Containerboard production rates increased in December 2020 compared with the same month in 2019. According to the American Forest & Paper Association’s (AF&PA’s) latest "Containerboard Monthly" report, containerboard production in December increased 3 percent compared with December 2019, and it was up 4 percent for all of 2020 compared with all of 2019.

For December 2020, the containerboard operating rate was at 93.7 percent, essentially flat from December 2019, and up 2.3 percent year to date. The association reports that December 2020 production of containerboard for export decreased 22 percent compared with the same month in 2019, and it was up 9 percent year to date.

Mill inventories of containerboard at the end of December 2020 increased 3,000 tons from the previous month and were up 3,000 tons compared with December 2019.

In addition, AF&PA released its December 2020 "Packaging Papers & Specialty Packaging Monthly" report. The association says packaging paper shipments in December increased 8 percent compared with December 2019 and were up 5 percent in 2020 compared with 2019. For December 2020, the operating rate for packaging papers and specialty packaging was at 83.3 percent, which AF&PA states is up 0.6 percent compared with December 2019 and flat year to date.

For packaging papers in December 2020, mill inventories increased 2,000 tons compared with the previous month and increased 3,000 tons compared with December 2019.

Complete reports with detailed tables, charts and historical data can be purchased by contacting Kory Bockman at statistics_publications@afandpa.org or 202-463-4716.

Liebherr offers active personnel detection as an assistance system for its L 526 and L 586 XPower range of wheel loaders. The company has announced that it has added two extra functions—the brake assistant and incident map—to its personnel detection. The brake assistant automatically slows the speed of the wheel loader to a standstill the moment the active personnel detection issues a warning signal, and the incident map displays potential risk zones on the site using GPS data in LiDAT, Liebherr’s transfer and location system.

Liebherr

Brake assistant

Active personnel detection visually alerts the machine operator via the display screen and sounds acoustic signals if there is danger in the wheel loader’s rear area, Liebherr states in a news release on its new personnel detection assistance systems. The assistance system, using smart sensors, provides specific warning of people in the rear area of the wheel loader at a greater distance than for obstructions such as walls, columns or other vehicles. This means the assistance system avoids unnecessary signals, thereby reducing the burden on the machine operator and causing fewer distractions, Liebherr says.

The moment the active personnel detection system identifies a source of danger, the brake assistant slows the wheel loader to a standstill. According to Liebherr, the braking process is initiated at an earlier stage and more quickly than in the case of traditional braking since, with the brake assistant, there is no delay caused by human reaction time. This means the stopping distance is reduced which, in turn, reduces the frequency and severity of accidents.

In the case of the brake assistant, the hydrostatic components of the drivetrain automatically reduce the speed. Liebherr says this means the machine operator can continue to operate the wheel loader service brake in the normal way and can do this in addition to the brake assistant.

Liebherr

Incident map

Besides the brake assistant, a second new function for the active personnel detection at the rear is the incident map. According to Liebherr, each time the assistance system detects a danger and a warning signal is issued, the system transmits a GPS signal to LiDAT, Liebherr’s in-house transfer and location system. On the basis of this signal, and for each operator of a wheel loader with active personnel detection, Liebherr provides a Google map in LiDAT showing these GPS points.

The result is an incident map displaying the risk zones and potential sources of danger on the site. According to Liebherr, the operator can use this to take measures to prevent accidents and increase safety. For example, the operator might reroute footpaths, block areas and alter dangerous work sequences. The head of operations can use the incident map to train employees and make them aware of risky situations.

Other loader assistance systems

Liebherr says it also offers several intelligent assistance systems for its mid-range and large wheel loader series. In addition to active personnel detection, these include adaptive working lighting, front space monitoring, the skyview 360-degree camera system, the tire pressure monitoring system with sensor support and the new weighing device. According to Liebherr, its goal with its assistance systems is to increase safety and comfort and to support the machine operator.

The Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners recently released a report detailing ways forward for durable reusable packaging systems that reduce the need for single-use packaging. In the report, Bringing Reusable Packaging Systems to Life, Closed Loop Partners draw on insights from multiple reusable cup pilots conducted in partnership with the NextGen Consortium and IDEO, outlining key lessons learned and sharing a blueprint and open-source resource to encourage collaboration and the growth of reuse models.

