United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Risk Reduction
Engineering Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/S-95/005 April 1995
ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH BRIEF
Waste Minimization Assessment for a Manufacturer of New
and Reworked Rotogravure Printing Cylinders
Marvin Fleischman*, Clay Hansen*, and
Gwen P. Looby**
Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded
a pilot project to assist small and medium-size manufacturers
who want to minimize their generation of waste but who lack
the expertise to do so. Waste Minimization Assessment Cen-
ters (WMACs) were established at selected universities and
procedures were adapted from the EPA Waste Minimization
Opportunity Assessment Manual (EPM625/7-88/003, July 1988).
That document has been superseded by the Facility Pollution
Prevention Guide (EPA/600/R-92/088, May 1992). The WMAC
team at the University of Louisville performed an assessment
at a plant manufacturing cylinders for rotogravure printing.
Rotogravure printing cylinders are produced from new stock
and used cylinders that require reworking. Cylinders undergo
cleaning, plating, lathing, polishing, and grinding. Then the
surfaces of the cylinders are engraved, cleaned, polished, and
chrome-plated. The assessment team's report, detailing find-
ings and recommendations, indicated that significant cost sav-
ings could be achieved by melting and reusing copper scrap as
anodes in the plating bath.
This Research Brief was developed by the principal investiga-
tors and EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincin-
nati, OH, to announce key findings of an ongoing research
project that is fully documented in a separate report of the
same title available from University City Science Center.
Introduction
The amount of waste generated by industrial plants has be-
come an increasingly costly problem for manufacturers and an
additional stress on the environment. One solution to the prob-
* University of Louisville, Department of Chemical Engineering.
"University City Science Center, Philadelphia, PA.
lem of waste generation is to reduce or eliminate the waste at
its source.
University City Science Center (Philadelphia, PA) has begun a
pilot project to assist small and medium-size manufacturers
who want to minimize their generation of waste but who lack
the in-house expertise to do so. Under agreement with EPA's
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, the Science Center
has established three WMACs. This assessment was done by
engineering faculty and students at the University of Louisville's
WMAC. The assessment teams have considerable direct ex-
perience with process operations in manufacturing plants
and also have the knowledge and skills needed to minimize
waste generation.
The waste minimization assessments are done for small and
medium-size manufacturers at no out-of-pocket cost to the
client. To qualify for the assessment, each client must fall
within Standard Industrial Classification Code 20-39, have gross
annual sales not exceeding $75 million, employ no more than
500 persons, and lack in-house expertise in waste minimiza-
tion.
The potential benefits of the pilot project include minimization
of the amount of waste generated by manufacturers and re-
duction of waste treatment and disposal costs for participating
plants. In addition, the project provides valuable experience for
graduate and undergraduate students who participate in the
program, and a cleaner environment without more regulations
and higher costs for manufacturers.
Methodology of Assessments
The waste minimization assessments require several site visits
to each client served. In general, the WMACs follow the proce-
dures outlined in the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity
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/Assessment Manual (EPA/625/7-88/003, July 1988). The WMAC
staff locate the sources of waste in the plant and identify the
current disposal or treatment methods and their associated
costs. They then identify and analyze a variety of ways to
reduce or eliminate the waste. Specific measures to achieve
that goal are recommended and the essential supporting tech-
nological and economic information is developed. Finally, a
confidential report that details the WMAC's findings and recom-
mendations (including cost savings, implementation costs, and
payback times) is prepared for each client.
Plant Background
The plant produces chrome-plated engraved copper-plated steel
and aluminum cylinders for rotogravure printing from new stock
and customer returns. It operates 6,240 hr/yr to produce over
7,000 cylinders annually.
Manufacturing Process
Rotogravure printing cylinders are produced from new stock
(primarily steel or aluminum) and used cylinders requiring re-
working.
New cylinders are cleaned and degreased before processing.
Then the aluminum cylinders are passivated in a wash tank
containing an acid mixture, and zincated in a zinc oxide solu-
tion. Next, all aluminum and steel cylinders are nickel-plated
and then copper-plated. Used cylinders undergo cleaning, acid
stripping, and lathing and are then copper-plated. The plated
cylinders then undergo lathing, polishing, and grinding.
Customer-provided artwork is used to create plating images
which are then mechanically engraved on the surfaces of the
cylinders. The engraved cylinders are cleaned, polished, and
chrome-plated.
Cylinders are then tested in the proofing department. Those
cylinders that pass inspection are packaged and shipped. The
cylinders that fail inspection are stripped of chrome (using acid)
and are either replated with chrome or lathed and returned to
the copper-plating baths for reprocessing.
