Utilizing the recycling expertise we have been working on over many years, KITZ makes effective use of resources generated from the manufacturing process.
Approach to resource-saving
The KITZ Group set the efficient use of resources as part of its Environmental Action Guidelines and is making every effort to use finite resources more effectively by eliminating waste during consumption and reusing resources.
Current status of resource saving
Casting sand, which is used in the casting process, is reused after the sand treatment process where the lumps are crushed and sifted through a sieve.
Example: Flow of resource-saving for cast iron valvesFlow of resource-saving for cast iron valves
Promotion of the circulating water system
The KITZ Group uses mainly groundwater in the manufacturing process. Groundwater is often used for cooling melting furnaces, cleaning, and the inspection processes and is returned to the tank by a water circulation system for reuse.
Example of resource conservation initiatives
A large amount of wood is used for the packing materials for parts procured from China. The lumber will be discarded as waste after transportation, so we changed packing materials to reusable pallets (mesh box pallets). We also reduced the number of shipments and switched from consolidation flights to a dedicated container to reduce CO₂ emissions.
Reuse of waste sand using casting sand recycling equipment
The casting sand used in the stainless casting process at the Nagasaka plant uses a mixture of silica sand and chromite sand to withstand high-temperature molten metal. The casting sand is included in the slag discharged from the casting process and discarded as industrial waste. In order to reduce waste sand, we started to use casting sand recycling equipment in April 2010. As a result, we successfully reduced the amount of new sand used and effectively used resources by returning the recycled sand to the process.
