JTEKT North America Corp., Plymouth, Mich., recently received the Award for Excellence in Pollution Prevention from the State of Tennessee by using a new technology from Houghton International, Valley Forge, Pa., in the manufacturing processes at its plant in Vonore. The new product enables JKEKT to use significantly less water, fewer chemicals and less energy, produce less waste and carbon dioxide emissions, increase process quality and reduce operating costs in its production of automotive components.
As part of its focus on environmental stewardship, JTEKT evaluated alternatives to reduce waste from the manufacturing processes at its Vonore facility, where it produces hydraulic and electric power steering components for domestic and foreign automakers. Houghton’s new product, Houghto-Prep ZP, is a proprietary zirconium phosphate, iron-rich conversion coating chemistry designed to promote paint adhesion and corrosion resistance. It provides an alternative to iron phosphate in a pre-treatment wash process in the final phase of component manufacturing.
As a result of the product conversion, the JTEKT plant uses 1.3 million fewer gallons on water (a 93% reduction), emits 8376 fewer tons of carbon dioxide (a 42% reduction), reduced the use of waste treatment chemicals by 81%, reduced energy consumption by 70%, and reduced total costs by over $180,000 annually. Since the new chemical contains no heavy metals, the manufacturing process produces a minimal amount of sludge that is delivered to landfills. These benefits were achieved while improving the quality of the process and increasing productivity by 245%.
Houghton is pleased with the significant impact of its technology. “We are glad to partner with customers like JTEKT to introduce technologies that reduce environmental impact and increase performance,” says Tony Pavesich, Market Development Manager—Surface Finishing for Houghton International. “This new product will have a significant impact on the operations and carbon footprint of component manufacturers.
