Ms. Lawrence monitored plant production and scrap frequencies of all production equipment, associating the variation of corrugated scrap generated from each product run.  A majority (85 percent) of corrugated material meet quality control specifications, while the remainder of product failed due to blisters associated to moisture, or material failure.  Ms. Lawrence estimated revenue losses over a two-week period to be approximately $14,000, less labor costs.  ARVCO produces 63,000 pounds of saleable corrugated materials, and 7,800 pounds of corrugated scrap leading to roughly $364,000 of lost revenues.  Ms. Lawrence recommended incorporating team building practices to enhance employee involvement in scrap reduction, update employee training of process equipment, monitor and study heating cycles of process equipment to reduce blistering and corrugate deformation, and incorporate a maintenance schedule to adjust equipment settings on a bi-annual basis.

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BAYER CROPSCIENCE

Matthew Barkley, Senior Mechanical Engineering

Michigan Technological University

Project Title:  Waste Reduction and Energy Efficiency

Mr. Matthew Barkley was assigned to Bayer CropScience, a chemical manufacture for the agricultural community located in Muskegon, Michigan.  The company operates a number of individual manufacturing processes that generate a lot of spent, superheated condensate and reusable nitrogen. 

Mr. Barkley audited all of the nitrogen, stream, and energy consumption processes plant wide.  Engineering principles, such as material balance, thermodynamics, the Ideal Gas Law, and steam flash equations were use to measure/estimate baseline consumption rates for each process.   The results of the audits lead Mr. Barkley to implement piping changes that redirect steam and superheated condensate between two processes.  The change will make significant reductions in energy costs; however, actual cost savings will not be determined until the plant is completely online.  Mr. Barkley also recommended the use of a water heater or heat exchanger to eliminate water hammer effects, and to reduce energy consumption.   Mr. Barkley determined that investing in new equipment to recover spent nitrogen for reuse in plant operations was not cost effective, due to the estimated flow rates determined by the Idea Gas Law.  Mr. Barkley suggested that the company consider installing new flow meters, and an intense monitoring program to determine if the spent flow rates were actually higher than estimated, resulting in a more accelerated pay back schedule. 

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CRYSTAL FILTRATION OF MICHIGAN

Natalia Muntean, Junior, Chemical Engineering

Wayne State University

Project Title:  Testing and Redesign of New Filtration System

Mrs. Natalia Muntean was assigned to Crystal Filtration, a multi-media filter manufacturer located in Rochester Hills, Michigan.  The company researches new coolant filtration systems used for a variety of industrial operations. 

Mrs. Muntean performed tests and modeling performance characteristics on a new, but non-conventional filter system that was designed to remove zinc and other metal particles from wastewater used in a rinsing operation.  The zinc was sent off-site to a recycler, and some of the water was reused in one of the solution baths.  The equipment was set-up at Ace Finishing, a zinc plating plant located in Dearborn, Michigan .   The project is an ongoing process that has some very promising results.  Results demonstrate water quality to meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System standards, and the company is in the process of designing a full-scale system based upon the bench model. 

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HAVILAND PRODUCTS, CO.

Kerri Bartz, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Grand Valley State University

Project Title:   Implementing Chemical and Water Usage Strategies

Ms. Kerri Bartz was assigned to Haviland Enterprise, Inc., a chemical blending facility located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.   The facility blends, repackages, and distributes chemical products. 

Ms. Bartz was successful at recycling slow moving and obsolete chemicals and other products producing a net revenue of $45,996, verses sending the products to a landfill.     This does not include any profits made or disposal costs avoided.   Ms. Bartz also created an Environment Management System training tool, and presented the materials to the Haviland staff using a PowerPoint presentation.  This training tool was used to make employees aware about environment concerns, and to assist the facility in achieving environmental certifications to be used as marketing tools. 

