The world is facing risks driven by climate change from global warming, and in response, the THK Group has established medium- and long-term targets for lowering its emissions of greenhouse gases. (These targets were approved by the Board of Directors in August 2021.)
The entire THK Group will continue to work together to promote effective policies aimed at achieving a carbon-neutral society.
As necessary, updates on these efforts will be released in an appropriate manner.
By 2030, reduce CO2 emissions to 50% of 2018 levels.
Scope: THK Japan and Group companies in Japan
2018 emissions: 106,514 tons
2030 target emissions: 53,257 tons
By 2050, achieve net-zero CO2 emissions.*
Scope: Entire THK Group
As exemplified by sustainability, society and corporations
generate common value through corporate activities that
minimize the negative impacts and strengthen the positive.
With this mindset of working for the benefit of all in addition
to our individual interests, THK is promoting various initiatives
to achieve the creation of a sustainable society.
The world is facing risks driven by climate change from
global warming, and in response, the THK Group has established
medium- and long-term targets for lowering its
emissions of greenhouse gases. (These targets were approved
by the Board of Directors in August 2021.)
To minimize our negative impact, we have established
the Carbon Neutrality Promotion Project, which is working
to further reduce the CO2 emitted through our business
activities. Meanwhile, to strengthen our positive impact,
we are expanding our offerings of linear motion and other
products and services that contribute to energy conservation.
We will accelerate our various initiatives in order to
achieve these goals.
Distribution departments* are constantly considering shipping methods to reduce CO2 emissions while giving top priority to meeting customer delivery dates. Since June, we have switched some overseas shipping from the conventional air freight to transport by ferry. From the next fiscal year onward, we will actively utilize DX to reduce CO2 emissions through more efficient shipping, such as by using advance understanding of shipment volumes to determine optimal loading on pallets. In addition, we will use AI to review operations and implement initiatives to save labor.
The details and results of our LED upgrades during 2021 are summarized below.
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Plant | Location | Time frame | Type and number of bulbs | Reductions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Electricity used (kWh) | ||||
Gifu Plant | Stair landings | June | Fluorescent: 12 | 858 |
Yamaguchi Plant | Throughout the plant (including distribution center) | December | Fluorescent: 1,015 Mercury: 606 |
671,000 |
THK NIIGATA Plant | Factory 3, 2nd floor Assembly/Manufacturing Promotion Unit office | July | Fluorescent: 74 | 1,733 |
Quality Assurance Section office | July | Fluorescent: 8 | 212 | |
Employee entrance | November | Fluorescent: 12 | 348 | |
THK INTECHS Mishima Plant | Factory 1 clean booth line | April | Fluorescent: 17 | 628 |
In front of Factory 2 coating area | July | Fluorescent: 12 | 264 | |
Talk Plaza, 2nd and 3rd floors | August | Fluorescent: 226 | 7,215 | |
THK RHYTHM Hamamatsu Plant |
Development Building, 1st and 2nd floors (all lighting) | July | Fluorescent: 116 | 9,280 |
Machining/assembly lines in the plant, logistics office, etc. | May to July | Fluorescent: 214 | 12,840 | |
THK RHYTHM Kyushu Plant |
Factory 1 machining and assembly lines | January to October | Fluorescent: 100 | 5,879 |
THK America | Headquarters office | June | Fluorescent: 292 | 38,234 |
TRA Michigan | Throughout the plant | January to October | Fluorescent: 360 | |
THK Wuxi | Transformer substation | January to August | Fluorescent (36 W): 108 Fluorescent (45 W): 24 |
18,353 |
The new HVAC equipment installed in Factories 4 and 5 has a forced cooling function, and the outside air intake can be at 100%, compared to the roughly 15% possible with regular equipment. Therefore, the plant made use of that ability in the cooler period from late March to mid-June and shut off the air conditioning. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 5.2 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 10.6 kL of crude oil.
Between late July and mid-August, a demand agreement was maintained by deciding equipment priorities for all machines and actively utilizing a central monitor (for power, air conditioner status, and device malfunctions) in every area from Factory 1 to Factory 6. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 1.0 ton per year, or the equivalent of about 0.5 kL of crude oil.
From January to July, work was done to replace the type of fuel used for the heat source in the Factory 2 power building, switching from an oil-fired chiller-heater to an electric turbo chiller and gas-fired heater. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 608.0 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 228.0 kL of crude oil.
The building lease for the Sanwa Factory used by Manufacturing Section I was signed, and the cooling tower was upgraded in July. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 6.3 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 3.6 kL of crude oil.
Along with conducting a repair of the aging exterior walls of Factory 3 and Factory 4, an insulating coating was applied beginning in September. With the project scheduled for completion in December, the effect has been limited, but it has reduced CO2 emissions by about 7.1 tons per year, or the equivalent of 3.1 kL of crude oil.
In June, two compressors in the grinding area of Factory 3 were upgraded to increase the discharge rate and make them high-efficiency units. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 97.5 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 44.7 kL of crude oil.
Since November, the coolant air supply area in Factory 3 in Zone B has been running in energy-saving mode by using the optimal pressure for days the plant is not in operation. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 4.0 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 1.9 kL of crude oil.
A total of eight pieces of aging HVAC equipment were replaced with new units in July, including five in the break rooms of Factories 1, 2, and 3; one in an office on the production floor; one in the Manufacturing Promotion Unit office; and one in the Quality Assurance office. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 0.4 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 0.2 kL of crude oil.
Air leak patrols were conducted monthly, so air leaks were repaired and aging components were replaced. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 8.8 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 4.2 kL of crude oil. In addition, as part of their preventative maintenance, the polycarbonate air regulator caps were gradually replaced with steel caps that will not deteriorate.
The air conditioner used in the miniature nut machining process in Factory 1 was an old unit containing R22 refrigerant,* so it was replaced with a floor-mounted packaged air conditioner in August. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 2.5 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 1.2 kL of crude oil.
The Mishima plant ran a generator as an auxiliary power source for the compressors from early December 2020 to the end of March 2021 and again from early July to late September, during the times of the year with the heaviest power consumption due to heating and cooling. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 15.99 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 5.9 kL of crude oil.
The roof of the machining and assembly factory, made of large slate roof tiles and wood wool cement board, was replaced with ribbed Galvalume steel and Phenovaboard in September, which improved the roof’s insulating capability by a factor of about 5. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 4.5 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 2.0 kL of crude oil.
An aging compressor was replaced in December. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 11.7 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 7.1 kL of crude oil.
The production lines were revised in November to improve efficiency. A concentrated layout was created for the (rack and pinion type) steering tie rod socket machining process by removing four NC lathes and two thread checkers from the line. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 2.5 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 1.5 kL of crude oil.
The use of coolant was eliminated from the ball stud machining line starting in November in order to reduce waste and decrease the cost of purchasing cutting oil. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 8.0 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 6.2 kL of crude oil.
From January to September, an energy-saving timer was installed on nine rolling machines to reduce the loss from idling. As a result, they were able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 8.5 tons per year, or the equivalent of about 6.2 kL of crude oil. The remaining three machines were scheduled to be completed by December.
In March, fourteen windows in the cafeteria were replaced with insulated glass and twenty were replaced with aluminum foam panels.