SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability as a driver of effi ciency
Simon Marshall of Humidity Solutions asks why industrial warehouses or facilities suff er from humidity and how it is controlled.
"Our
dedication to environmental sustainability is a
cornerstone of our business strategy."
F
rascold, a leading player in the development, production and marketing of semi-hermetic piston and screw compressors for the refrigeration, air conditioning and air heating industry, has obtained UNI EN ISO 14001:2015 certifi cation, an important milestone representing the culmination of a broader programme and confi rming Frascold’s constant commitment to environmental responsibility. Here, Maria Grazia Fimmanò, continuous improvement specialist; Marco Perri, R&D, environmental system manager; and Corrado de Gioia-Carabellese, product development specialist, discuss the improvements implemented and the most signifi cant progress made by Frascold.
Frascold has integrated a Lean Manufacturing philosophy in support of sustainability. What are the results of this approach? Maria Grazia Fimmanò: “A few years ago, we set up a new department in the company dedicated to continuous improvement: among the projects implemented, we can
mention, not just for environmental sustainability but also for production effi ciency, the ‘Empty for Full management of reusable packaging with suppliers’ project. This project involves eliminating and/or reducing the waste deriving from packaging components entering the warehouse and, consequently, production components too. The result is a reduction in cardboard consumption of up to 3 tonnes in a year. This approach has also led to signifi cant savings in terms of time and resources by eliminating the time taken by someone to open and dispose of boxes, time that, instead, can be spent on tasks with greater added value. In addition, to ensure greater protection for workers, we studied the ergonomics of workstations, adjusting them to create a safer, more comfortable environment. With this in mind, the use of ground-level shelving units has also been discouraged to help prevent long-term health issues, such as back and knee pain. Finally, the introduction of a Lean culture has also allowed us to focus on how we can make better use of all our resources and how we can get more value from them. Continuous improvement is guaranteed through monthly audits, which ensure constant compliance with Lean practices and the requirements of ISO 14001. The results achieved in the pilot department, thanks to the adoption of tools such as 5S, Golden Zone and PDCA, have led us to extend these practices to other production departments. In summary, the benefi ts obtained through the dissemination of a Lean philosophy are tangible: it has led to signifi cant improvements in terms of productivity, ergonomics and sustainability, as well as reducing costs and increasing workfl ow effi ciency.”
What are the benefi ts of UNI EN ISO 14001:2015 certifi cation, and what challenges did it bring? Marco Perri: “The path towards UNI EN ISO 14001:2015 certifi cation has led to numerous benefi ts, including greater internal awareness and a more positive perception by customers, or in particular, by anyone who sees this certifi cation as a fundamental prerequisite to be included among the suppliers classifi ed as sustainable. Another project implemented involved a water distiller, installed in 2023, to recover washing water resources, allowing the company to save about 300 m³ per year. In addition, a dedicated team was formed to improve air hygiene and to monitor emissions into the atmosphere. Thanks to targeted maintenance and
22 March 2025 •
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