Ms. Bartz also conducted a wastewater balance to determine all sources and associated treatment costs ($/gallon of wastewater.)  The information was used to make process flow maps that lead to the implementation of new work standard procedures that will lead to lower treatment cost.  Ms. Bartz was able to find an electronic waste recycler that saved the company approximately $156 in disposal costs.

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METALWORKS, INC.

Jennifer Baumann, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Lawrence Technological University

Project Title:  Water and Natural Resource Conservation.

Ms. Jennifer Baumann was assigned to Metalworks, Inc. located in Ludington, Michigan.  The company manufactures office furniture and other related parts. 

Ms. Bauman was successful at implementing a rinse water recycling measure that reduced water consumption by 25 percent.  The project consisted of recycling rinse water in their existing pedestal coating line that reduced water consumption from 11.5 to 8 million gallons per year.  The process change resulted in an estimated annual cost savings of $5,400 per year.   Ms. Baumann also researched opportunities that would significantly lower natural gas consumption in the existing plant operations.  Metalworks, Inc. is considering implementing

Ms. Bauman's suggestions. 

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MICHAYWE'S PINES GOLF COURSE

Brandon Whittaker, Senior, Biological Systems Engineering

Michigan State University

Project Title:  Water and Natural Resource Conservation.

Mr. Brandon Whittaker was assigned to Michaywe Pines Golf Course located in Gaylord, Michigan.  Michaywe Pine Golf Course is a resort, golf course, and a residential community. 

Mr. Whittaker was successful at implementing a community wide composting project that reduces grass clippings and brush from being placed in a landfill or burned on-site.  Residents were pleased with the new operation.   Mr. Whittaker also designed and implemented the installation of a "T" to be used for filling 500 gallon tanks and a nozzle for washing the equipment.  The nozzle was equipped with a pressure reducer that eliminated water from entering the bearings.  This change reduced the maximum water output from 90 to 8 gallons per minute, conserving between 2,500-3,000 gallons of water per day. 

Mr. Whittaker also installed a grass filtration system that separated grass clippings from the wastewater derived from the washing operation.  The wastewater is then used as irrigated water for the driving range where the water either infiltrates into the ground or evaporates, and the grass utilizes the nitrogen from the wastewater.  The system satisfies one of the steps needed to be environmentally certified.

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MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (MSU), EXTENSION OFFICE

Rebecca Larson, Senior, Biological Systems Engineering

Michigan State University

Project Title:   Compost Pad Project

Ms. Rebecca Larson was assigned to the MSU Ottawa Extension Office located in Grand Haven, Michigan to research, design, and test innovative materials to make compost pads that can be used by Michigan farmers.  The project is an innovative approach to assist farmers with adopting new technology that promotes pollution prevention best management practices for agricultural related activities.

Ms. Larson was successful at researching and designing five compost pads made of conventional and non-conventional materials.  The project was part of an outreach effort conducted on the West Side of the state to encourage farmers to compost manure into a product that provides nutrients to plants.  Composting reduces pathogens and groundwater contamination caused by leachate from manure piles.  Alternatives to using concrete and asphalt for compost pads significantly reduced raw materials and labor cost, while making them more attractive to field use. 

Four compost pads were examined for concrete substitution: lime soil stabilization, foundry slag, used asphalt, and rock dust.  Each pad was researched and then developed on a small scale.  The pads were all a sufficient replacement for concrete.  The new pad designs all required less than 25 percent of the capitol needed for the concrete design.  One major benefit of using alternative materials for compost pads is the recycling of used local waste products that would normally be land filled. 

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PEARSON FOODS CORPORATION

Jay Parent, Senior Mechanical Engineering

Michigan Technological University

Project Title:  Water Conservation Project

Mr. Jay Parent was assigned to Pearson Foods Corporation, a food processing plant located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The company operates a number of food processing, alfalfa, and bean sprout growing operations that are water intensive.

