Sustainable Production of Paver Blocks
Using Foundry Industry Waste

 

The foundry slag-based paver manufacturing technology dissemination has been carried out by Development Alternatives along with the Foundation for MSME clusters with support from Innovation - Science and Technology based Entrepreneurship Development (i-STED) programme of the Department of Science and Technology. A multi-dimensional approach has been used for the successful on-ground implementation of this technology with the help of the local business management organisation.

This technology solution provides mutual benefits to the foundry owners, as well as the paver block manufacturers. The foundry owners benefit as a result of reduction in the cost and effort in foundry slag disposal, whereas the paver block manufacturers benefit as they get a raw material for free, which acts as a complete replacement of the natural aggregates in the paver manufacturing process. This results in the reduction of the aggregate cost for the paver manufacturers. It is a win-win situation for both the industry owners.

The first step in the foundry slag-based paver manufacturing technology implementation process is to identify the quantity and quality of the waste generated in the selected region. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the foundry slag waste produced is carried out through an individual consultative meeting with the foundry owners. The project team collectively evaluates the process of the operation of foundries. This provides the estimated profitability, value chain impact and estimated enhancement in the production optimisation.

A sensitisation workshop is then conducted with foundry owners, paver block manufacturers and new entrepreneurs in collaboration with the active business management organisation in the region. The business management organisation plays an important role in influencing key people to adopt the sustainable technology. The idea of a ‘slag-free foundry cluster’ is promoted to motivate successful implementation of the technology in the focused region.

After the sensitisation workshop, a primary level discussion is initiated between the paver manufacturers, new entrepreneurs and foundry owners on providing the slag free-of-cost to the enterprises. Thereafter, a consultation meeting with paver manufacturers and interested entrepreneurs is carried out with a specific business case. The consultation meeting helps the project team to identify the technical, financial and marketing gaps for the enterprises. Dissemination of this technology under this initiative has showed us that foundry slag based enterprises show the best sustainability in terms of a profitable business case when the paver manufacturing units are set up within 10 km of the area of the foundry clusters.

Financial linking for the machineries for the crushing (Jaw crusher) and paver manufacturing units (vibrating table, concrete mixer, pan mixer) is one of the prime drivers in the sustainable technology dissemination. The technology adoption rate has been accelerated through financial linking and market assurance. The financial linking has been carried out through connecting with the government schemes, and leveraging sustainability focused CSR funds. The market assurance has been ensured through the involvement of the business management organisation providing the comparison of the strength certification, and networking with the government officials to utilise the paver blocks in the rural and urban infrastructure projects.

In order to achieve high scale of dissemination, the project team utilises a modern technological medium, such as a website dedicated to the technology -www.slagpaver.com and a video toolkit on the impacts and advantages of the technology adoption for the enterprises and foundry owners, to encourage the adoption. A pilot demonstration video toolkit has also been prepared for the paver enterprises through which an enterprise can adopt the technology with minimum support from the project team.

Atheeque Ahmed.K
aahmed@devalt.org

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