An abbreviated process flow diagram is shown in Figure 1.
Existing Waste Management Practices
This plant already has taken the following steps to manage and
minimize its wastes:
• Metal shavings (primarily copper) from turning, polishing,
and electronic engraving are recovered and sold for reclama-
tion.
• Cylinders are rinsed with deionized water directly above the
tanks after nickel and copper plating in order to eliminate
drag-out of plating solution.
• Film with a very low silver content is used in image processing
in order to reduce the amount of waste silver generated.
• Silver is recovered onsite by electrolytic deposition.
• Recovered silver and waste film are sold to a recycler.
• Electronic engraving is used for etching cylinders in order to
eliminate the wastes that would be generated using chemical
etching.
• Cylinders are rinsed over the plating tanks and fume scrub-
ber water is reused as plating bath make-up in order to
eliminate the need for chromium removal from wastewater.
• Chromic acid fume and evaporative losses are reduced
through the use of tank covers and floating plastic balls.
Plant personnel are currently evaluating the following options
for managing and minimizing plant wastes:
• The plant plans to switch to computer-generated image-
making as a replacement for photographic image process-
ing.
• Ceramic coating of the cylinders to replace nickel-,
copper, and chrome-plating is being investigated.
• An alternative to the ink solvent that contains methylene
chloride is being sought.
Waste Minimization Opportunities
The type of waste currently generated by the plant, the source
of the waste, the waste management method, the quantity of
the waste, and the annual waste management cost for each
waste stream identified are given in Table 1.
Table 2 shows the opportunities for waste minimization that the
WMAC team recommended for the plant. The minimization
opportunity, the type of waste, the possible waste reduction
and associated savings, and the implementation cost along
with the payback time are given in the table. The quantities of
waste currently generated by the plant and possible waste
reduction depend on the production level of the plant. All
values should be considered in that context.
It should be noted that the economic savings of the minimiza-
tion opportunity, in most cases, results from the need for less
raw material and from reduced present and future costs asso-
ciated with waste treatment and disposal. Other savings not
quantifiable by this study include a wide variety of possible
future costs related to changing emissions standards, liability,
and employee health. It also should be noted that the savings
given for each opportunity reflect the savings achievable when
implementing each waste minimization opportunity indepen-
dently and do not reflect duplication of savings that would
result when the opportunities are implemented in a package.
Additional Recommendations
In addition to the opportunities recommended and analyzed by
the WMAC team, several additional measures were consid-
ered. These measures were not completely analyzed because
of insufficient data, minimal savings, implementation difficulty,
or a projected lengthy payback. Since one or more of these
approaches to waste reduction may, however, increase in
attractiveness with changing conditions in the plant, they were
brought to the plant's attention for future consideration.
• Reduce or eliminate spillover from the nickel- and copper-
plating tanks by installing plastic guards around the tank
edges.
• Evaluate the necessity for and standardize the use of sol-
vents in cleaning cylinders.
• Recover chromium or hydrochloric acid from the spent acid
stripper solution.
• Replace disposable filters used for filtering nickel- and cop-
per-plating solutions with reusable stainless steel filters.
This research brief summarizes a part of the work done under
Cooperative Agreement No. CR-814903 by the University City
Science Center under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency. The EPA Project Officer was Emma
Lou George.
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New cylinders (aluminum, steel)
1
Used cylinders
1
Cleaning, degreasing
Al
cylinders
i
r
Passivation
zincating
\
Steel
cylinder
r
Nickel
plating
Cleaning, acid stripping, lathing
5
,
j
Copper
plating
Lathing,
polishing
Grinding
Artwork
/es
Acid
stripping
Figure 1. Abbreviated process flow diagram for rotogravure printing cylinders.