Mr. Parent was successful at implementing an employee training program consisting of work practice standards that reduced water consumption by 5,000 gallons per day, with associated cost savings of approximately $8,000 per year.  Mr. Parent also installed an electronic eye on one of the production lines used to package carrots and celery sticks that actuated a water valve to shutoff water when the packaging process was interrupted.  The installation reduced water consumption by 2,500 gallons per day, with an associated cost savings of $3,500 per year.

Mr. Parent also located a recycler to take their cardboard materials used to ship vegetables to and from Pearson Foods, instead of sending the materials to a landfill as solid waste at a cost of $76 per ton.  The recycler pays the company $35 per ton for the corrugated material, resulting in a combine cost savings and net profit of $32,000 per year. 

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PRATT WHITNEY, AUTOAIR, INC.

Jauron Davis, Senior, Electrical Engineering

Saginaw Valley State University

Project Title:  Reduced Electrical Energy Consumption at an Aerospace Plant

Mr. Jauron Davis was assigned to Pratt Whitney, AutoAir, Inc., located in Lansing, Michigan.  The company manufactures parts for the aerospace industry. 

Mr. Davis was successful at determining significant power losses at the plant that resulted in excessive electrical energy consumption.    Review of the company's electric utility bills showed high current flow and a series of voltage drops during start-up and operation of equipment throughout the plant.  Initially, it was thought that adding capacitors in the distribution system would correct the problem and reduce the power drops.  However, further investigation of the power factor determined that the use of a harmonic trap filter would correct the power factor, and reduce electrical consumption.    Using a capacitor instead of a harmonic trap filter would result in overheating and premature failure of the capacitor or transformer fuses.  The equipment installation could save approximately $5,000 per year, equipment cost were estimated at $12,000, resulting in a 2.5 year payback.    

Mr. Davis also incorporated the use of pre-saturated wipes instead of xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, and other hazardous solvents for everyday cleanup of new and remanufactured parts.  These wipes are still in the experimental stage and quotes are still being developed.  The benefits of using these wipes are: 1) to reduce hazardous waste; 2) convenience for workers;

3) more control over the usage of solvent; and 4) cost savings.  The cost savings come from reducing hazardous waste, cut backs on solvent storage, and increase in productivity.  Use of the pre-saturated wipes would reduce the overall costs of solvent rags by at lease 40 percent. 

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RETIRED ENGINEERS TECHINCAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION

Luisa Trupiano, Junior, Chemical Engineering

Wayne State University

Project Title:  P2 Metholodogy/Systems Research

Ms. Luisa Trupiano was assigned to the Retired Engineers Technical Assistance Foundation (RETAF), a consulting firm located in Livonia, Michigan.  The company conducts engineering assessments, and technical problem solving to a variety of business and industrial operations. 

Ms. Trupiano developed educational packages to inform and educate facilities on the benefits of pollution prevention (P2) and that P2 programs should be created to implement these strategies.  The packages cover P2 measurements regarding light, air compressors, steam leaks, heat release units, water and wastewater, and recycling packages.  The packages have been created to help educate and assist companies in their goal to reduce pollution while saving money at the same time.  Each package provides "rule of thumb" information, recommendations, and cost analysis models that display cost savings from implementing popular P2 strategies at the workplace. 

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SPARROW HEALTH SYSTEMS

Theon Tinker, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Saginaw Valley State University

Project Title:  Reduction of Waste Generation

Mr. Theon Tinker was assigned to Sparrow Health Systems located in Lansing, Michigan.  Sparrow Health Systems are healthcare and emergency facilities that provides a broad range of health related services. 

Mr. Tinker reviewed the hospitals' current practices, including research to develop and implement new work practice standards that would reduce waste generation and recycle resource materials.  After extensive research and by visiting several other medical and non-medical facilities, Mr. Tinker determined that Sparrow Health Systems' current hospital work practice standards are utilizing the best management practices that are commonly used in the medical field for facilities of their size, without requiring additional outsourcing of waste management. 

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