Within conventional painting and anodizing manufacturing processes, significant amounts of materials like paint, solvents, water and chemicals are lost due to inefficiencies. By implementing cleaner production methods like closed cleaning units, optimized spray guns, reducing solvent content, improving worker training and planning, one painting process saw material use reduced from 10 kg to 2.2 kg input per 1 kg of dry paint output. An anodizing company reduced water consumption by 46% and drag-out of chemicals by 40-50% through measures like minimizing rinse water and optimizing workpiece handling. A car repair shop saved 76% on washing agents, 80% on water and reduced hazardous waste by installing an ultrafiltration unit to continuously clean and reuse

1. 1 – Examples
1-1 Cleaner production in a painting process
Slides 1 - CP Basics
Within the production
process, there are
many points where
materials and energy
are lost.
These places are also
environmental and
economic weak points.
A material flow
analysis identifies the
points where materials
are lost and their
amount.
Slides 1 - CP Basics
A comparison with the
best available
technology shows weak
points in the process.
A material flow analysis
facilitates the evaluation
of the "production
costs" of waste and
emissions.
Eco-efficiency:
the best use of materials
reduces emissions.

2. During a painting process, such as in a car repair shop, paints and solvents are used to
manufacture the product – a painted surface. During a conventional process up to 10 kg of
input material are used to apply 1 kg of dry paint on the surface. The remaining 9 kg are lost
due to:
• Cleaning of spray guns;
• Paint waste;
• Solvent in the air;
• Particles in the air;
• Paint sludge.
Using the best available technology and best management practices, the same process can
be carried out using only 2.2 kg of input material. In this case a bundle of measures has
been taken:
• Closed cleaning unit for spray guns;
• Use of HVLP (high volume – low pressure) spray guns;
• Use of paints with a lower solvent content;
• Training of painters;
• Improved work planning (such as more accurate calculation of the required
paint).
The two Sankey diagrams on the previous pages show the radical reduction in emissions. A
subsequent economic analysis has proven that the achieved savings in expensive paint and
solvents as well as the reduced costs for waste disposal clearly justify the investment.

3. 1-2 Saving of water and chemicals
Slides 1 - CP Basics
Anodizing company
Use of spray rinses
Reconstruction of water
pipes
Longer drag-out time
Daily check
Reduction in water
consumption by 46%
(14,000 m³)
Slides 1 - CP Basics
0
500
1.000
1.500
inl/m²
Anodizing company
Specific water consumption
spez. Wasserv. 1.263 1.273 919 600 392 425 400 400
1993 ´94 ´95 ´96 ´97 ´98 ´99 2000
A small electroplating company anodizes aluminium. The workpieces are fixed on a special
transportation device which immerses them vertically into the different process baths. After
every process bath some solution remains on the workpiece, the so-called drag-out. For this
reason the workpiece has to be cleaned and rinsed with water. During this process, the
chemicals are diluted in the washing water and subsequently transported to the wastewater
treatment plant. There the wastewater is treated with chemicals and sludge is generated.
Within this process, reduction at source meant diminishing the drag-out. In addition to the
reduced purchasing costs for new process chemicals, savings could also be achieved due to

4. reduced water consumption for rinsing. Moreover fewer chemicals had to be used at the
wastewater treatment plant and less sludge was produced.
In a first step the drag-out was measured at a weekend together with a manager and a
foreman. Simple equipment such as a collecting basin, a bucket and a measuring jug were
used. Then different ways of fixing and taking out the workpieces were tested (such as
allowing ten instead of five seconds of dripping, taking out the workpieces at a different
angle, etc.). In addition, all these data were compared to data from relevant publications. By
simple measures with hardly any investment the drag-out was reduced by around 40
to 50%.
Meanwhile – through continuous improvement – the specific water consumption was
reduced by more than 66%.

5. 1-3 Ultrafiltration in a car repair shop
Slides 1 - CP Basics
Car repair shop
Installation of an ultrafiltration unit
Modified cleaning equipment
Saving of washing agent by 76 %, of water by 80 %
A car repair shop needs to clean oily motor parts regularly. They are cleaned in a closed
cleaning machine with an aqueous alcaline solution. Every two to three weeks, the washing
solution (2 000 litres) has to be changed and disposed of as hazardous oily waste.
A new ultrafiltration unit continuously filters the solution with a ceramic membrane and
removes the oil. Thus the washing solution can be used up to four months. The reduction of
washing agent, water and hazardous waste amounts to about 75 to 80%. The necessary
investment of EUR 6 000 to 7 000 is recovered after about 11 months.