Archive for July, 2013

American Manufacturers and Industrial Water Users Reduce Water Consumption

Posted on July 29th, 2013 in Uncategorized | No Comments »

In my last column I discussed the extraordinary technology advancements in the water industry during the past 25 years.  Today, I would like to discuss how these breakthrough technologies have enabled American manufacturers and industrial water users to reduce their water usage.  There are hundreds of examples of companies such as: Ford, Intel, BASF, Walmart and MillerCoors.  Each of these companies has a defined plan to reduce water usage.

Look what Ford has accomplished in reducing its water consumption during the last decade.

ford

graph

Between 2000 and 2012, Ford reduced total global water use by 62% or 10.6 billion gallons. That is quite an accomplishment.

Let’s look at another American icon, MillerCoors, in how it is dealing with reducing water consumption.

miller

In 2008, MillerCoors, empowered its employees to develop and employ measures to reduce the 4.1 barrels (129 gallons) of water it was using to produce one barrel of beer.  Today, thanks largely to innovative methods to reduce cleaning and flushing of its systems, MillerCoors now uses 3.6 barrels (113 gallons) of water, on average.  The going rate for water in Chicago is $2.89 per 1,000 gallons, which means the 0.5 barrel or 15.75 gallons difference would amount to savings of about 0.20 cents per barrel, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but over millions of barrels it really adds up. “That’s a testament to our employees, a significant improvement of our operations, and a new benchmark for the industry,” said MillerCoors Director of Sustainability, Kim Marotta.  “Our goal is to reduce water consumption by 15% from 2008 to 2015.”

miller 2

One of the brewery’s approaches involves implementing short interval control (SIC).  SIC is a best-practice methodology developed to analyze performance on an ongoing basis and support long-term improvements.  Marotta explained, “When we put SIC into place, employees became much more engaged.  As a result of this and other initiatives, we’ve been saving tens of millions of gallons of water annually in our plants.”

Another approach with even more significant results is reducing water needed for barley agri-production.  That irrigation accounts for about 90% of the overall water consumption attributed to an average bottle of beer.  To accomplish that reduction, the brewery worked with The Nature Conservancy in Idaho’s Silver Creek Valley. “We worked with one farm in particular and have saved over 270 million gallons of water to date – approximately what one brewery would use in two months,” Marotta said. One procedure that MillerCoors implemented was that it changed irrigation sprinkler heads, which were designed so barley farmers could lower them physically to reduce evaporation.

In an Earth Day ceremony this year at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, DC, the U.S. Water Alliance presented one of its three U.S. Water Prizes to MillerCoors for its work with The Nature Conservancy and the Idaho Silver Creek barley farmers.

peps

“More barley crop per water drop is the way I like to characterize how MillerCoors is leading the way with footprinting stewardship and education,” said U.S. Water Alliance President, Ben Grumbles.  “MillerCoors deserves the 2013 U.S. Water Prize for more than the efficiency changes in their facilities.  It’s the innovative reach beyond and up the agriculture supply chain that caught our attention.  In all, they’ve managed a 20% reduction in agricultural water use.”

Congratulations to MillerCoors on its achievements.

Kudos to these great corporate citizens for reducing their water consumption.

NanoBCA Member – NanoMech Receives Prestigious R&D 100 Award

Posted on July 29th, 2013 in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The NanoBusiness Commercialization Association is proud announce that our member, NanoMech has received the prestigious R&D 100 Award for their product TuffTek®.

NanoMech’s TuffTek® Recognized as Top New Technology Product of 2013

R&D Magazine Selects TuffTek® as Recipient of Prestigious R&D 100 Award

The editors of R&D Magazine announced NanoMech’s  TuffTek®  as a winner of the coveted R&D 100 Award.  This award places TuffTek® in an elite class of innovative products and recognizes it as one of the most technologically significant products introduced in the marketplace of the past year.

“2013 has been an excellent year for NanoMech,” Chairman and CEO Jim Phillips said.  “The company continues to gain momentum and receiving the “Oscar of Innovation”(as the award is commonly referred to in the industry) is a tremendous honor for the NanoMech team.”

TuffTek® has redefined and revolutionized the cutting tool industry by significantly improving the heat resistance of the tools as well as their precision and wear resistance. TuffTek® performance increases represent a monumental improvement in the cutting tools industry and are due in large part to the new product’s nano-composite patents using bio-inspired and nano-engineered technology for advanced machining of automotive and aerospace components.

