Photo: Sintering furnace at Dormer Pramet

Chesterfield-based Dormer Pramet (www.dormerpramet.com) aims to lead a change in the metalworking industry by making sustainability an integral part of its business.

At the core of this strategy is the use of new technologies and ways of working that deliver value for employees, customers and suppliers, brought together under a programme called ‘Make the Shift’.

This encompasses a wide range of initiatives and targets in four key areas: Circularity; Climate; People; and Fair Play. A list of key actions and objectives are now in place with the aim to deliver all by 2030.

This includes increasing recycling of its products and packaging material, reducing waste, lowering its CO₂ impact, halving the total recorded injury frequency rate, developing a diverse and inclusive workforce and engaging in community involvement projects.

An example of the very tangible results already achieved by this initiative comes from Dormer Pramet’s production and Photo: Sintering furnace, courtesy of Dormer Pramet

R&D department. Through international collaboration, a project team has made innovative technological developments which have enabled significant reductions in energy consumption and, at the same time, improved product quality.

By implementing new insulation on its furnace coating, the manufacturer improved the heating of its CVD coating reactor, significantly shortening cycle time.

This not only improved the deposition conditions, which affects the evenness of the coating on inserts, but it also generated a positive environmental impact, reducing CO₂ emissions by 25 tonnes per year.

Dormer Pramet also modified the sintering cycle during the production phase. This involved a redesign of the gas flow passing through the charge, enabling a more-efficient furnace. The project succeeded in shortening the length of a single sintering cycle by 100min (10% of the total length of the cycle), while maintaining the quality of the process.

A gradual introduction of this new technology began in 2019 and will continue during this year, with an expected reduction in CO₂ emissions of 14.7 tonnes per year. This activity resulted in the company being shortlisted in Sandvik Groups’ inaugural Sigrid Göransson sustainability award.

​​​​The new accolade is given to employees who have contributed to a particularly innovative solution, which has a measurable and lasting impact on environmental, economic or social sustainability projects within the company or the local communities.