European fastener manufacturer, SFS intec, has started a multi-million pound investment project at its Valence plant in France.

The project aims to make the factory one of the most eco-friendly of its kind.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly significant for architects, specifiers, manufacturers, design engineers and window and door fabricators, so this project is intended to add product value.

By upgrading production processes at the Valence plant the company can say that the manufacture of fasteners, for construction and industrial applications, leaves a minimal environmental footprint. The investment programme will see multiple benefits across the 210,000 square foot factory. This includes reducing lubricant consumption, improving the heat treatment process and ensuring 100 per cent clean up of waste water, processing oils and gases.

Glen Wainwright, director of SFS intec’s UK industrial fasteners division, says: ‘Our fasteners are manufactured in France so UK customers do not have to rely on fasteners that have been shipped around the world.

'Production machines that consume large amounts of lubricant will be fitted with a filter station that recycles waste oils. To improve the heat treatment process and reduce fumes, a hi-tech cleaning operation will be introduced.'

Another environmental initiative involves changes to the surface treatment process. This uses a lot of chemicals so to avoid polluting normal waste channels, SFS intec has installed an effluent treatment plant to clean the water. The surface treatment baths emanate gases and these are now captured so the air can be treated before being released.

Source

Glass Age