Environmentally friendly manufacturing
It’s surprising how many people immediately think dirt, smell and pollution when words like engineering, factory and manufacturer are used in the same sentence, paragraph even! However, we’d like to assure customers and fans of Evotech Performance that we are as environmentally responsible as we can get – we might be an established business born of an age old industry, but we like to think our working practices are as modern as it gets right now.
Bubble-wrap to some is an instant stress reliever – squeeze or stamp on it and the bubbles compress before popping, often loudly. Bored office workers have more enjoyment and for longer than ten year-olds. Its primary purpose though is to provide a shock absorbing/cushion effect for packaged products. Popping and protecting are bubble wrap’s only two redeeming features.
Bubble wrap is a long-drawn out by-product of crude oil by way of being a petroleum-based plastic. Not a clean, quick process and can be damaging to wildlife etc. Bubble wrap can be recycled but only by specialists dealing in plastic film management and also requires separate collection bins. Not everyone can be bothered to do this…
Evotech Performance took the decision not to use bubble wrap packaging in favour of a sustainable alternative that was 100% recyclable and, more importantly, biodegradable. Our new loose-product packaging is paper and tissue based and supplied in tightly wound rolls. When unrolled, the sheets are placed through a small hand operated machine, where die-cut perforations within the sheet are pulled apart to form a 3D honeycomb layer. The protective qualities of this new packaging are excellent and it can be re-used. If it happens to get deformed during transit, simple finger manipulation can reform its shape. Our packing boxes are 100% recyclable, too. These boxes are identifiable by the on-box printed symbols e.g. the Mobius Loop – a symbol that shows the packaging product is recyclable and not made from recycled material or will be accepted at all recycling sites.
The sun delivers free energy by way of heat or light. To make the most of this natural energy source, Evotech Performance has two solar panel systems installed on the factory roof. Each system is 30kW rated and, on a clear sunny day, the two systems’ photovoltaic cells can convert sunlight into 60kW of electricity. This generated electricity is then fed into the UK’s national grid to help reduce the demand placed on fossil fuel and nuclear powered electricity generating stations.
LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting is one of the easiest ways in which to reduce electricity consumption and usage charge. LED lighting is also better for working conditions – they are so energy efficient our electric costs have reduced even though we have, in most cases, installed LED lighting which is of a higher Lux level, in other words brighter and of a uniform colour tone that reduces eye fatigue. To reduce long-term costs even further, PIR switching has replaced traditional on-off switches.
In 2018, the Evotech Performance factory was extended in order to accommodate a new, state-of-the-art Powder Coating Centre, which features a parts wash and dry system, spray control area and a powder coat curing oven. Add to this an overhead conveyor line that carries all components through the powder coat centre, you can probably appreciate how much water, heat and electricity is used throughout the powder coating process. The truth is, although a smaller centre than the retired powder coat unit, the new centre is far, far more efficient in every area. Liquid from the washing process is recirculated and saved for an automated debris/cleansing period, which removes a fraction of contaminated (swarf, grease deposits etc) water, and the oven is so efficient that the heating costs are significantly reduced.
Finally, heating a large factory area in colder conditions used to terrify our company accountant. In order to maintain a uniform heat across working areas, Evotech Performance took the decision to purchase re-circulation fans to gently redistribute rising warm air to the floor level where staff work. The end result is warm and happy colleagues in the wide expanse of the main factory, less heating time and gas burnt, and another step to minimising the company’s carbon footprint.