You are not logged in. Login=
=20
Register
MuscatineJournal.com > =
News
Allsteel committed to protecting environment
By=20
Melissa Regennitter of the Muscatine Journal
- Font Size:
- Default=20 font size
- Larger font=20 size
MUSCATINE, Iowa n Pollutants are not always evidenced by bellowing =
clouds of=20
factory emissions or runoff into streams.
Sometimes, the worst =
pollution=20
is invisible.
A local company is determined to reduce the =
ecological=20
impact of its products by looking at solutions to environmental problems =
that=20
aren=E2=80=99t as easily seen with the naked eye.
In the 1980s, =
Allsteel began=20
integrating environmental management into manufacturing. Pollution =
prevention=20
practices are now a part of virtually every aspect of operations at =
Allsteel,=20
which is now an operating company within the parent corporation, HNI =
Corp.,=20
Muscatine=E2=80=99s largest employer.
Scott Lesnet is the corporate environmental and safety manager for =
HNI. He=E2=80=99s=20
been an Allsteel employee since 1973. His main project is helping the =
company=20
constantly meet and surpass environmental standards for every=20
product.
Lesnet said it=E2=80=99s easier to fix things that you =
can see. Visible=20
signs of pollution are noticed most by the public, but are not =
necessarily the=20
most harmful.
=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s what you don=E2=80=99t see =
that matters.=E2=80=9D
At Allsteel,=20
=E2=80=9CEveryone is involved in pollution and waste reduction,=E2=80=9D =
Lesnet said. =E2=80=9CFrom the=20
board of directors and the engineers to the workers in the factories who =
build=20
our products each day.=E2=80=9D
Product developers and designers =
at Allsteel and=20
HNI Corp. continually work to minimize long-term damage to the =
environment.=20
Products are designed to be recyclable 20 years down the road when their =
useful=20
life has run out.
Erin Dindinger is the safety and environmental =
manager=20
at the Allsteel plant. She is on the shop floor 60 percent of the time,=20
observing workers and their practices as well as equipment and its=20
functions.
=E2=80=9CThere are 450 people thinking about how we =
are going to get=20
to the next level,=E2=80=9D Dindinger said. =E2=80=9CThe workers are =
right there with us, making=20
the right choices for the environment.=E2=80=9D
Allsteel =
practices
The=20
Life Cycle Assessment process focuses on the environmental impact of =
each=20
component. They are tested in the following areas: energy consumption, =
renewable=20
resource, recycled content, solid waste generation, air quality and =
water=20
quality.
Lean manufacturing is a philosophy adopted by Allsteel =
that=20
focuses on waste reduction. The theory is that any material or physical =
labor=20
that fails to add value to a product is a waste and must be=20
eliminated.
Every member of Allsteel is vital to putting the =
theory into=20
action. According to Lesnet, the success of the company=E2=80=99s waste =
reduction and=20
continual product improvement is the result of good people making =
responsible=20
choices for the right reasons.
=E2=80=9CA painter on the line =
must consciously=20
choose to turn off his paint gun when it=E2=80=99s not in use instead of =
letting toxic=20
emissions flow. Our members are taught how important each tiny decision =
is,=E2=80=9D=20
Lesnet said.
Allsteel also incorporates the Rapid Continuous =
Improvement=20
(RCI) approach. According to Lesnet, all furniture produced has room to =
improve=20
as an environmentally friendly product. Work places have a check list of =
opportunities n subtle changes in the manufacturing process where =
employees can=20
make a difference in product proficiency.
The RCI method was =
introduced=20
in post-World War II Japan. A failing economy led to changes in the =
Japanese=20
manufacturing process.
Allsteel adopted several of these process=20
practices:
N Each goal that is met should be continually viewed =
and=20
analyzed as an area that will always have room for improvement.
N =
Human=20
resources are the most important asset of an enterprise.
N Reduce =
tasks=20
not contributing to the added value of a product, such as overproduction =
and=20
warehousing.
N Quality control and maintenance of facilities =
reduces=20
waste.
N Raw materials and parts arrive on the production chain =
just as=20
they are required. Over- or under-ordering is wasteful.