“Reuse models are a critical tool in the fight against plastic waste, and brands and retailers are increasingly exploring them as a viable waste reduction strategy,” says Kate Daly, managing director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “Reusable packaging and cups are just the beginning; refill, resale and rental models that keep materials in circulation are poised to reinvent all kinds of product formats and industries. The future for reuse is bright, and now we need to work collaboratively toward it.” 

Closed Loop Partners convened the NextGen Consortium, with founding partners Starbucks and McDonald’s, among others, to address the world’s single-use food packaging waste by advancing the design, commercialization and recovery of packaging alternatives––starting with the hot and cold, to-go fiber cup system. Through the efforts of the NextGen Consortium, robust testing, funding and scaling of reusable cup models have been underway. Most recently, the Consortium ran pilots with NextGen Cup Challenge winners, CupClub and Muuse, across clusters of local cafes in the City of San Francisco and City of Palo Alto, Calif.

NextGen used a validated methodical approach to test and evaluate various reuse models, Closed Loop Partners says. These include engaging diverse stakeholders, making sustainable material choices, selecting appropriate locations, choosing the right payment model and optimizing health and safety protocols. It was decided that reuse models must provide a seamless, convenient experience for companies and customers.

“McDonald’s cups are an iconic part of the customer experience and can serve as a key gateway to increasing circular systems for our restaurants,” says Marion Gross, chief supply chain officer, North America, McDonald’s. “We remain committed to meaningful collaboration and solutions that will reduce waste and impact change at scale.” 

“Now is the perfect moment to design, implement and scale reuse models, as technological developments, regulatory pressures and consumer demand for eco-friendly alternatives converge,” says Chris Krohn, project lead, IDEO. “Piloting the reusable packaging models helps us better design a system that works for all.”   

“With single-use packaging volumes on the rise amidst the pandemic, safe and hygienic reuse models are critical to addressing the urgent issue,” says Erin Simon, head, Plastic Waste and Business, World Wildlife Fund. “The NextGen Consortium’s reusable cup pilots are critical for providing the necessary data and understanding to advance these kinds of models as a whole and reduce waste.”  

“Changing mindsets and offering consumers reuse options must be part of our efforts to end plastic pollution once and for all,” says Kristin Hughes, Director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership, the platform for accelerating plastic pollution and waste action at the World Economic Forum. “It is crucial and very exciting to see innovative models being tried and tested on the ground by the NextGen Consortium and others.”

Waupaca Foundry Inc., headquartered in Waupaca, Wisconsin, produces iron castings largely from scrap metal for use in the transportation, construction, agriculture and industrial markets. The company, which has been owned by Tokyo-based Hitachi Metals Group since 2014, says it is committed to continuous improvement and dedicated to “advancing technology, safety and productivity.” One item missing from that list is sustainability.

An original recycler

​Iron foundries are among the original recyclers, creating new products out of recycled steel scrap and iron.

Founded as the Pioneer Foundry in 1871 by John Rosche on the banks of the Waupaca River, the company took the Waupaca Foundry Inc. name in 1955 when Clifford Schwenn purchased it.

Waupaca Foundry now operates six iron casting foundries and two machining facilities in Wisconsin, Indiana, Tennessee and Illinois, as well as a location in Ironwood, Michigan, where castings produced at its Waupaca foundries are cleaned and finished. Recognizing that capacity exceeded demand, in the summer of 2020, the company closed a seventh foundry in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. That facility primarily produced automotive suspension components, including steering knuckles, control arms and brackets.

According to the company, it melts up to 9,500 tons of iron daily across its six foundries.

Brian Powell, director of procurement and supply at Waupaca Foundry, says, “Approximately 85 percent of the materials used in our melt process come from recycled materials.”

Image courtesy of Waupcaca Foundry Inc.

He notes that in its 2019 fiscal year, Waupaca consumed 1 million tons of steel scrap in the production of its various grades of gray iron and ductile iron, including Hitachi Metals HNM Series high-strength and austempered ductile iron. Other metallic inputs include pig iron and copper.

