Shibaura Mechatronics has established Environmental Charter, under which it strives to minimize impacts on the global environment through distributing environmentally conscious products (ECP).
We see the issue of environmental loads from the perspective of product lifecycle^*1 when creating ECPs. The environmental loads imposed throughout a product’s lifecycle are immensely affected by how much we are aware of and how we come to grips with environmental issues in planning and designing products. Recognizing this, we have compiled a “Product Assessment Manual” which shows appropriate approaches to reducing environmental loads and points that must be considered during the development and design of our products. Guided by this manual, we make every effort to reduce the environmental loads of our products during every phase of planning and designing, giving full consideration to energy conservation and to saving and recycling natural resources.

We started to use the concept of “factor” as an indicator for comprehensive assessment of the value and environmental impact of our products in 2005. The value and impacts of each product are quantified as a “factor value” that gauges how eco-friendly the product is and how its factor value has been improved.

“Factor value” is calculated by comparison between the eco-efficiency^*3 of a base-year product and a product in for a subsequent year. The bigger the factor value between the two products, the better the eco-efficiency.

Eco-efficiency is calculated based on the “lifecycle assessment (LCA)^*4” method of converting various factors, such as electricity and process materials, into CO₂.

Under our guidelines, products with a factor value of 1.5 and over and products with a factor value of 2.0 and over are approved as ECP and Ex-ECP (Excellent ECP)^*5, respectively.

Many ECPs and Ex-ECPs have been created to date.

We aim to increase the ratio of ECP and Ex-ECP sales to over 50% of total sales by FY 2010.

In order to encourage further development of ECPs, our Global Environment Committee and environmental technology promotion sessions carry out our original action plan, the “Voluntary Plan”.

*1:

Product life-cycle… the series of stages all products pass through, from procurement of materials, production, distribution and use, through to final disposal.

*2:

Factor value… the eco-efficiency of a product from any given year of assessment divided by eco-efficiency of that product in the base year

*3:

Eco-efficiency… a product’s value divided by the product’s environmental impacts

*4:

LCA (Life-cycle Assessment)… assessment of the environmental loads imposed by a product at each stage of its lifecycle.

*5:

Ex-ECP… Excellent Environmentally Conscious Products

High-speed Seal Dispenser

• Improved productivity by high speed, highly accurate sealant application.
• Quantified application of sealant realized constant and high-quality application, even in the corners of glass substrates, which requires sophisticated control techniques.
• A new screw-type dispenser dramatically reduced consumption of N₂ process gas. (Figure 1)

The next section considers ECPs used on LCD panel production lines. (Figure 2)

As LCD TVs get bigger and thinner, LCD panel production lines are increasingly using larger, heavier manufacturing equipment. The environmental loads imposed by this equipment are considerable, as can be seen in high levels of electricity, water and gas consumption. The environmental loads imposed by this production equipment have to be reduced.

A High-speed Seal Dispenser applies sealant at the edges of glass substrates before two glass substrates are bonded together in the LCD panel manufacturing process. A new screw type dispenser installed in the equipment realizes high-speed, quantified and highly accurate sealant application. In making this improvement, the equipment’s weight and its environmental loads during operation are reduced.