Lighting manufacturer Hubbardton Forge has won the Vermont Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence & Pollution Prevention for the fifth time. The honors go to those companies whose innovative manufacturing methods reduce their environmental footprint.
This year, Hubbardton Forge was recognized for bringing an age-old surface preparation process forward through the use of new technology. Since the 1970s, the company has used a mechanical tumbling process incorporating ceramic media and a water borne cleaner for surface preparation prior to assembly of the product. As the ceramic media wears down, the solution becomes a slurry and needs to be replaced.
The company set out to give the process, which required a substantial amount of water and cleaning chemistry to maintain, an eco-friendly overhaul. After considerable research, Hubbardton Forge developed a plan and invested in automated centrifuge separation technology as a method for extending the life of its tumble solution. This change resulted in a 97 percent reduction in water usage, a 150 percent increase in cleaning efficiency, elimination of a hazardous waste stream, improved worker safety, improved part quality, and a reduction in labor.
