Manufacturing and Industry » Publications
Solid Waste Reduction by Material Substitution in the Furniture Manufacturing Industry
Summary
Gailey Manufacturing located in Americus, Georgia substituted plywood for hardwood in furniture frame construction reducing both waste disposal and operating costs.
Background
Gailey manufactures upholstered furniture with wood and metal frame construction. Hardwood was used to assemble the majority of the upholstered frames. Since strength is critical in building high quality furniture, flaws such as cracks were removed from hardwood boards before use. As much as 40 percent of all hardwood was scrapped due to defects. Some of this scrapped material was still usable to construct butcher block surfaces after the defect was removed. The remaining wood was disposed of in the county landfill at the rate of 80 cubic yards per month costing $4,320 annually.
Process Modifications
Gailey switched from hardwood to plywood, a material that can meet or exceed the strength requirements of furniture manufacturing. Although the cost of plywood is significantly higher than hardwood per board foot, and special cutting equipment requiring a large investment was needed for cutting to the correct shape, tests indicated plywood substitution would decrease waste volume and the amount of material purchased.
Results
The raw material scrap rate was reduced from 40 percent to 2 percent. Waste disposal costs will decrease to approximately $180 annually for a savings of $4,140 per year. In addition, the overall operating cost of this process was reduced by 50 percent. Quality of the product has also improved since the plywood assembly is stronger and more durable.
|
