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WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER OF COMPONENTS FOR AUTOMOBILE AIR CONDITIONERS
Citation:
Looby, G. AND F. Kirsch. WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER OF COMPONENTS FOR AUTOMOBILE AIR CONDITIONERS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/S-92/009.
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded a pilot project 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 charged air coolers, round tube plate fin (RTPF) condensers, and air conditioner tubes for automotive air conditioning systems-approximately two million pounds per year. ven though this plant has three distinct product manufacturing lines, the processes can be generalized to the following: initially fins are produced and partially assembled with various components. These partial assemblies are vapor degreased and then either packaged and shipped or brazed either manually or in a vacuum brazing oven. nits are assembled Into final products, painted black, inspected, packaged, and shipped. The team's report, detailing findings and recommendations, Indicated that the majority of waste was generated In the rinse tanks and the hot water flush testing stations but that the greatest savings could be obtained by replacing solvent-based vapor degreasing systems with a detergent-based immersion system to eliminate still bottoms and evaporated solvent losses.