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Table 1. Summary of Current Waste Generation
Waste Generated
Source of Waste
Waste Management Method
Annual Quantity
Generated (Ib/yr)
Annual Waste
Management Cost1
Butyl acetate, acid stripping solution,
and rinse water
Wastewater
Passivating and zincating solutions
Wastewater
Cleaning water
Copper- and nickel-plating sludge
Copper anode nuggets
Chromium sludge
Wastewater
Copper sludge
Scrap metal
Wastewater
Water overflow
Silver
Waste film
Copper dust
Solvent-based ink
Water-based ink
Spent etch bath and rinse water
Ethanol
Wastewater
Rags
Paper towels
Preparation of used cylinders
Preparation of used cylinders
Preparation of new cylinders
Preparation of new cylinders
Cleaning of copper-plating tanks
Copper- and nickel-plating tanks
Copper plating
Chrome-plating tank
Chrome plating
Grinding
Cutting, lathing, and polishing
Cleaning of film processors
Film processors
Onsite electrolytic silver recovery
Image processing
Engraving
Proofing of cylinders
Proofing of cylinders
Re-etching of cylinders
Re-etching of cylinders
Re-etching of cylinders
Various plant operations
Various plant operations
Drained to storage tank; shipped offsite for 144,600
disposal as hazardous waste
Drained to holding tank; neutralized; sewered 607,900
Drained to storage tank; shipped offsite for 21,520
disposal as hazardous waste
Drained to holding tank; neutralized; sewered 349,780
Drained to storage tank; shipped offsite for 160,130
disposal as hazardous waste
Shipped offsite for disposal as hazardous waste 1,320 gal
Sold to recycler/reclaimer 1,440
Shipped offsite for disposal as hazardous waste 550 gal
Drained to holding tank; neutralized; sewered 3,002,400
Shipped offsite for disposal as hazardous waste 26,000 gal
Sold to recycler/reclaimer 93,700
Drained to storage tank; shipped offsite for 15,000
disposal as hazardous waste
Drained to holding tank; neutralized; sewered 676,540
Shipped offsite for further recovery 100
Sold to reclaimer 750
Sold to recycler/reclaimer 120
Shipped offsite for fuels blending 8,700
Shipped offsite for ink reblending 900
Drained to storage tank; shipped offsite for 3,000
disposal as hazardous waste
Drained to holding tank; neutralized; sewered 4,300
Drained to holding tank; neutralized; sewered 16,010
Laundered offsite; returned for reuse 15,000 units
Shipped to landfill 300,000 units
10,530
1,460
11,520
7,320
-1,330
2,540
2
15,600
-79,580
1,080
-3,780
-7,560
-110
1,540
160
640
not available
3
1 Includes waste treatment, disposal, and handling costs.
2 Included in total POTWand onsite treatment costs of $32,750/yr.
3 Included in total landfill disposal costs of $34,200/yr.
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Table 2. Summary of Recommended Waste Minimization Opportunities
Minimization Opportunity
Annual Waste Reduction
Waste Reduced
Quantity (Ib/yr)
Per cent
Net Annual
Savings
Implementation
Cost
Simple Payback
(yr)
Melt copper scrap resulting from turning
and cutting cylinders, polishing, en-
graving, and plating in a furnace and
reuse as anodes in the plating bath.
A degreasing system may be required
for cleaning of the copper scrap prior
to melting.
Install a drip board on the chrome plating
bath so that dragout can be captured
and returned to the plating bath.
Currently trapped dragout in the core
tape used on the cylinders is lost on
the floor and in the rinse tank and
eventually is sewered.
Install a filter press in order to recover
copper from the grinding sludge.
Sell the recovered copper to a re-
claimer and sewer the removed water.
Copper shavings, particles, and
spent anode nuggets
Chromic acid
43,200
45
$35,890
57,100
1.6
1,530
n/a
1,760
40
0.1
Copper sludge
26,000 gal1
100
47,460
16,820
0.4
Reuse spent butyl acetate once for
subsequent cleaning.
Use a small distillation unit to reclaim
spent butyl acetate for reuse.
Remove metal from the spent cleaning
water from copper-plating tank clean-out
using electrolytic metal recovery.
Sell recovered copper to a reclaimer
and sewer the water.
Butyl acetate
Butyl acetate
Cleaning water
5,150
7,210
160,130'
50
70
100
2,960
3,740
17,450
640
3,700
35,520
0.2
1.0
2.0
Install high pressure spray rinses and
automatic shut-offs in certain process
areas in order to reduce water
consumption.
Replace the ethanol rinse with a
hot deionized water rinse followed
by hot air blowing. This measure
will also reduce BOD (Biological
Oxygen Demand) and BOD
surcharges.
Install a distillation unit to recover
ethanol for reuse. This measure
will also reduce BOD and BOD
surcharges.
Install an in-line evaporator to
remove water from the waste going
to the waste disposal tank for later
disposal as hazardous waste.
Base sewer charges on actual
wastewater effluent rather than on
water consumption.
Nonhazardous rinse water
Hazardous rinse water
Ethanol
1,200,960
6,765
4.3002
50
50
100
4,120
2,740
1,150
290
0.3
0.1
Ethanol
Hazardous liquid waste
Not applicable
3,000
384,360
70
62
1,670
24,040
7,600
3,700
37,700
4,140
2.2
1.6
0.5
1 Waste has been changed in form to one that is less costly for plant to manage.
2 A wastewater stream of the same quantity will be generated if this opportunity is implemented.
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United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA/600/S-95/005
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