A Different Kind of Green Machining

When I hear the phrase “green manufacturing,” I don’t necessarily think of protecting the natural environment or conserving natural resources. Instead, I sometimes think of a shop that was actually colored green. The shop had a different kind of environment in mind—the environment of the working area. It also had a different kind of resource in mind—specifically, the attention and engagement of its employees.

The shop is East Coast Precision Manufacturing. You can read about the shop here. Its specialty is machining plastic parts so small that the machined features cannot easily be seen. Attentive focus and gentle movements are key to producing these parts. One machine operator is even a former jewelry maker. Shop owner Mark Rohlfs says the color of the shop was a deliberate choice. He thought this color would be the most calming.

Question: Could an improvement to your shop environment affect the efficiency of your own human resources?