N =
Improvements of=20
the product quality must be gradual and are not necessarily the result =
of=20
radical changes.
N Use only the material, energy and person-power =
needed=20
to produce a particular part or product, and no more.
Utilizing=20
waste
The HON Co., also an operating company of HNI, and Allsteel =
are=20
using a process of their own creation that utilizes wood waste to mold =
chair=20
seats and backs. It=E2=80=99s called Compression Molding and has =
replaced the use of new=20
plywood by mixing wood chips with adhesive and applying heat to the =
molds to=20
make it firm.
Nearly 5,000 tons of recycled demolition and=20
construction-site wood picked up from other facilities in the area are =
used=20
annually.
The company worked with the Iowa Department of Natural=20
Resources in a collaborative effort. The Compression Molding project =
earned HON=20
Industries (parent company=E2=80=99s name prior to HNI Corp.) the 2002 =
national Murray=20
J. Fox Recycling Innovation Award.
In the past, Allsteel and HON =
used=20
adhesives that were solvent-based and contained volatile organic =
compounds.=20
Those have been eliminated and replaced with hot-melt or water-based =
adhesives=20
to reduce ecological impact.
Much of the painting that coats the =
steel=20
products has been replaced by solvent-free powder coating. Over spray =
from the=20
powder-coating process n the powder that doesn=E2=80=99t hit the product =
and lands on=20
surfaces in the spray booth n is collected and reused. When feasible, =
overspray=20
from wet paint lines is re-tinted and reused as well.
On the =
laminate=20
lines, wood finishes have been replaced with substances that also have a =
lower=20
content of organic compounds.
Bulk packaging reduces a =
substantial amount=20
of unnecessary waste compared to individual packaging. Also, time and =
manpower=20
is saved.
Whenever it is practical, workers are required to use =
an=20
unpowered cart rather that a forklift to reduce =
emissions.
Machinery is=20
designed or made smaller to use the least amount of electricity as =
possible.=20
Allsteel uses only as much manpower as needed. Machinery is designed to =
assist=20
workers, requiring less strain and stress.
Recycle, recycle,=20
recycle
Source separation maximizes the opportunity for each =
recyclable=20
waste item to actually be recycled. At work stations and throughout the =
plants,=20
steel, fabric, trash, landfill and aluminum have their own =
bins.
Not only=20
are many products made of recycled materials, almost everything, down to =
the=20
tubes holding rolls of fabric, is recycled. The tubes are sent back to =
vendors=20
and fabric is reapplied to eliminate the cardboard =
waste.
Returnable=20
totes and pallets hold product that is shipped to Allsteel and HON. They =
are=20
emptied and returned to the vendor to be used =
again.
=E2=80=9CThere is even a=20
cart for the glass vendor,=E2=80=9D Lesnet said. =E2=80=9C Any time =
there is a long-term product=20
of high volume, we will create a means for reducing or recycling=20
waste.=E2=80=9D
In 2004, Allsteel also won U.S. General Service =
Administration=E2=80=99s=20
Evergreen and USEPA Pollution Prevention awards. The company is =
currently=20
creating more environmentally friendly products and processes that may =
be=20
announced later this year.
Designers and engineers continue to =
work on=20
ways to eliminate problem materials such as fiberglass, which contain=20
formaldehyde, and certain fire retardants that contain=20
toxins.
