U.S. manufacturing is about to enter a renaissance, and not just because the reshoring and nearshoring effort is becoming more prevalent. In August, the U.S. government enacted the CHIPS Act, directing more than $280 billion to domestic technology manufacturing over the next 10 years. Companies that pivot to take part in this opportunity must also heed the growing demand for sustainable electronics manufacturing.
Currently, the electronics manufacturing sector accounts for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Specific sectors, like semiconductor fabrication, are especially resource intensive, requiring as much as 1.6 kilos of petroleum, and 32 kilos of water to produce a basic chip. Companies transitioning into electronics manufacturing must find ways to eliminate waste and minimize their environmental impact within every step of production. Fortunately, the right cutting fluid can help manufacturers overcome the challenges of both producing electronic parts and improving their sustainability profile.
What Is a Sustainability Profile?
A sustainability profile is essentially the measure of a product’s environmental impact, based on the materials and production methods that go into making it. Sourcing recycled aluminum, plastics, and other materials to produce electronic goods goes a long way to directly improving sustainability metrics, but manufacturers also need to look at mitigating waste and ecological contamination throughout a product’s entire value chain.
5 Ways High-Quality Cutting Fluid Can Improve Sustainability in Electronics Manufacturing
With so many resource constraints, it might not be possible to source enough recycled materials to make a real impact on a product’s sustainability profile. However, choosing high-performance or eco-friendly cutting fluid can lower the environmental footprint of any product. Here’s how:
1. Reduced scrap rate
High-quality cutting fluid provides better finish quality for less intensive post processing and reduced rework and scrap rates. This does more than save time and money — it also dramatically reduces the amount of waste in an operation. Cutting tools also last longer further lowering consumption.
2. Reduced fluid consumption
When operators charge their sump with quality coolant, it not only provides better lubrication and cooling, but also extends sump life. The more useful life manufacturers get from their coolant, the less environmental impact there is. High-quality TRIM® cutting fluids are also known to perform better than competing products at lower concentrations, further minimizing consumption. Investing in fluid recycling systems completely removes contaminants from coolant which extends sump life and can offer significant cost and waste reduction.
3. Increased recycled and renewable content usage
USDA BioPreferred cutting fluids like TRIM® OV 2200 and TRIM® HyperSol™ 888NXT outperform conventional coolants, even though they’re formulated with plant-based and other renewable ingredients. Using biobased coolants can bolster a product’s sustainability profile simply because less petroleum and toxic chemicals are used during production.
4. Reduced energy consumption
The quality of the cutting fluid can have an impact on the entire value chain, from lowering spindle loads and requiring less energy to reducing purchases and logistics. Over time, these reductions in energy usage can amount to significant cost savings and a much smaller environmental footprint.
5. Improved cleanliness
Clean running cutting fluids can improve the operating environment because they don’t leave residue behind on machinery, cutting tools, and workpieces. Higher quality fluids not only positively impact the machines themselves, but also operator morale and air quality.
Electronics manufacturing is an opportunity for companies positioned to meet demand, but they must also produce with sustainability and environmental impact in mind. Choosing high-quality cutting fluid that’s compatible with materials used in electronics will improve efficiency, as well as the sustainability profile of each product. Schedule a free trial of any of Master Fluid Solutions® cutting fluids, like biobased HyperSol 888NXT, to see the difference in quality with TRIM.
