Parts supplier RINGSPANN is pushing ahead with its transformation into a sustainable company

RINGSPANN is systematically pursuing the goal of reducing its ecological footprint and developing into a company that operates sustainably. In the course of this transformation, the manufacturer of drive components, clamps and push/pull cables is currently implementing a large number of technical and organizational measures. Embedded in a certified environmental management system, these measures cover all areas of operation and are designed as a continuous improvement process. As a result, they develop efficiency that, in addition to optimizing internal processes, also generates innovation impulses for product development.

Bad Homburg, June 2023. – Reducing energy demand, lowering water consumption, minimizing emissions and avoiding waste wherever possible – RINGSPANN’s management has placed these four fields of action at the top of the agenda of its sustainability work. "They are laid down in our environmental statement and form the basis for our transformation into a climate-protecting and resource-saving company. At the same time, they set the framework for all ideas that we implement with the means and methods of our ISO 14001 and EMAS-certified environmental management system," says Daniel Riedel, Sales Manager at RINGSPANN. The most important sustainability projects in recent months include installing central air filter systems, commissioning a rainwater retention cistern and dismantling the heat treatment plants, which makes it possible to dispense with the use of environmentally harmful hardening salts. In addition, a 210 kWp photovoltaic system was installed, roof greening was advanced and complex groundwater protection projects were implemented – such as the installation of tub-shaped floor slabs for the production areas of a new hall at the headquarters in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe. All these measures are part of a long-term environmental and climate protection programme, under the specifications of which RINGSPANN has already carried out a large number of technical and organizational modernizations. The list ranges from the installation of smart radiator thermostats and demand-controlled LED lighting technology, through the installation of extensive thermal insulation, to the reduction of paper consumption and continuous optimization of waste management. Currently, the expansion of e-mobility charging stations and the implementation of further noise protection measures are on the company's sustainability agenda.

Qualification and monitoring

RINGSPANN’s sustainability work is characterized by a great deal of diversity and a high degree of complexity between individual sections and projects. In view of the resulting requirements, Daniel Riedel sees two factors in particular that are responsible for the long-term success of the transformation process: the appropriate qualifications of the workforce and systematic monitoring. "Only if our employees implement waste management, resource efficiency and energy-saving requirements actively will the measures taken prove to be sustainable for both the environment and the company. And professional controlling is required in order to be able to record the quantitative and qualitative impact of sustainability work and derive further insights from it", says the sales manager. Among other things, RINGSPANN achieves employee qualifications through digitized training processes and annual quality audits. Controlling, on the other hand, is part of the ISO 14001 and EMAS-certified environmental management system. It provides a high level of transparency to the measures initiated and ensures their continuous development in the sense of continuous improvement. As Daniel Riedel emphasizes, the results of the systematic monitoring of success from RINGSPANN’s sustainability work "ultimately also flow into the further refinement of lean management structures".

The decisive advantage

At RINGSPANN, the topic of sustainability is now viewed from a holistic perspective. In concrete terms, this means that aspects of resource conservation, the reduction of energy consumption or the avoidance of waste are increasingly being incorporated into the development of new product and engineering solutions. Whether it’s material-optimized freewheels for wave power plants or e-bike drives, or safety brakes for wind turbines, heavy-duty shaft-hub connections, intelligent electric brakes or de-energized remote controls: everything that paves the way for the design of energy-efficient, low-consumption and long-lasting systems, and everything that accelerates the changeover from energy-intensive old units, and the realization of future-oriented technologies also supports the careful use of our resources. "Many of our customers in drive technology, conveyor technology, food technology, aerospace, or in general mechanical and plant engineering, see this quality of RINGSPANN products as an element of added value that gives them a decisive advantage over the competition," says Sales Manager Daniel Riedel.

Increasing the share of renewable energy

The company’s current environmental statement illustrates RINGSPANN’s future priorities in terms of sustainability. The top priority here is to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity consumption. By the end of this year, it is expected to be at least 70 percent. Refining the monitoring of energy data and expanding the energy supply with photovoltaic are further goals of the current program. The company is also examining how gas consumption can be lowered and how paper volumes can be reduced even further. In all this, Daniel Riedel is certain "that many of the planned sustainability measures will lead to further process optimizations in production and administration". ar