Online
Allsteel Web site:=20
www.allsteeloffice.com
More=20
information
www.ciras.iastate.edu/bioindustry/hon.asp
![3D"Email](3D"http://www.muscatinejournal.com/images/07/email.png")
Email =
Story : ![3D"Print](3D"http://www.muscatinejournal.com/images/07/printer.png")
Print Story : ![3D""=20](3D"http://s9.addthis.com/button1-bm.gif")
More News Stories
- RAGBRAI coming to Muscatine same weekend as Great River Days
- Big Sisters Big Brothers program grows, needs more adults
- The year 2005 in review
- Allsteel committed to protecting environment
- Allsteel Inc. is believed to be the state's first company to = utilize solar=20 energy for its corporate headquarters
- Touchy subject
- Portions of market test questioned
- Wapello High renovation plan presented
- Wilton police chief's status on hold
- Practice of 'cutting' grows
www.StateUniversity.com
www.GottaGoTravel.com
www.DiscountHotelWorld.com
=
![](3D"http://www.billingsgazette.net/qwikcast/night_sm/4.gif")
=C2=A9 2009 Muscatine Journal, Muscatine, =
IA
- Lee = Enterprises=20
- A Lee Enterprises=20 subsidiary=20
- Other = Lee=20 Websites=20
- Privacy = Policy=20
- Terms of = Use=20
- Other Publications=20
- Partners=20
- Quad-City = Times=20
- Sioux = City=20 Journal=20
- WCFcourier.com=20
![3DFirefox=20](3D"http://www.muscatinejournal.com/images/07/footer_firefox.gif")
=
![3DOpera=20](3D"http://www.muscatinejournal.com//images/07/footer_opera.gif")
<=
A=20
href=3D"http://www.apple.com/safari/" target=3D_blank>![3DSafari=20](3D"http://www.muscatinejournal.com//images/07/footer_safari.gif")
=
=20
"+caption+"
" + TB_imageCount + TB_PrevHTML + TB_NextHTML + =
"
close or Esc =
Key
"); =0A=
=0A=
$("#TB_closeWindowButton").click(tb_remove);=0A=
=0A=
if (!(TB_PrevHTML =3D=3D=3D "")) {=0A=
function goPrev(){=0A=
=
if($(document).unbind("click",goPrev)){$(document).unbind("click",goPrev)=
;}=0A=
$("#TB_window").remove();=0A=
$("body").append("");=0A=
tb_show(TB_PrevCaption, TB_PrevURL, imageGroup);=0A=
return false; =0A=
}=0A=
$("#TB_prev").click(goPrev);=0A=
}=0A=
=0A=
if (!(TB_NextHTML =3D=3D=3D "")) { =0A=
function goNext(){=0A=
$("#TB_window").remove();=0A=
$("body").append("");=0A=
tb_show(TB_NextCaption, TB_NextURL, imageGroup); =0A=
return false; =0A=
}=0A=
$("#TB_next").click(goNext);=0A=
=0A=
}=0A=
=0A=
document.onkeydown =3D function(e){ =0A=
if (e =3D=3D null) { // ie=0A=
keycode =3D event.keyCode;=0A=
} else { // mozilla=0A=
keycode =3D e.which;=0A=
}=0A=
if(keycode =3D=3D 27){ // close=0A=
tb_remove();=0A=
} else if(keycode =3D=3D 190){ // display previous image=0A=
if(!(TB_NextHTML =3D=3D "")){=0A=
document.onkeydown =3D "";=0A=
goNext();=0A=
}=0A=
} else if(keycode =3D=3D 188){ // display next image=0A=
if(!(TB_PrevHTML =3D=3D "")){=0A=
document.onkeydown =3D "";=0A=
goPrev();=0A=
}=0A=
} =0A=
};=0A=
=0A=
tb_position();=0A=
$("#TB_load").remove();=0A=
$("#TB_ImageOff").click(tb_remove);=0A=
$("#TB_window").css({display:"block"}); //for safari using css =
instead of show=0A=
};=0A=
=0A=
imgPreloader.src =3D url;=0A=
}else{//code to show html=0A=
=0A=
var queryString =3D url.replace(/^[^\?]+\??/,'');=0A=
var params =3D tb_parseQuery( queryString );=0A=
=0A=
TB_WIDTH =3D (params['width']*1) + 30 || 630; //defaults to 630 if no =
paramaters were added to URL=0A=
TB_HEIGHT =3D (params['height']*1) + 40 || 440; //defaults to 440 if =
no paramaters were added to URL=0A=
ajaxContentW =3D TB_WIDTH - 30;=0A=
ajaxContentH =3D TB_HEIGHT - 45;=0A=
=0A=
if(url.indexOf('TB_iframe') !=3D -1){// either iframe or ajax window =0A=
urlNoQuery =3D url.split('TB_');=0A=
$("#TB_iframeContent").remove();=0A=
if(params['modal'] !=3D "true"){//iframe no modal=0A=
$("#TB_window").append(""+caption+"
close or Esc Key
"+caption+"
close or Esc Key