Conversion to CO2-reduced degreasing

By changing its in-house degreasing and cleaning processes, a metal goods factory saves around 21 tons of CO2 every year. This is made possible by using sustainable solvent recyclates instead of virgin material.

The conversion process to CO2-reduced degreasing took one and a half years, but the result was worth it: Mark Metallwarenfabrik GmbH, based in Spital am Pyhrn in Austria, has converted its in-house degreasing system and now uses solvent recyclates. As a result, the deep-drawing specialist saves around 21 tons of CO2 per year. Mark manufactures deep-drawn parts between 2 and 80 mm in diameter, which are later used primarily in the automotive industry, for example in airbags. A high level of component cleanliness is the measure of all things here. To ensure a smooth changeover process, Mark has enlisted the support of Richard Geiss GmbH. The solvent specialist from Offingen (Bavaria) not only supplies the recycled perchloroethylene (PER), but also the expertise.

"For us, it was only logical and consistent to take the step towards solvent recyclates in terms of sustainability and CO2 savings," explains Christian Schneeberger from the sustainability management team at Mark Metallwarenfabrik GmbH. "We are actively addressing our ecological footprint in all areas, calculating our CO2 emissions and focusing on the circular economy. We also wanted to incorporate these efforts into our degreasing process," continues Christian Schneeberger.

The results are impressive: Last year, Mark already saved 21.26 tons of CO2e in the area of in-house metal degreasing. And this is just the beginning, as the changeover in the cleaning plant is taking place gradually. Although Mark still uses existing fresh materials, only recycled materials are delivered as solvents.

Mark Metallwarenfabrik GmbH in Spital am Pyhrn is the Mark Group's technology center for forming technology. This is where the know-how and technology of the Austrian deep-drawing specialist is continuously developed. Mark produces deep-drawn parts with diameters of between 2 and 80 mm, a material thickness of between 0.1 and 2.5 mm and a maximum length of 150 mm. The deep-drawing specialist provides everything from a single source: from in-house tool and prototype construction to fully automated assembly and inspection using eddy currents or camera systems. In addition to the automotive sector, Mark also supplies the medical technology, electrical and electronic engineering and cosmetics industries.

It goes without saying that Mark Metallwarenfabrik then also takes on the degreasing and cleaning of its metal parts. Around 300 washing baskets per shift run through the company's own degreasing process at Mark; the system operates in three shifts. The parts are freed from cooling lubricants and particles - and thanks to the solvent recyclates from Richard Geiss GmbH, this is now particularly sustainable and low in CO2.

"Initially, we feared that we would have to stabilize the solvent bath in our system much more by switching to recyclates. But that is not the case. We can still rely on a stable degreasing process," emphasizes Wolfgang Krenn, Head of Surface Technology at Mark Metallwarenfabrik GmbH. A total of around 2.3 billion precision steel parts leave the plant in Upper Austria every year.

The recyclates from Richard Geiss GmbH, such as the perchloroethylene that Mark uses, are in no way inferior to virgin material - on the contrary. "Our recyclates achieve 100 percent of the quality of the original product and score points with an environmental plus," assures Bastian Geiss, Managing Partner of Richard Geiss GmbH. The solvent recyclates can be processed almost indefinitely in the distillation plants in Offingen, which reduces the need for newly produced solvents and therefore valuable resources.

Before the final conversion of the in-house degreasing system at Mark, parts cleaning with recyclates was tested on an identical system on site in Spital am Pyhrn. The specialists at Richard Geiss GmbH determined the need for solvent recyclates and stabilizers individually. "We analyzed all the oils that are used on the degreasing system at Mark in our in-house laboratory in Offingen using boiling tests," explains Manuel Huihui, who works in technical support and international sales for Richard Geiss GmbH.

Mark will continue to use the laboratory service and solvent expertise of Richard Geiss GmbH after the changeover. "We want our oils and cooling lubricants to be chlorine-free by 2025. We have various oil alternatives in the test run here and whenever an oil comes into question for us, we have oil compatibility tests carried out in the laboratory at Richard Geiss. This is a great support," says a satisfied Wolfgang Krenn.

The modern degreasing system, which now cleans with recyclates, is located in the production hall of Mark Metallwarenfabrik, which was expanded in 2017. Mark doubled its headquarters in Spital am Pyhrn with the 10,000 m2 expansion at the time, investing 30 million euros in the project. In addition to the new production hall, the expansion also includes an automated high-bay warehouse, offices, technical center and shipping area.

Mark, the thermoforming specialist with over 100 years of experience, is committed to greater sustainability in various areas - the switch to solvent recyclates for in-house metal degreasing is part of this. From production to external supply chains and logistics, the company transparently calculates its CO2 emissions with the aim of continuously reducing them. A photovoltaic system supplies part of the company's own electricity and the building is cooled by a well cooling system without the use of climate-damaging refrigerants. Mark also minimizes waste through efficient production processes, thereby conserving resources. "By using recycled solvents in the degreasing process, we are also promoting the idea of a circular economy here," emphasizes Christian Schneeberger. (OM-9/24)