The company purchases scrap from the automotive, appliance and general scrap market, Powell says.

“Melting 9,500 tons daily requires multiple strong partners,” he says. “Waupaca Foundry aims to source locally where, and as often as, possible. At any given time, there is only a four-hour supply of feedstock on the ground.”

According to Waupaca’s sustainability report, 8 of its top 10 supplier relationships go back 25 years or more, and all suppliers are certified through a defined, documented process.

Waupaca employs two types of melt processes—induction, or electric, and cupola—Powell says.

“The advantage of electric melt is the flexibility for frequent material changes and starts/stops,” he explains. “Cupola melting is still generally recognized as the most economical melting process if the furnace is operated continuously, such as is the case at Waupaca Foundry.”

Powell adds that even though the cupola process is 300 years old, it is the more efficient of the two processes and the primary method used at Waupaca.

Given the company’s use of continual and large batch melting, Powell says Waupaca Foundry holds its scrap tolerances to high standards. “There is an audit and review to ensure tramp [metals] are to the specification that allows Waupaca to meet our customers’ high-quality standards. It all starts with melt, and we work closely with our partners to ensure their standards are met.”

Waupaca Foundry Director of Environmental Engineering Bryant Esch says the company melts more than the weight of the Eiffel Tower daily across its operations, which includes a considerable amount of tin cans.

When scrap enters the company’s foundries, Esch says, it is sorted and sized “so it is optimal for our process.” He adds that this helps the company maintain production.

While Esch describes scrap usage as “one of the major cogs of sustainability” at Waupaca, it is not the only one.

“The shift away from ICEs to electrification is accelerating. However, the ratio of pure EVs—EVs that run only on batteries—is forecast to be about 10 percent of vehicles produced in 2030, and, until then, engines will still be installed, including [in] hybrid vehicles. Parts for internal combustion engines will continue to contribute to our portfolio.” Brian Powell, director of procurement and supply at Waupaca Foundry

Sustainable beyond scrap

Despite its significant use of ferrous scrap, Waupaca acknowledges that foundries also consume a good deal of energy and water and produce wastes, including foundry sand, which is why the company has focused on the following sustainability goals for its 2020 fiscal year, which ends March 30:

• reduce energy use intensity by 25 percent;
• reduce water consumption by 80 percent;
• promote alternative processes and maintain advanced pollution control technologies; and
• reduce spent foundry sand generation by 30 percent while promoting off-site reuse/recycling opportunities for remaining spent foundry materials.

Esch says that as of early January, Waupaca has achieved a 23 percent reduction in its energy use relative to 2010 and earned a U.S. Department of Energy 2020 Better Project Award for a system that removes humidity from the air entering the cupola at its Tell City, Indiana, foundry.

The federal program recognizes manufacturers for creating and implementing industrial energy and water efficiency projects, as well as renewable energy and energy resiliency projects.

Esch says plant engineers installed a desiccant cupola blast air drying system that removes water vapor from ambient air prior to introduction to the foundry's cupola, enabling the company to use less coke in the melting process.

“The system passes air through a desiccant air wheel which works like a filter to remove water from the air, increasing the efficiency of the combustion process,” Marco Gonzalez, corporate energy manager for Waupaca Foundry, says in a news release the company distributed after receiving the award in June of last year. “It’s like if you’re trying to light a barbecue during a rainy day, the moisture in the air will consume power from your charcoal and they will take longer to light. By removing the moisture from the air, the fuel can burn more efficiently.”

Removing humidity from the air stabilizes operations throughout the year and reduces energy consumption, according to the company. “Every pound of water removed equals a certain amount of coke reduction,” Esch says.

The cupola system also is designed to recover and return waste heat to the cupola’s melting zone, which further boosts the system’s energy efficiency, he adds.

In addition to the energy savings, the system reduces ash and solid waste produced during the melting process. 

The melting process represents 65 percent of the Tell City foundry’s total energy usage, with coke being the largest energy source.

