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WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER OF AUTOMOTIVE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSERS AND EVAPORATORS
Citation:
Looby, G. AND F. Kirsch. WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER OF AUTOMOTIVE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSERS AND EVAPORATORS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/S-92/007.
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded a pilotproject to assist small- and medium-size manufacturers who want to minimize their generation of waste but who lack the expertise to do so. Waste Minimization Assessment Centers (WMACs) were established at selected universities and procedures were adapted from the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment Manual (EPA/625/7-88/003, July 1988). he WMAC team at the University of Tennessee performed an assessment at a plant manufacturing automotive air conditioning condensers and evaporators - approximately 400,000 units per year. o make condensers, extrusions and steel coil are machined, degreased, welded, and painted. eader assemblies are brazed and degreased. ins are produced and placed inside header assemblies before final brazing, leak testing, packaging and shipping. o make evaporators, aluminum side sheet stock and coil and box extrusions are machined and degreased along with aluminum tube stock. ll parts are assembled with the fins before brazing, cleaning, and chromate surface treatment. fter leak testing, evaporators are packaged and shipped. he team' report, detailing findings and recommendations, indicated that the majority of waste wa generated in the non-chromate waste water treatment facility but that the greatest saving could be obtained by converting to a powder coating technique in the condenser line t eliminate both contaminated paint solids and paint liquids. This Research Brief was developed by the principal investigators and EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, to announce key findings of an ongoing research project that is fully documented in a separate report of the same title available from the authors.