Xerox Opens $60M Energy Efficient Manufacturing Plant
Xerox will open a new $60 million manufacturing plant that will produce a toner it is touting as more environmentally friendly.
Xerox will open a new $60 million manufacturing plant that will produce a toner it is touting as more environmentally friendly.
The EA toner Xerox spent eight years developing is more environmentally friendly because of the way it is made and how it functions, Pat Burns, lab manager of the Xerox Research Center in Canada, told GreenBiz Friday.
It's water-based and chemically grown, which allows its manufacture without the need to undergo an energy-intensive grinding process. "The manufacturing takes about 25 percent less energy per pound of toner compared to conventional toner," Burns said.
Less of this toner is needed during printing. Less residue buildup leads to a longer life for the printer.
This combines with the fact that the new plant, which will boost EA toner production capacity by 175 percent, was designed with "smart" manufacturing principles in mind.
This means that thousands of sensors help control temperature and energy outputs. It is organized in sections that are controlled separately. For instance, if a zone isn't needed, workers can shut it off to save energy.
The five-story, 100,000 square-foot building near Rochester, N.Y. will employ more than 40 workers, each of which hold at least an associate's degree in chemical technology. The plant where the EA toner was originally manufactured is located in Mississauga, Ontario.
"We are a world-wide operation and we could have chosen to build this new plant anywhere in the world- however we chose to build here in Monroe County for a number of reasons," Wim Appelo, vice president of Xerox Strategic Services, said in a statement. "We chose to build this facility in Webster to take advantage of the strong manufacturing and engineering competencies that exist here today. It's an investment in the community and in our people and is symbolic of our on-going initiative to make our Webster facility a model showcase."
The EA toner Xerox spent eight years developing is more environmentally friendly because of the way it is made and how it functions, Pat Burns, lab manager of the Xerox Research Center in Canada, told GreenBiz Friday.
It's water-based and chemically grown, which allows its manufacture without the need to undergo an energy-intensive grinding process. "The manufacturing takes about 25 percent less energy per pound of toner compared to conventional toner," Burns said.
Less of this toner is needed during printing. Less residue buildup leads to a longer life for the printer.
This combines with the fact that the new plant, which will boost EA toner production capacity by 175 percent, was designed with "smart" manufacturing principles in mind.
This means that thousands of sensors help control temperature and energy outputs. It is organized in sections that are controlled separately. For instance, if a zone isn't needed, workers can shut it off to save energy.
The five-story, 100,000 square-foot building near Rochester, N.Y. will employ more than 40 workers, each of which hold at least an associate's degree in chemical technology. The plant where the EA toner was originally manufactured is located in Mississauga, Ontario.
"We are a world-wide operation and we could have chosen to build this new plant anywhere in the world- however we chose to build here in Monroe County for a number of reasons," Wim Appelo, vice president of Xerox Strategic Services, said in a statement. "We chose to build this facility in Webster to take advantage of the strong manufacturing and engineering competencies that exist here today. It's an investment in the community and in our people and is symbolic of our on-going initiative to make our Webster facility a model showcase."
