Environmental Efficiencies Give Cabinet Door Maker An Edge
June 30, 2003
University Park, Pa. --- With help from Penn State's Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP), Nature's Blend Wood Products, a cabinet door manufacturer in Armstrong County, Pa., is demonstrating that being environmentally efficient can help a small company's bottom line.
Nature's Blend employs about 50 people in the Ford City community about 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Located in a former PPG factory that also houses several other businesses, Nature's Blend turns Pennsylvania lumber into, on average, 600 to 700 doors a day for the modular home and motor coach cabinet markets.
John Pletcher, PENNTAP wood products technical specialist, says "There is no one right way of doing things in the wood products industry, but a wise company is always looking to better itself by constantly evaluating production methods in order to improve their process and to get the optimum yields."
The first time Pletcher, who provides free technical assistance to small and medium size firms throughout the state, visited Nature's Blend, he offered to do a computer-based assessment of their rough mill operation.
The assessment, performed with ROMI-RIP software, showed that, by purchasing a longer arbor gangsaw, the company could increase the yield of product from raw material by 10 percent. In addition, by recycling their scrap, they could decrease disposal expenses and increase compliance with EPA regulations.
Nature's Blend purchased the recommended saw and during the first year, the company saved $124,000 in raw material costs and increased efficiency by six percent.
The company was pleased with the results but still wanted to realize efficiencies closer to those Pletcher originally predicted. So, Pletcher did a materials balance analysis for the company to identify further opportunities to enhance yields. He found that with some minor process changes and additional product lines, the yield of usable wood from the new gangsaw could be boosted from 82 percent to 92 percent, saving an additional $157, 000 per year.
"Wood waste can be reduced by simply redirecting scrap into usable products resulting in a twofold benefit,” Pletcher notes. “More raw material will wind up in value-added product increasing profits and less material will have to be disposed of reducing waste disposal costs."
For example, he suggested that the company glue narrow pieces of wood into panel stock for interior components such as drawer sides and backs or incorporated along the edge of regular panels. Short pieces can be finger-jointed into lineal length material for paint grade moldings and trim or used for small components. "
The Penn State expert notes, "The Nature's Blend experience shows that, by being creative, wood products companies can add to their bottom line and reduce waste, a win-win situation."
PENNTAP is a federal-state-university partnership that provides free technical assistance and information to businesses in Pennsylvania. For further information about PENNTAP, visit www.penntap.psu.edu or contact Jack Gido at 814-865-0427.
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