Translations

SAFECHEM (The Dow Chemicals Company Group) sets standards for the innovative and sustainable use of chemicals

4. Environment

Green design

Sector Industry

Year 2008

Country Germany

Transmitter

Context

Chlorinated solvents (CHCs) are widely used for metal cleaning and dry cleaning applications. The cleaning of metal components is an important production step in a variety of industries like the automotive, aerospace and medical industry. High-precision cleaning is necessary to produce top-quality products which are essential for our daily life and the progress of mankind.

CHCs have proven to be the best cleaning medium compared to substitutes like hydrocarbons or water-based solutions. They offer an unmatched combination of quality and efficiency due to their cleaning performance and their complete recyclability. Considering the product specific risks of CHCs, the task was to further enable customers to use these highly efficient cleaning agents in a safe and sustainable way. Willing to answer the concerns in Germany around the use of CHCs, SAFECHEM Europe GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, was founded in 1992 and is based upon the principles of Responsible Care® and Sustainable Development.

Objectives

- Enable customers to use these cleaning agents in a safe and sustainable way.

- Reduce the risk for solvent spills, air emissions and exposure to basically zero.

- Increase the life-time of the solvent and therefore reduce its overall consumption remarkably.

APPROACH

SAFECHEM provides complete solutions to manage the product specific risks of CHCs and to optimize the cleaning process and solvent consumption. The basis is a closed-loop concept: the SAFE-TAINER™ system is a double-walled safety steel container system for the safe handling of fresh solvents and the take-back of used solvents for recycling, thus closing the loop. The system is connected to a hermetically closed cleaning machine. Emissions are reduced to basically zero.

Additional services around the whole cleaning process help to significantly increase the solvent´s life-time and thus to further reduce solvent consumption. Legal requirements in served markets like Europe and North America can be fulfilled.

SAFECHEM is continuously developing innovative concepts such as Chemical Leasing. Customers can lease the complete cleaning process for a fixed monthly leasing fee. Close cooperation with the customer allows to efficiently monitor and optimize the entire cleaning process at customers´ sites.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

• Shift from solvent sales to sales of complete solutions with focus on services and consultancy: increase of turnover with fewer products sold.

• Chemical Leasing concept is recognized with the Global Chemical Leasing Award

• More than 7,500 customers world-wide use the SAFE-TAINER™ system

Benefits

• Reduction of solvent consumption up to 96% of the initial solvent used with open machines, with the Chemical Leasing model even up to 98%.

• Complete solutions for the safe and sustainable use of solvents while allowing customers to keep their high quality standards and significantly reducing their environmental impact.