As the world economy begins to ramp back up, it is the innovators, Phillips notes, who will help drive results, efficiencies and ultimately profitability.  “TuffTek® is a ground-breaking product that is manufactured using Atomically Precise Manufacturing (APM).  When applied to cutting tools, TuffTek® dramatically increases the tool’s precision cutting performance, durability and sustainability while significantly decreasing the company’s costs to manufacture.  It is a win-win product, for the customer, the market and the environment.”

Deborah Wince-Smith, CEO of the Council on Competitiveness (www.compete.org) and also a member of NanoMech’s Board of Directors, praises NanoMech for their innovative work.  “In a world of turbulence, transition and transformation, nothing matters more to the competitiveness of companies and countries than innovation and manufacturing prowess. The ability to develop and deploy the most cutting-edge tools and products to bolster U.S. advanced manufacturing will deliver outsized benefits to the U.S. industrial base. NanoMech and TuffTek® are at the leading edge of a resurgent U.S. manufacturing capability – one that is not dumb, dirty, dangerous and disappearing; but is smart, safe, sustainable and surging.”

Dr. Ajay Malshe, Chief Technology Officer and Founder, was honored by the award and immediately thought of those with whom he has worked.  “NanoMech could not have received this prestigious award without the tireless work of our world-class team of scientists, including Dr. Wenping Jiang, Vice President of Manufacturing.  I would also like to thank the teams at the Nano Materials Science and Engineering Institute (Mechanical Engineering) at the University of Arkansas, the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency for their contributions over the years.”

NanoMech is the only Arkansas company on the 2013 Top 100 list.

The R&D Top 100 list was established in 1963 and over the past 51 years has recognized such revolutionary products as the flashcube (1965), the automated teller machine (1973), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the Kodak Photo CD (1991), Taxol anticancer drug (1993), lab on a chip (1996), and HDTV (1998). More recent breakthroughs that have earned R&D 100 Awards include next-generation magnetic resonance imaging machines, laser-based metal-forming tools, and the building blocks for fusion experiments.

About the R&D 100 Awards
Widely recognized as the “Oscars of Innovation”, the R&D 100 Awards identify and celebrate the top technology products of the year. Past winners have included sophisticated testing equipment, innovative new materials, chemistry breakthroughs, biomedical products, consumer items, and high-energy physics. The R&D 100 Awards spans industry, academia, and government-sponsored research.

NANO NEWS
Colorado company combining ceramics with nanotech

D-Wave TwoTM Quantum Computer Selected for New Quantum Artificial Intelligence Initiative, System to be Installed at NASA’s Ames Research Center, and Operational in Q3

UNMC nanotechnology protects skin from cancer, early wrinkles

Nanotechnology could keep coal clean

We encourage individuals interested in continuing our efforts to provide information in regard to emerging technologies to become individual members of the NanoBCA.  Click here to become a NanoBCA Individual Member.  The annual Individual Membership fee is $100.

Once again, we would like to congratulate NanoMech on their achievement.

Regards,

Vincent Caprio “Serving the Nanotechnology Community for Over a Decade”
Executive Director
NanoBusiness Commercialization Association
203-733-1949
vincent@nanobca.org
www.nanobca.org
www.vincentcaprio.org

WIAF Recommends: Intelligent Water Networks Webinar, Tues 8/13 2:PM EDT

Posted on July 29th, 2013 in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The Water Innovations Alliance Foundation recommends an upcoming Intelligent Water Networks webinar hosted by Navigant Research. WIAF Member, Sensus, is participating with Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility for an interesting look at how technology can help solve challenges throughout the water utility.  More information about the webinar, and a link to register, are below.

Intelligent Water Networks Webinar
How Water Utilities Can Leverage the Latest Technologies to Improve System Efficiency, Reduce Water Loss, and Deliver New Tools to Help Customers Better Conserve Water Resources

Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Time: 2:00 pm EDT
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Many water systems face significant challenges in the treatment and delivery of water.  Aging pipes that leak, rising demand for water, and outdated monitoring systems all contribute to the struggles utility managers face – particularly in times of drought.  In the United States alone, it is estimated that 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water are lost each day due to infrastructure leaks.