In addition to supporting the direct melting processes, excess “waste” heat from the cupola furnace supplies building heat and is used to heat water at Waupaca Foundry facilities in cold months. Heat recovery systems used at Waupaca Foundry plants provide 70 percent of the foundries’ space heating requirements, and 100 percent of the plants' hot water needs where the recovery technology has been implemented, the company says.

Esch says Waupaca Foundry also wanted to reduce its use of fresh water in its foundry pollution control and noncontact machine cooling applications. He says each of the company’s foundries in Waupaca used 1 million gallons of water per day for these purposes. Plant upgrades substituted these single-use water cooling systems with closed-loop and air-cooled heat exchangers, cutting water demands by nearly 67 percent, Esch adds, and reducing noncontact cooling water discharge to near zero.

The company’s sustainability efforts also have been recognized by the American Foundry Society, Schaumburg, Illinois. In 2020, Waupaca Foundry was awarded the Green Foundry Sustainability Award for initiatives that included implementing the ISO 50001 Energy Management System, a formal management system approach to energy reduction. To gain the ISO certification, the company says it created and implemented a program in energy management at its gray iron foundry Plant 1 in Waupaca and then reviewed and checked data to ensure consistent results. After 12 months of preparation and a verification audit by an independent registrar, the certification was granted in 2017.

Waupaca Foundry says energy is one of the company’s greatest expenses, costing about $150 million in fiscal 2019 across all Waupaca Foundry locations.

Additionally, Waupaca Foundry recycles 450,000 tons of foundry byproducts annually, including sand. One grain of sand can be recycled approximately 50 times internally at the company’s foundries by cooling and reconditioning it, Esch says.

Sand that can no longer be recycled internally is removed from the process and sourced to general construction, road construction, agricultural use and geotechnical fill, according to the company. About 75 percent of Waupaca’s sand is going off-site for beneficial use in these applications, he adds.

Room for growth

“Waupaca Foundry is well-positioned to grow,” Powell says. “Waupaca will continue to expand in markets in support of its customers’ growth. This will be realized through key strategic capital investments throughout our facilities. And it can be seen in new technology, such as expanded use of automation, which carries positive social and environmental impacts.”

He says that upon completion of its 2020 sustainability goals, new three-year targets are being developed to facilitate ongoing improvements. “Waupaca is also investigating the procurement of long-term renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, using variable power purchase agreements, as well as to maximize the use of waste heat to work towards a carbon-net-zero business model.”

While sustainability will factor into the company’s future, Powell says Waupaca Foundry’s ongoing use of scrap could be challenged by the growth in the use of specialty metals in many industries. “The more high-strength steel, the more challenging it will be to use a straight scrap supply to melt iron. This indicates more reliance on virgin materials like pig iron, direct reduced iron, etc.,” he says.

For the time being, global trade issues are affecting the supply chain that Waupaca is part of.

Powell says, “The industry supports a global supply chain. Components and commodities move all over the globe.” However, tariffs have affected U.S. metal producers’ ability to sell globally, he adds. “The economic conditions created by tariffs artificially decrease demand with fewer buyers. This puts all the control in the U.S. mill market. We have seen dramatic raw material price increases recently. We expect this volatility will continue in 2021, which began in December 2020.”

One might think that Waupaca Foundry would find the growth in electric vehicle (EV) demand and production a potential threat; however, the company does not see it as such for a number of reasons.

“Waupaca Foundry produces iron castings for both on- and off-highway vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICEs),” Powell says. “The shift away from ICEs to electrification is accelerating. However, the ratio of pure EVs—EVs that run only on batteries—is forecast to be about 10 percent of vehicles produced in 2030, and, until then, engines will still be installed, including [in] hybrid vehicles. Parts for internal combustion engines will continue to contribute to our portfolio.”

Additionally, while EVs may lead to decreased demand for some iron engine components, the company says iron castings will remain in demand for suspension, breaking and driveline components. Waupaca Foundry says a hybrid-electrification model also could present opportunities for new iron components.

Infrastructure impacts that arise from the growth of EVs could in turn increase demand for municipal, construction and other industrial components that the company manufactures. Because Waupaca Foundry is diversified across multiple market sectors, the company says it is well-positioned to adapt to this change.

Previous Next