GROUNDWORK CASE STUDY
SAFEGUARDED 63 JOBS
AutoMarine Cables Case study
CUT CARBON EMISSIONS BY MORE THAN 240 TONNES PER ANNUM REDUCED 20% OF PLASTIC PACKAGING 40M3 OF WATER SAVINGS PER ANNUM
SUMMARY Auto Marine Cables in Worsley, Manchester, has safeguarded sales worth £10 million and increased sales by £1 million, thanks to free support with process efficiencies and emissions reduction. PROCESS The SME specialises in making low voltage automotive cables and cable wiring accessories for the European automotive and marine industries and their supply chains. It has been supported on-site by a Groundwork advisor in Manchester, to improve its environmental credentials and to retain a competitive edge in bidding for contract renewals. Thanks to the support, Auto Marine Cables has been able to safeguard 63 jobs and create two more, whilst reducing its operating costs and cutting its annual carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions by more than 240 tonnes
ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS SERVICES
Groundwork MSSTT Timber Wharf 42 - 50 Worsley Street Castlefield Manchester M15 4LD Telephone 0161 220 1000 www.groundwork.org.uk/msstt
GROUNDWORK CASE STUDY THE RESULTS As a result of the adviser’s efficiency review, an old cable making machine was replaced with a model that features a shorter cable run and variable speed drives to reduce material wastage and optimise energy efficiency.
“We would like to thank Groundwork for all their assistance and support throughout this project”
This has significantly improved the efficiency of the manufacturing process, particularly during product change overs.
Alan Ainscroft Auto Marine Cables
It has saved 22 tonnes of PVC plastic, 32 tonnes of copper metal and 246 tonnes of CO2e per year, and despite relatively high purchase and installation costs it paid back on the investment within the company’s standard payback period. The project has also reduced the amount of plastic packaging from incoming raw materials that goes to waste each year, by about 20 per cent. A further 26 tonnes of CO2e were saved after Groundwork carried out electrical data logging exercises on three wiring machines and found that one needed rewiring to optimise its power consumption over weekends and in the evenings, to save energy. Meanwhile, water consumption was also addressed by fitting savea-flush devices into toilet cisterns, saving more than 40m3 of mains water per year. FUTURE PROSPECTS A number of further recommendations from Groundwork’s review are still in the pipeline. These include replacing factory light fittings with energy efficient alternatives such as LEDs, and potentially replacing more of the production equipment, to reduce wastage and emissions. These new opportunities could help Auto Marine Cables to save another 258 tonnes of CO2e, 57 tonnes of raw materials and 144 tonnes of waste from going to landfill, each year.
For more information contact: Jonathan Crabtree Business Services Manager Environmental Business Services 0161 220 1020 jonathan.crabtree@groundwork.org.uk
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