Imagine if the world crisis surrounding sustainable fuel could be solved with something that is locally grown in addition to being reusable. Consider something that not only is easily accessible and already widely in use, but produces a byproduct that is environmentally friendly as well.
The idea of biofuels (or plant-based fuels) has been fairly popular since its inception during the late nineteenth century. Because biodiesels can be made from materials derived from plants, which use carbon dioxide to grow, they potentially have a much lower carbon footprint than the petroleum-based fuels we mostly use now.
This solution is found in a familiar product we all know and love: Coffee.
As you know, coffee is a plant product, but once the beans are ground and used to make the hot beverage, they end up being thrown away or put on gardens as compost. To coffee shop baristas, old coffee left to itself for several hours is jokingly referred to as “battery fuel”, due to its tendency to turn dark and viscous. Researchers recently discovered the same phenomenon when a forgotten cup of coffee formed a layer of oil. Intrigued, they devoted time to study the properties of the popular caffeinated beverage. They found that coffee biodiesel is comparable to the best biodiesels on the market. But unlike soya and other plant-based biodiesels like corn, it does not use up plants or land that might otherwise be planted with food crops. Reports state that annual world coffee demand consumes more than 7m ton of coffee, which estimated could produce 340m gallons of biodiesel. In their laboratory, researchers set up a facility which uses between 19-26kg of coffee grounds. The biofuel is estimated to cost about $1 per gallon to make in a medium-sized installation.
Moreover, when run in an engine, the fuel does not have an offensive or noxious odor. Instead, it leaves the exhaust pipe with just a brief whiff of coffee. And after the diesel has been extracted, the coffee grounds can still be used for compost. Not only is it able to be used as a sustainable alternative to fuel, or at least has definite promise, its waste can still be used as for other purposes. It really doesn’t get any better than that, especially for those who are efficient and environmentally conscious. Here at Factory Scheduling, we maintain that a good business runs with not only efficiency and profitability, but with consciousness to the “green” movement as well.
Do you think our world’s dependence on oil could be solved with coffee or biodiesel in the long run?
As industries venture forth through the current economic downturn, manufacturers especially do whatever it takes to remain afloat in an increasingly fractured market. In response to rapidly changing economic changes, most turn around and begin to scrutinize costs, closely monitor orders and inventory and postpone non-critical capital spending.
Maximus Coffee Group - a Houston, Texas-based coffee and beverage processing company - followed suit but with an exception. Having recently acquired Kraft’s Maxwell House facility in Houston, Maximus needed a solution to their scheduling problems that would also cut costs and forecast outcomes that would meet the progressive attitudes and standard of excellence throughout the rest of their facilities. The company installed an Advanced Planning and Scheduling software (or APS) in an effort to maximize production capacity and to rapidly respond to market changes. The implementation of APS is a proprietary approach to automated scheduling and capacity analysis that
* optimizes and maximizes business objectives of efficiency and cutting costs
* delivers results that satisfy demanding process constraints
* allows centralized visibility of inventory and operational activities, targeting and eliminating bottlenecks
Maximus Coffee incorporates all the steps of roasting and production: bulk green coffee procurement and processing, custom roasts and blends, soluble processing, natural decaffeination, grinding, a wide assortment of packaging options, and distribution in addition to coffee roasting.
The flow of business picked up tremendously as they were able to focus less on scheduling issues and more on increasing productivity. Planning coffee production is a challenge especially because of the time-sensitive nature of the product and the need for consistency in taste and aroma. Following the first implementations, Maximus was already benefiting from reliable traceability capabilities that enabled them to comply with the specific demands of today’s increasingly regulated food sector, allowing managers to make informed decisions about distribution and supply.
Not only has APS been beneficial to Maximus Coffee, it has increased efficiency for Maximus’ clientele as well as they were able to expect accurate schedules and reliability.
With such standards and capability behind the company name, it is of little wonder that Maximus’ plant is one of the most integrated coffee facility in the world with a software system that produces a level of efficiency and effortless operation that comes just at the right time.
Do you have any success stories using APS software? Tell us about them!