Maite Nimia, autor en Industrias Teixidó

Industrias Teixidó > Artículos por: Maite Nimia

Industrias Teixidó, showing the way in reducing water usage

Publicada el 12 December, 202312 December, 2023

The current reality in our country is that there is a very serious water shortage that is driving us to develop a new culture around this valuable resource. We simply cannot wait any longer, extraordinary measures are required.

INDUSTRIAS TEIXIDO SA is located in the municipality of Riudecols, in the county of Baix Camp, Tarragona. Like practically every other place in the region, Riudecols is undergoing a serious water shortage, one which is becoming increasingly worrying due to the continuing lack of rain.

Water is, and always has been, one of nature’s most precious resources, one which it is ever more important to preserve. The current reality in our country that there is a very serious water shortage that is driving us to develop a new culture around this valuable resource. We simply cannot wait any longer, extraordinary measures are required to ensure a reduction in water use by industry.

At INDUSTRIAS TEIXIDÓ, SA, we get our water supply directly from groundwater, and we have been observing how the water table of the aquifer is getting lower and lower. Among our processes, the ones that most require water are superficial treatments, where we cover our products electrolytically or chemically, as well as vibration treatments, in which we polish and shine the products. These processes absolutely require water.

We cannot find ourselves in a position where we have no water, which is why reducing our water consumption and reusing water are vital aspects of our environmental policy. In fact, the company has been working on aspects relating to optimising and reducing water use since 2017, modifying aspects that guarantee more efficient water usage through the installation of meters at all points of use, installing reductors that help us to limit the use of sanitary water, as well as acquiring and installing water reuse systems in closed circuits that allow us to achieve significant reductions in the use of water for work processes.

So far, all these measures have allowed us to reduce our usage. However, this is a marathon rather than a sprint, one in which water shortages are gaining ground, and we need to continue to work hard and make firm commitments to achieve efficient use of the water cycle, turning it into a closed circuit, one in which reuse becomes a basic premise that helps us manage the use of water from aquifers, which is increasingly difficult to achieve.

Industrias Teixidó > Artículos por: Maite Nimia

Industrias Teixidó leads the way in reducing waste

Publicada el 12 December, 202312 December, 2023

We use metal bars of different materials in the manufacture of our products, which leaves a lot of excess material behind that is then handled as waste.

INDUSTRIAS TEIXIDÓ, SAU is an auxiliary company in the metallurgical industry dedicated to the mass production of parts for third parties. The products we manufacture are mainly parts for machinery used in various industrial activities in the automobile, computer, home appliance, pneumatic, hydraulic and implantology sectors, to name just a few, and are obtained from bar turning and high-precision machining.

We are a company that generates about 1,000 tons of industrial waste per year. Conscious of this fact, we follow all prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse guidelines in our efforts to both reduce our waste and achieve its external recovery. The objective pursued by INDUSTRIAS TEIXIDÓ, SAU is aligned with the premises of the 12th goal for Responsible Consumption and Production published by the United Nations in its Sustainable Development Goals.

Waste minimisation is and has always been a principle of action in new implementation processes, as well as in already implemented processes. Over the years, various auxiliary filtration installations have been introduced into the process for the different products used in the company in order to extend their useful life and thus reduce consumption and waste.

We use metal bars of different materials in the manufacture of our products, which leaves a lot of excess material behind that is then handled as waste, which has led us to acquire centrifuge facilities for the maximum recovery of cutting oil and optimal preparation of filings for recycling.

Waste from metal shavings is managed entirely externally with companies in the metal sector, which are responsible for reintroducing it into the process for the production of new raw materials, becoming part of the production process through its recycling, thus completing its life cycle.

The rest of the waste generated during our manufacturing processes, such as the lubricants and coolants used, anti-corrosives, various absorbent materials, sludge from mechanical precision grinding or the treatment of our waste water, among others, are managed externally by authorised waste management companies.

One of our priorities is to achieve the maximum percentage of waste management through recovery, whenever technically possible, and thus contribute to the circular economy. In recent years, we have achieved a significant increase in recovery, reaching ratios of approximately 75-80%. This is especially true for the fraction of all waste that is not metal filings, for which currently the recovery ratio has increased from 30% to 45%.

At INDUSTRIAS TEIXIDÓ, SAU, we are very conscious of the fact that it is the responsibility of all companies to make every effort, technical and financial, to become ever more sustainable, achieving a transformation that will help us remain leaders in the sector, while also contributing to meeting the expectations of our stakeholders.