New technologies, including smart meters and advanced communications networks, enable water utilities to overcome some of these challenges, helping to create a smarter water grid.  The new equipment generates valuable data that leads to improved efficiencies and enables customers to better manage their use of water – increasingly important goals in an era of water scarcity.

Featuring senior research analyst Neil Strother, along with Doug McCall, marketing director at Sensus, and Hobert “H” Warren, division manager at Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, this webinar will explore the key drivers of smart water systems and examine the latest solutions. The webinar will also explain how Albuquerque Water created an award-winning system that integrates advanced technology to help manage increased data volumes, improve customer service, and drive overall efficiency.

Key Topics:
– Smart water network systems
– Water meter data management systems
– Operational efficiencies
– Leak detection
– Customer service and engagement

What does this webinar answer?
– What are the latest technologies in smart water systems?
– How do smart water systems help municipalities and water utilities cope with drought?
– What are the current market conditions for smart water systems?
– What are the key drivers for smart water metering and infrastructure deployments?
– How has ABCWUA leveraged new technology to its advantage?
– What are the longer-term prospects for smart water technologies?

Who needs to attend?
– Utility managers
– Water meter manufacturers- AMI/AMR infrastructure vendors
– Municipalities
– Government agencies and regulators
– Industry associations

——————————————————-
WATER NEWS
Here are 3 recent articles posted on Water Wise – Our Water Counts Blog

Score! Reducing Water Use in Sports Manufacturing
Written by Jill Burdette

Big Data Opportunities for Water
Written by Chris Peacock

Real-Time Operational Intelligence & Aging Water Infrastructure
Written by Terry Biederman
——————————————————-
We encourage individuals interested in continuing our efforts to provide information in regard to emerging water technologies to become individual members of the WIAF.  Click here to become a WIAF Individual Member.  The annual Individual Membership fee is $100.
——————————————————-
This is an excellent webinar providing solutions to America’s aging water infrastructure.  We highly recommend.

Regards,

Vincent Caprio
Executive Director
Water Innovations Alliance Foundation
203-733-1949
vince@waterinnovationsfoundation.org
www.waterinnovations.org
www.vincentcaprio.org

Happy 4th of July from WIAF!

Posted on July 5th, 2013 in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Vince in pool

Water Innovations Alliance Foundation News – Summer Edition

Posted on July 5th, 2013 in Uncategorized | No Comments »

I would like to share with you what we believe is an innovative information process in helping to solve America’s water issues.

Here’s a look at GE’s Intelligent Platform website:

www.facebookforindustry.com

Facebook for Industry

Mobility + Data + Analytics = Now

Facebook masterfully turns a steady influx of data into stories that are relevant to users — resulting in new and more powerful connections.

Meanwhile, industry is doing the opposite. Workers are bombarded with every bit and byte of data out there, far more than the relevant, real-time information they need. If we can adopt some of Facebook’s intelligent practices in industry, translating vast amounts of raw data into relevant stories, just think of the new and more powerful actions we’ll see as a result.

Real-time operational intelligence is real and it’s here today.

A video from Kyle Reissner, Senior Marketing Manager Automation Software, GE Intelligent Platforms

WATER NEWS

Adidas announces ‘low-waste’ running shoe

Global Water Technologies highlights smart water opportunities for Indianapolis

How Technology Is Destroying Jobs

MIT Technology Review
GE Power & Water – Water & Process Technologies
Video: This Is All the Water We Have . . .

The 5 Most Important Tech Breakthroughs of the Past 5 Years

GE – Our Water Counts – June Edition

Innovyze Smart Water Network Modeling Technology Supports North Carolina Utility

The Water Innovations Alliance Foundation completed our Water 2.0 Event in Washington, DC last month.  Our Water 2.0 program had a fabulous lineup of speakers.  We encourage individuals interested in continuing our efforts to provide information in regard to emerging water technologies to become individual members of the WIAF.  Click here to become a WIAF Individual Member.  The annual Individual Membership fee is $100.

Enjoy your summer.

Regards,

Vincent Caprio
Executive Director
Water Innovations Alliance Foundation
203-733-1949
vince@waterinnovationsfoundation.org
www.waterinnovations.org
www.vincentcaprio.org

WIAF Conference in DC on May 15th

Posted on July 5th, 2013 in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Vince Julia Andrea