old plant site a new purpose and function. Before we can start building a new eco-friendly building on this spot, we must first decontaminate the polluted soil underneath the plant. After cleaning the soil, we will construct a new building. The effective recycling on an old, unused plant translates to eliminating the need to claim fertile, “green” soil for our new hall.
