Ford, Goodyear, FTS Technologies Win Sustainability Innovation Awards

Ford, Goodyear Tire & Rubber and FTS Technologies received awards from the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment last month at the organization’s second annual Sustainable Innovation Awards ceremony in Rochester, MI. The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment is comprised of more than 40 automakers, their suppliers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The awards program recognizes member companies for achievements in three award categories: the Spirit of Suppliers Partnership; Creativity in Implementing Sustainable Practices; and Demonstrating Environmental Innovation in the Manufacturing Process.

The 2014 Spirit of Suppliers Partnership Award was presented to Luis Lara, Manager, Environmental Quality Office, at Ford Motor Co.’s operation near Mexico City. Lara was recognized for his integral role in the creation of the Suppliers Partnership Alianza Verde Automotriz initiative, a collaborative forum that supports the efforts of automakers and suppliers in Mexico to improve in their environmental performance and competitiveness.

Goodyear received the 2014 Creativity in Implementing Sustainable Practices Award for its innovative use of ash left over from the burning of rice husks to produce electricity as an environmentally friendly source of silica for use in fuel-efficient tires. The use of rice husk ash will provide the manufacturer an alternative source of silica—a material used in tire treads to improve fuel efficiency—while helping reduce the amount of rice husk waste sent to landfill globally.

The award for Demonstrating Environmental Innovation in the Manufacturing Process was presented to FTS Technologies, a Michigan-based provider of surface-treatment solutions, for introducing an automated flame de-flashing technology in General Motors’ Spring Hill (TN) manufacturing injection molding operations. The technology automates the de-flashing process through the use of a high-efficiency gas burner, producing a more consistent part of higher quality than highly variable, labor-intensive manual de-flashing processes.