Supplying to manufacturing companies worldwide, in 2017 Stainless Band has invested more than £37,000 to further reduce the carbon footprint of its operations. Continued environmental practices implemented by Stainless Band are attained through a combination of energy-saving upgrades, efficient production practices and recycling of its scrap material.
As a worldwide supplier of stainless steel coil, strip, blanks and sheet in grades 1.4301, 1.4404 and 1.4016, Stainless Band has been making the most of its potential to minimise its environmental impact. During 2017, Stainless Band invested a total of £320,000, which has not only increased the product offering and service to its customers, but has also further reduced its energy consumption. These upgrades include a 1,600 sq. ft. warehouse extension equipped with some £45,000 of racking throughout the facility, a new Fred Cam production line and two new forklift trucks for dispatching materials.
To offset the additional energy consumption required for this increase in production, LED lighting has been installed throughout Stainless Band’s two UK sites. Each LED lamp consumes around 60-70% less energy than standard incandescent lamps, and with 16,600 sq. ft. of space requiring light in just one of the company’s facilities, the new lighting will drastically reduce power consumption in both the offices and production factories at Stainless Band.
Stainless Band is implementing further energy-saving efforts through the installation of destratification fans by Heat Souce Direct based in Bingley. A significant cause of energy loss in large buildings is the natural process by which hot air rises and collects at the ceiling, making heating systems work harder and consuming more energy. The new destratification systems at the Stainless Band facilities use fans to redistribute the warm air produced by machinery, people and sunlight and create an equalised temperature throughout the space. The fans also work to circulate cool air from Stainless Band’s large loading bay doors to keep the facility cool in the summer months. This greatly reduces or even eliminates the need for HVAC systems, which are a major cause of energy consumption.
Through the use of LED lighting and destratification fans, the overall energy consumed per tonne of processed product will take a steep drop in 2018. With such a wide variety of industries served by Stainless Band including construction, manufacturing, petrochemical, automotive,
pharmaceuticals and many more, this increase in efficiency to the company’s operations promises to not only reduce the carbon footprint of Stainless Band, but also that of its customers throughout the world.