Industrias Teixidó > Artículos por: Maite Nimia

“There is a lack of qualified professionals in industry”

Publicada el 12 December, 202312 December, 2023

Teixidó’s Head of Industrial HR, Enric Roda, reflects on the sector and argues that what is needed is to train and educate young people to work in this field, particularly young women, in order to meet demand.

Located in Riudecols, in a rural setting, Industrias Teixidó SA is a family company founded in May 1952 by Artemio Teixidó. The company started out, with just a handful of workers, manufacturing parts for reading glass frames. Now, seventy-one years later, it is the only company in the entire municipality, with over 450 workers, and is a local institution. In the metallurgical sector, the company is dedicated to the mass production of high-quality and high-precision machined parts for third parties in the automobile, computer, home appliance, pneumatic and hydraulic sectors, to name just a few. Over ten years ago, Industrias Teixidó was one of the first companies to place their trust in FP Dual when it comes to holding on to young talent and growing together. This work was recognised by the Government of Catalonia last year. Nonetheless, Head of Human Resources, Enric Roda, says that it is necessary to educate and train more qualified professionals, especially young women.

What is the professional profile of the members of your team?

What we need is qualified staff, people able to competently cover industrial positions. They normally come from Vocational Training Centres that teach industrial specialties. These are degrees relating to mechanical manufacturing. Basically, the Degree in Mechanical Manufacturing, the Higher Degree in Design of Mechanical Manufacturing and the Degree in Programming for Mechanical Manufacturing; also, the Higher Degree in Industrial Mechatronic Engineering and the Higher Degrees in Occupational Safety, Quality Control and Analysis, and Automation and Industrial Robotics.

Which colleges do you collaborate with?

We currently work, among others, with Jaume Huguet, in Valls; Pere Martell and Conde de Rius, in Tarragona; and Domènech i Montaner, in Reus. Nonetheless, we have insisted that more people are needed, young people to take these training and educational courses.

Even so, is there a lack of qualified professionals?

Indeed. There are a lot of other companies with the same shortfall as us as there are not enough young people studying these specialties. That’s why it is difficult to find workers, in terms of both quality and quantity.

What is the percentage of females in these jobs?

I would say about 90% of the people working these jobs are male. It’s hard enough to find young men, young women are almost impossible to find.

Why is that?

Generally speaking, it is a social question. The industrial sector is not always viewed positively by young people. I think there are outdated ideas around this, or lack of knowledge. We need to explain to them what we do and that it is a good professional alternative.

What measures do you think should be taken to reverse the situation?

Personally, I think there should be a serious focus on orientation at high school level, or even earlier, if necessary, by the Department of Education, to explain to young people that these jobs are qualified, stable and well-paid. There also needs to be an effort to bring more women into this type of work, as it is currently very male-dominated.

Industrias Teixidó > Artículos por: Maite Nimia

Industrias Teixidó, working towards decarbonisation.

Publicada el 12 December, 202312 December, 2023

The company’s goal is to become a carbon-neutral organisation.

INDUSTRIAS TEIXIDÓ, SA is an auxiliary company in the metallurgical industry dedicated to the mass production of parts for third parties. The products we manufacture are mainly parts for machinery used in various industrial activities in the automobile, computer, home appliance, pneumatic, hydraulic and implantology sectors, to name just a few, and are obtained from bar turning and high-precision machining.

When it comes to GHG emissions, our activity entails certain emissions, which are generated both directly and indirectly and which it is important to identify in order to adequately plan for improvements that will help us reduce these emissions.

We are aware of the importance of focusing on the electrical energy we need to consume to manufacture our products, the amount of natural gas we need to burn to provide our premises with heating and DHW, the transport and freight involved in our activity, both to provide us with raw materials and to ensure the external processing our waste, not to mention the transport required to get people working at our premises to and from their homes and their workplaces, as well as many other important aspects that need to be considered. The company has been conscious of its carbon footprint since 2017 and, since that time, we have made efforts to identify the areas and aspects of our systems that we need to work on to reduce the size of that footprint.

However, our business environment and our stakeholders require a degree of commitment that has led us to seek the assistance of experts in drawing up a comprehensive decarbonisation plan that will allow us to achieve one of our main long-term goals, that of becoming a carbon-neutral company.

Now more than ever, companies have social corporate responsibility and any measures put in place will positively affect companies’ balance sheets, as they allow them to reduce costs by optimising resources, finding electrical energy supply alternatives, etc.

At INDUSTRIAS TEIXIDÓ, SA we feel sure that this neutrality will soon endorse and ensure our continuity as trusted partners in our field of activity.