Earth Day is celebrated every year but do you know all that much about it? The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970 and brought people together for a peaceful demonstration for environmental protection and reform. It has grown into a global environmental movement that has led to groundbreaking environmental laws and awareness.

In the field of manufacturing, we are consciously aware of how our actions impact the environment. There are many ways to protect the environment and at Ohio Valley Manufacturing we work toward being as green as possible. We have instituted programs to handle lubricants properly and use the most environmentally friendly products available.

There’s no secret that machines need oil but oil is not always eco-friendly and has been responsible for many environmental accidents. Since we use oil we must dispose of it properly to avoid any spills or pollution to our environment. This is something we take very seriously at Ohio Valley which is why we prevent the used oil from contaminating the ground or water supplies, we capture all of the oil from our dies into a holding tank. A company that is trained in disposing the materials safely comes to collect when filled. This keeps the oil from damaging the ecosystem.

We have also switched to a synthetic lubricant on all of our parts. IRMCO supplies us with oil-free, environmentally safe advanced metalforming lubricants which meet ISO 14001 standards for environmental managements systems. This a true synthetic material that cleans up with water unlike other green lubricants that contain plant or fish oil. While these oils are natural products, oil is still a problem for the eco-system.

What sets IRMCO apart from other lubricant companies is the extensive testing they do to ensure that their products are truly safe for the environment. They have on-site testing equipment to verify aquatic toxicity and perform simulated fish kill tests. Using EPA supported EC methods and the Microtox® test system, IRMCO confirms their products are not toxic to fish and the aquaculture.  

The high performing non-oil chemistry of IRMCO lubricants is a great improvement over conventional oil-based products.  Choosing this oil-free green solution protects our tooling with 50% less lubricant. We are proud to be protecting the health of our workers and the planet by using safer, environmentally-friendly IRMCO lubricants.

As manufacturers we are responsible for delivering high-quality products while still being aware of our environmental impact. It’s easy being green.