EMO – green with a vengeance

Indeed, CECIMO – Europe's national machine tool trade associations' representative body, and force behind EMO – organised a so-called 'EU Day', which hosted a round-table discussion between EU officials and a selection of European machine tool builders on the topic of 'Innovation for a competitive and sustainable European manufacturing industry'. It was followed by a guided visit to the booths of machine tool companies identified by CECIMO member associations as having a particularly 'green' theme. One of the stands the delegation called on was that of machine tool air and coolant filtration specialist Losma. The company was highlighting its new patented bio filter 'GREEN', which has been given permission to use the FAO logo for the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009, as it is made of 100 per cent natural fibres. Having high filtration capability and long life, GREEN also does not need any packing system (plastic or other), as it is transported ready for use. The product is, says the company: a healthy choice, as the natural fibres are an anti-pollution system, based on their own molecular composition; natural fibres are of major economic importance to many developing countries; a sustainable choice, as natural fibres are a renewable resource, requiring no pesticide or chemical fertilisers, and are carbon neutral, since, at the end of their life cycle, they are 100 per cent biodegradable. There were others able to claim smaller carbon footprint efforts, including CNC maker Fanuc, through machine power management; Agie Charmilles, also through machine power management on its EDM machines; Mitsubishi Electric, which displayed new EDM machines using lower energy-consuming tubular direct drives; Chiron Werke, with its services tower concept whose waste heat can be used to help heat buildings; MAG, with its no hydraulics approach for the new MAG NBV 400; and Brother, with its energy-efficient BT30 machines, as compared to machine tools having BT40 spindle connection. This year was the year EMO went green with a vengeance. First published in Machinery, November 2009