Meeting customer demands also means providing the conditions to enable improvements. Environmentally conscious design, for example. Selmers designs in a way that allows customers to achieve their sustainability and CSR reporting goals, while simultaneously optimizing their own processes.

Go Big or go Home

To make an impact, you don’t always have to go big. Because ultimately, every decision we make has a ripple effect on the world around us. Especially when it comes to product design. A great example of this is the inductive sensor stand Selmers created. It sounds simple—a stand with a sensor that detects metal objects, right? Wrong. By overhauling its entire design, Selmers has made a seemingly simple product so much greener that it almost becomes a side effect that it happens to cut costs by 30% as well…

Sustainable design start at the drawing board

Which materials do you use to minimize CO2 emissions and what is their recyclability? The design must also be manufacturable in all situations, preferably without further transportation or processing. A ready-made construction kit with mechanical connections eliminates the need for polluting welding, for instance. But it doesn’t end there because every design should also lower emissions in transportation through more compact packaging.

Design close to nature

When it comes to adopting green design principles, we can all learn from nature itself. The Dutch love their ‘mussels’. But when eating them, you’re left with heaps of shells. The experienced mussel-eater will therefore interlock the empty shells precisely, saving space in the waste bowl on the table – and ultimately in your trash can. This principle is exactly the same for Selmers’ sensor stands, which fit precisely into each other thanks to a widened opening that leaves room for another stand. And efficient packaging means less transportation by definition, hence environmentally friendly design (and let’s just mention it; more cost-friendly).

No waste – no recycling

The adage ‘create no waste first’ is, of course, preferable to having to recycle. Creating less waste during production is the goal. When you cut or shape materials, you often end up with heaps of leftovers—not great for the environment or your storage space. That is why Selmers has the sensor stand precision laser-cut.

Connecting the dots without the sparks

Afterwards, these components were returned to Selmers for final equipment preparation and packaging. This entire process involved a complex web of order processing, preparation work, extensive manpower coordination, back-and-forth vehicle transportation, and more. The new sensor stand has a zinc coating that eliminates the need for additional protective coating by a third party. A single supplier now takes care of the entire process. With the precision of cutting and folding machines, the sensor stand is instantly foldable and ready for assembly.

‘Smart thinking Watson’

With one single design, Selmers eliminated the need for welding, blasting, coating, and unnecessary transportation, while at the same time making it smarter for packaging. The result is a substantial drop in CO2 emissions in the process lines. And since profit is not a dirty word; a 30% cost reduction that directly benefits their customers.