Insight

Conserving natural resources, creating value and standing up for people and society are particularly important to Böllhoff Group, which is why sustainability – in the three areas of ‘Planet’, ‘People’ and ‘Partnership’ – are an intrinsic element of its corporate strategy. 

Michael W. Böllhoff and Wilhelm A. Böllhoff, managing partners at Böllhoff Group, explain: “We strive to make the corporate world behind the connections we create ever more sustainable – by constantly working on ourselves, our products, and our processes. In our ‘Planet’ area of activity, we focus on continuously reducing our carbon emissions. This means we are constantly moving towards our goal of fully carbon neutral operations by 2030 – including our direct emissions (Scope 1), as well as indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2). To achieve this, we are taking specific measures at all Böllhoff locations worldwide.”

“However, today’s challenges demonstrate once again the critical importance of ‘People’ and ‘Partnership’ as the two other pillars of our sustainability strategy. The more insecure the global environment in which we operate, the more important it is to be there for one another and to take responsibility for one another. This is why we will continue to do our utmost in the future to ensure that we remain an attractive employer for our employees. We are also upholding our commitment to giving something back to society – through foundations, donation and personal engagement.”

Sustainable actions

In order to meet the sustainability aspect of its corporate strategy, Böllhoff Group has already taken several steps, including a well thought-through energy management system. “Climate change and the current energy crisis present every company with serious challenges,” states Michael W. Böllhoff. “After all, the future of the planet depends on what humanity does now and in the future – as well as what it does not do. One of the key questions for Böllhoff Group was how it could reconcile a secure and constant energy supply with the responsible use of natural resources.”

To do just that, Böllhoff used its energy management system to determine concrete savings potential, as well as continuously improve its energy efficiency. The Group also considered the source of its energy supply and is constantly expanding the proportion of regenerative energy sources in order to achieve the best balance between economy and environmental protection. “It is well known that the best energy strategy is to avoid consuming energy in the first place,” highlights Wilhelm A. Böllhoff. “Since 2015, we have operated a certified energy management system according to ISO 50001. This involves the detailed recording of energy flows and energy sources within the company. Potential savings can only be identified and realised if these parameters are known down to the last detail. Our focus is always on reducing energy consumption by increasing energy efficiency, which is why we use state of the art control technology and data acquisition systems company-wide. These help us to continuously evaluate the energy footprint of our production facilities, buildings and logistical processes – and to improve them in the long-term.”

Optimising plastics production in Bielefeld 

Every day Böllhoff produces more than two million plastic fasteners in its injection moulding machines in Bielefeld, Germany. This involves many tonnes of plastic granules being melted down before they can be processed in the machines – creating large amounts of waste heat – energy that the Group wants to reuse as much as possible. 

That is why, in 2022, Böllhoff made plans to modify its heating system, which has led to a large proportion of the waste heat from the plastic production now being used to heat a nearby building. The company also continuously works on improving the efficiency of its machinery. At the Bielefeld site alone, Böllhoff has gradually replaced numerous hydraulic injection moulding machines with fully electric models. “Due to their design, fully electric injection moulding machines are more energy efficient than hydraulic ones,” points out Michael. “Depending on the product and its manufacturing requirements, however, 1:1 replacement is not possible with all machines.”

Regardless of the machine type, Böllhoff is also constantly auditing its production processes. In 2022, for example, the company assessed and optimised various machine parameters on its injection moulding machines; from the speed of the screw conveyor to the injection temperature. “Depending on the machine model, we achieved savings of up to 15% in electrical energy per injection moulding machine,” mentions Wilhelm. “We were also able to achieve savings in the plastic melting process in 2022 by installing highly energy efficient cylinder heating systems. As a result, energy consumption per machine fell by more than a third compared to 2021.”

A photovoltaic expansion offensive

In addition to improving energy efficiency, curating the energy source is a second important component of the energy management system at Böllhoff Group. The more regenerative sources the company uses, the more it reduces its carbon emission – directly and indirectly.

To take the next step, a planning project for expanding its own power generation was established in 2022 – with photovoltaic systems playing a significant role in the project. “Our goal is, by 2025, that every suitable roof at our largest German facilities in Bielefeld, Oelsnitz and Sonnewalde should be equipped with PV systems,” explains Michael. “Where we cannot cover our electricity needs with self-generated power, we increasingly rely on the purchase of electricity from renewable energies. Some locations, such as our large production site in Jundiaí, Brazil, have been using only green electricity for years. Since 1^st January 2022, this also applies to all production and logistics sites in Germany. This domestic change alone reduces our carbon footprint by almost 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.”

By having photovoltaic modules at each of Böllhoff’s production or logistics facilities in Germany – the company will start to achieve this goal in the second half of 2023. In the fourth quarter, a new photovoltaic system is to be put into operation in Sonnewalde, Brandenburg – with a total output of 500kWp. This Böllhoff site represents the core of the self-pierce rivet production for the entire Böllhoff Group. Around 2.2 billion of these fasteners are manufactured there every year – before they are used in applications such as car body construction. 

“The existing photovoltaic system at our logistics site in Oelsnitz, Saxony, is also to be expanded in the second half of 2023 – from almost 100kWp to 400kWp,” reports Michael. “This will enable us to generate an even larger proportion of the electricity for our highly automated shipping processes for ourselves. This is an important investment, as Oelsnitz is our world’s largest logistics facility with a total area of over 16,000m².”

Expanding production in China

Böllhoff Group is also currently working on the fifth expansion stage of its site in Wuxi, China, with the new building combining high production capacity with the concept of sustainability.  Since the end of June 2022, the excavators have been working at the Böllhoff production and logistics site in Wuxi and by Q3 2023 almost 12,000m² of additional building space will have been created for the thread technology division.

Böllhoff has been represented in the Chinese market since 1998. In 2004, the company started its own production in Wuxi – the first Böllhoff production facility in Asia. Since then, capacity at the site has been expanded several times, most recently with the opening of a state of the art logistics centre at the beginning of 2019.

The new building will house production facilities and offices, as well as a company restaurant for almost 300 employees in Wuxi. During the planning phase, the focus was also on sustainability. For instance, the modern building complex, which is around 1.7 football pitches in size, will be heated using heat pumps. There are also plans to partially cover the site’s power requirements using an expandable photovoltaic system – with a potential output of up to 1.3MWp.

The thermal energy generated during production will be used for underfloor heating and the roof of the company restaurant will be ‘greened’ (i.e covered with plants).

Upon commissioning, Böllhoff’s production capacities in Wuxi will increase to around one billion parts per year. The location produces various fasteners for the Asian market, including RIVKLE® blind rivet nuts and screws, various threaded inserts, and fasteners made of plastic.