Sustainability and the environment

What do surface treatment and ultrasonic cleaning have to do with sustainability and the environment? Here at KKS, the answer is a lot. That is because they are at the root of our company history. Our goal was to use ultrasonic and aqueous solutions to replace the chemical solvents and cleaning agents that are required for surface treatment and cleaning to enable a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of working. To achieve this aim, we were early pioneers of a “green alternative” in an industrial environment, boosting cleanliness, safety and sustainability in various different sectors.

We also see surface treatment as a technology that improves the durability and service life of materials and therefore products. This in turn has a positive impact on the environment.

Environmental awareness and responsibility are deeply ingrained at KKS. We use different concepts and measures to help protect and conserve the environment.

As a leading company in our market segment, it is our duty to observe all the relevant environmental laws and legislation as well as the principles of our customers’ environmental and quality policies. In the event that basic legal conditions change, we will do everything in our power to adapt systems and products as early as possible. This means that we always make sure to reduce air and noise emissions, water consumption, wastewater treatment, energy recovery and the consumption of other input materials when developing processes, products and equipment. Recycling is another facet, as is waste reduction. We always consider the entire value chain in our approach to environmental management.

At our site in Switzerland, we use electricity that is 100% generated from hydropower. We also operate a water treatment plant to reduce freshwater consumption in our systems. Stations for neutralizing the acids required for certain processes are installed between our systems and workflow stages. This increases the certainty that these acids will not escape into the environment. The small quantities of necessary but, in part, environmentally harmful cleaning media are safely separated and properly disposed of in this way. At our site in China, all the water used is recycled via a state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant.

Our aim is to continue to optimize chemical processes to use as few chemicals as possible without comprising on the efficiency of systems and processes. It is also important to us to use recyclable and environmentally friendly materials (where possible and safe to do so) when planning systems and devices. This has a positive impact on the entire value chain.