COSTEFFECTIVE
PRODUCTION
ENERGY-SAVINGS PROGRAMME
IDENTIFIES IMPROVEMENT AREAS
IN COMPONENT AND AXLE
PRODUCTION
B
etween November 2017 and May
2018, the seventh edition of QUEST,
an energy-saving programme, took
place in halls M1 and M2, “home” to
PKA – Axle Production and PK – Component Production.
The initial analysis identified 21 energy consumption reduction measures set
to save over CZK 15 million/year in Hall
M2 and parts of Hall M1. The zero-cost
and low-cost saving potential was CZK
3.9 million, with a payback period of 10
months. While some of the measures,
such as replacing the current lighting
with a modern LED system, require thorough preparation and extensive cooperation across multiple departments, other
measures were ready for immediate implementation by the programme team,
e.g. fixing leaks in ventilation units. To
this end, selected ventilation units were
put into dynamic mode, which led to immediately eliminating the problem and
reducing the cost by CZK 3.5 million/
year. The process of mapping and standardising the operation of gate sets has
been reviewed, and the problem locations identified in this review will be repaired this summer in cooperation with
ŠKO-ENERGO. The team also dealt with
leaks of compressed air, one of the most
expensive energies. The losses are permanent, meaning it is a never-ending process. Experts identified over 50 leak locations across all sites and fixed most of
them, thus saving CZK 1.7 million/year.
Furthermore, the programme team
looked for ways to evaluate energy management operations against the highly variable quantity of produced components. In the end, they chose regular
weekly reports. “The plan is to implement
selected cost reduction measures by the
end of 2018 while monitoring energy management operations at cost centre level. In
this regard, we will hold workshops designed to raise awareness and increase responsibility for energy management operations, including at operator level”, said
Miloš Freiberg of PKT/1 – Process Technology and Metallurgy Lab, summarising
the energy-saving priorities. RED
6
ŠKODA MOBIL JULY 2018
WORK-INTENSIVE
PROCESS PAYS OFF
ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITS OF THE ŠKODA AUTO AFTERSALES
NETWORK STARTED 22 YEARS AGO
Š
KODA AUTO grants
certificates to sales
and aftersales network partners on the basis
of independent audits conducted to check compliance
with the brand’s standards.
The certification is optional, and by having the certificate, service sites demonstrate their compliance with
relevant environmental legislation, as well as the brand’s
requirements. Established
in 1996, the environmental
strategy for the ŠKODA dealerships involves waste management, disposal of chemicals, water and air protection
and car waste recycling.
What makes service partners undertake these stringent audits?
“Environmental protection is an important global trend. We take this area
very seriously in our showrooms, and we make longterm efforts to minimise
While protecting the
environment, ŠKODA
AUTO certificates also
help holders improve
their internal processes,
gain a competitive edge
and win new customers.
the environmental impact
of our operations. Satisfying the needs of our customer must not have a negative effect on the well-being
of future generations”, say
Martin Novák of Autosalon Klokočka Centrum and
Marek Batelka of NH Car.
Vít Horáček of AUTO STYL
says that the certification
process is work-intensive
and multi-faceted, but it also
provides valuable experience that comes in handy in
everyday work. Martin Košnar of Autocentrum BARTH
appreciates positive effects
in terms of improved internal processes and tidier worksites. “Our ambition
is to be in the first league
across all aspects of our
business. This environmental certificate is one of the
criteria we can use to benchmark ourselves against the
others.” Although the path
to obtaining the certificate
is not easy, all of the service partners approached
by us recommend undertaking this environmental audit and certification. As Mr.
Košnar points out, the audit pays off for any company, and service sites in particular, because they can
hardly imagine how many
environmental regulations
they may come into conflict with. The outcome of
this regular audit highlights
problems, if any, while recommending relevant corrective actions. František PelechFRANTIŠEK PELECH
Did you know
that …
… the first authorised sales and
aftersales partner, AUTO JAROV,
received the environmental
certificate known as Green Seal as
far back as 25 April 1996?