Sustainable process and production management
At our headquarters in Germany, where the largest share of our products is manufactured, we implement various projects every year to reduce consumption and increase biodiversity, and always aim for improvement in order to reduce the impact of our actions on the environment. Occupational safety and environmental protection are important pillars of the DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH corporate policy and share the same priority as other company goals. Our holistic approach encompasses waste, water, energy, emissions and biodiversity. We are also pursuing this goal in the United States.
Unavoidable waste
Generating less and maximizing recovery
Through rigorous waste separation, we recycled 2,655 metric tons, or 95% of our total waste in 2023 at our headquarters in Traunreut, Germany. Two processing plants in our manufacturing departments separate metal chips from the emulsions they are trapped in. Reducing the moisture content of the chips to less than 1% in this manner enables effective and cost-efficient recycling.
On our enclosed machine tools, we increasingly use centrifugal extraction units, where we separate the picked-up cooling lubricant from the captured oil and emulsion mist and reuse it within the system. Non-reusable cooling lubricant is stored in centralized tanks near the cooling-lubricant treatment equipment, thereby avoiding the unnecessary transport of hazardous waste within the company.
We also use polymer nets instead of trash bags in all business units with suitable waste. This saves around 120,000 trash bags annually.
Savings and other facts from 2023 for the HEIDENHAIN headquarters in Traunreut, Germany
Waste
Hazardous waste
Recycling rate
Fewer trash bags used
Water as an essential resource
Minimizing consumption and preventing wastage
We use water in our manufacturing processes our headquarters in Traunreut, Germany, but aim to significantly reduce our consumption. In 2023, we implemented a small project that saves 120 m³ of water per year during the disinfection of equipment filters.
We have also installed the necessary equipment to recover water and energy while rinsing filters for our ultra-filtration equipment. Because rinsing is performed around the clock, the new technology will save 80,000 kWh of energy per year. Up to 75% of the hot rinse water (at approx. 50° to 60° Celsius) will be recirculated, thereby saving up to 5,500 m³ of water per year.
Energy
Transitioning, conserving and anticipating
In Germany, where the largest share of our products is produced, 100% of our electricity comes from verifiable renewable sources. This green electricity is purchased from a variety of suppliers. Around 60% comes from power purchase agreements that contractually specify the type of power plant, with hydroelectric power making up the dominant share.
At our headquarters in Traunreut, Germany, we have already been generating our own power through photovoltaic panels on the roofs of our production buildings. In 2023, we installed enough photovoltaic panels on these buildings to provide roughly 820 MWh in annual capacity. And more are being planned. We are also planning to build two company-owned wind turbines near our headquarters. When it comes to heat energy, district heating from Traunreut’s municipal utilities covers our needs under normal conditions.
And just as important as switching to renewable sources is saving energy in the first place, not least due to economic reasons.
Savings and other facts from 2023 for the HEIDENHAIN headquarters in Traunreut, Germany
Green power
Electrical energy
Heat energy
Wind turbines planned
Emissions reduction
An ongoing environmental goal
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions at our headquarters in Traunreut, Germany, we have been optimizing buildings and equipment with great success. In 2023, we reduced our year-on-year emissions of CO2 equivalents by 72%.
Besides water, the cleaning agents we use include various solvents, especially alcohols and acetone. We are working to determine the suitability of less environmentally harmful alternatives while taking into account the rigorous quality requirements of certain cleaning processes. In 2023, we reduced our year-on-year VOC emissions by 17%.
The HEIDENHAIN headquarters in Traunreut, Germany, where the largest share of our products is produced, has been climate-neutral since 2021.
Biodiversity
Creating habitats and preserving the variety of life
We know that built-up land is a common feature of a manufacturing site. Production facilities, administrative buildings, roads and truck courts are unavoidable. But at our headquarters in Traunreut, Germany, 23% of our 305,000 sqm site is landscaped as near-natural space.
One of our concerns has been to increase botanic diversity on our grounds and to protect and enhance natural habitats, especially for insects and birds. For many years, we have taken care to make our green spaces as wildlife-friendly as possible.
For birds, we have installed birdhouses and birdbaths. We were happy to see that all birdhouses were occupied in 2023. And insect hotels, especially at our densely built-up headquarters, provide a habitat for insects right in the center of town.
