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Mohawk Flush Doors Inc.
Mohawk Flush Doors Inc., founded in 1950, produces a wide variety of fully-machined and pre-finished doors in the U.S. market. Prompted by the Clean Air Act of 1990, Mohawk decided to replace its solvent-based coating plywood door skin finishing line and, with two finishing equipment manufacturers and three coating suppliers, conducted a year-long, worldwide search for an alternative. The company selected a flat-line finishing system using precision roller coaters, hot air/infra-red drying ovens, water-base stains/sealers and ultra-violet light cured top coats. Installation of the new line in 1995 required construction of a 16,000 square foot addition at a cost of $2.02 million. Benefits of the new finishing line included improved health, financial, energy and environmental conditions. The toxicity of generated waste was significantly reduced. The new line also reduced volatile organic chemicals from 155.5 tons in 1994 to 12.1 tons in 1997. Hazardous waste was reduced by 18,700 gallons annually. Line operators no longer need to wear respirators near the coating equipment. Safety designs reduced reported incidents and compensation claims. Increased oven drying capacity eliminated multiple pass requirements. The UV topcoat proved to be more durable which improved Mohawk's marketability. Water now replaces chemical solvents for cleaning equipment. Thanks to reduced waste disposal, materials and energy costs, the company saved $1.6 million in 1997. A savings of 3.2 million kWh annually reduced energy costs by $183,405.
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Mohawk Flush Doors Inc.
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