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Letter to the Editor
Thursday October 17
BASF Initiatives Support Bumper-to-Bumper Improvements
Automotive manufacturers have enlisted their suppliers in a common cause to make vehicles that are more environmentally friendly from bumper to bumper. "Continuous improvement of environmental performance is essentially an industry-wide standard since the automotive manufacturers are driving this requirement throughout the supply chain. So whether your customer is an OEM or a tier supplier, the ability to come to the table with environmental performance enhancements is mandatory," said Frank E. McKulka, BASF Corporation Executive Vice President.At the same time, McKulka explained, automotive manufacturers continue to demand concurrent cost reductions and quality enhancements. "Improving economic performance and environmental performance are not and can not be mutually exclusive objectives," he explained.
McKulka sees long-term environmental performance enhancements continuing to occur across a broad range of product and service areas. These include, for example:
- Continued growth in the use of strong but lightweight plastics to replace metal and reduce overall weight in order to enhance fuel efficiency.
- Continued growth in the use of UV-cure coatings, a process for drying automotive paint which requires significantly less energy usage.
- Increased usage of water-based coatings, which not only require significantly less energy usage but also reduce coatings consumption by 20 percent.
- Continued technology advances in fuel cells that power electric cars, making these a more viable alternative to combustion engines in certain uses.
- Ongoing enhancements to fuel additives that help cars to burn cleaner.
McKulka said that BASF views the sometimes conflicting demands to improve both economic and environmental performance as an opportunity to differentiate itself competitively over the long term.
The company has created a product and service development process known as ECO2 -- combining the "eco" in ecology and economy -- which includes tools that help BASF specifically evaluate all environmental and economic issues over the entire life cycle of a product, from its manufacture to its disposal.
Another way that the company has demonstrated its commitment to environmental performance leadership is through having all its automotive coatings manufacturing operations certified for ISO 14001, the international quality standard for management systems for maintaining and improving the quality of the environment and protecting human health.
In addition, BASF's Elastocell unit in Wyandotte, Michigan, recently became the first company ever to achieve RC 14001 certification.
RC 14001 is a new environmental, health and safety standard requested by automotive manufacturers. BASF volunteered to be the test case for implementing the new standard, which combines aspects of the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care initiative with the ISO environmental management system. A key aspect of the certification is the inclusion of an independent audit.
BASF's Elastocell produces microcellular polyurethane parts used in suspension components that provide improved durability and enhanced ride comfort in vehicles. The material is a viable replacement for rubber in these applications.
BASF's worldwide sales to the automotive industry were $3.2 billion in 2001.
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