1985 – 2000 Projects

1985 – 2000 Past Intern Projects

Like our content and want to share it with others? Please see our reprint policy.

1996 – 2000

2000

Health Systems Minnesota, Saint Louis Park

Goal: Eliminate mercury-containing devices in its one hospital and 25 clinics.

Lake Superior Paper, Duluth

Goal: Reduce wastewater solids

Marigold Foods, Minneapolis

Goal: Reduce phosphorus discharge and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).

Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Saint Paul

Goal: Reduce use of methylene chloride in environmental analysis work at an analytical lab.

Sellner Manufacturing, Faribault

Goal: Evaluate reducing laminate and gel coat overspray in fiber reinforced plastics process.

Smith System Manufacturing, Princeton

Goal: Research reducing wastewater and chemical use.

Wenger Corporation, Owatonna

Goal: Decrease the use of powder coating paint in manufacturing music equipment.

Intern Summary

1999

Crown Cork and Seal, Owatonna

Goal: Reduce defects from coating operation.

A Minnesota Dairy, Le Sueur

Goal: Decrease water used by clean-in-place (CIP) systems which sanitize equipment.

Intern Summary

Federal-Mogul, Lake City

Goal: Reduce phosphorus use to minimize wastewater loading and evaluate closed loop cooling of aluminum mold dies.

Halcon, Stewartville

Goal: Investigate options for switching to water-borne coatings.

Jennie O’ Foods, Melrose

Goal: Reduce water use and wastewater loading.

Red Wing Shoes, Red Wing

Goal: Reduce raw material scrap.

Schmidt Printing, Byron

Goal: Evaluate opportunities for reducing paper waste at lithographic printer.

Thermo King, Bloomington

Goal: Minimize facility’s wastewater.

1998

Bemidji State University, Bemidji

Goal: Decrease lab waste and reduce reagent use.

Intern Summary

Endocardial Solutions, Saint Paul

Goal: Reduce solid waste by optimizing packaging for medical devices.

Marathon Ashland Petroleum, Saint Paul Park

Goal: Make cleaning changes to eliminate chlorinated aerosol spray use.

Intern Summary

McGlynn’s Bakery, Minneapolis

Goal: Research bulk raw material options.

Merit Enterprises, Isle

Goal: Reduce sludge generation and water use.

Potlatch Corporation, Brainerd

Goal: Investigate options for conserving water.

University of Minnesota Veterinary Clinic, Saint Paul

Goal: Reduce the use of disinfectants while maintaining strict disease control.

Intern Summary

1997

American Converters, Fridley

Goal: Eliminate air emissions and hazardous waste for methylene chloride using alternatives to adhesive joining in a plastics job shop.

Intern Summary

Bouquet Enterprises, Kellogg

Goal: Investigate substitutes for selenium-based acid in decorative product manufacture.

Intern Summary

Foldcraft, Kenyon

Goal: Evaluate how to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from painting operations.

Hood Flexible Packaging, Saint Paul

Goal: Reduce waste from flexographic printing at a polyethylene bag manufacturer.

Intern Summary

Kurt Manufacturing, Minneapolis

Goal: Improve water conservation at a metal fabricator.

Intern Summary

Nico Products, Minneapolis

Goal: Develop options for water conservation in electroplating.

North Star Finishing, Minneapolis

Goal: Recommend solutions for water conservation in electroplating.

Southern Minnesota Sugarbeet Coop, Renville

Goal: Reduce the use of lime in processing beets into sugar.

Intern Summary

Tennant Company, Minneapolis

Goal: Reduce solid waste from packaging at a floor maintenance equipment manufacturer

Intern Summary

1996

Anagram International, Eden Prairie

Goal: Reduce solvent and ink purchases and waste in the flexographic printing industry.

Intern Summary

Diamond Brands, Cloquet

Goal: Reduce wood waste and energy use used for heating wood blocks when manufacturing wood products.

Hoffman Engineering, Anoka

Goal: Reduce water use in painting pretreatment.

Intern Summary

Jostens, Owatonna

Goal: Evaluate the efficiency of acid use and identify options for reclaiming process acid.

Sparta Foods, Saint Paul

Goal: Evaluate options for water conservation and wastewater loading in the food processing industry.

Intern Summary

Viking Industries, Saint Joseph

Goal: Reduce VOCs and improve transfer efficiency in the wood finishing furniture process.

Vision Ease, Saint Cloud

Goal: Research eliminating trichloroethylene, a chlorinated solvent, from multifocal lens production.

Intern Summary

X-Cel Optical, Sauk Rapids

Goal: Eliminate trichloroethylene, a chlorinated solvent, from multifocal lens production.

1991 – 1995

1995

Dairyland Equipment Services / Wabasha County, Plainview

Goal: Evaluate the use of mercury manometers in the dairy industry.

Intern Summary

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Grand Rapids

Goal: Research waste reduction in a vehicle maintenance facility.

Intern Summary

Minnesota Waste Wise, Saint Paul

Goal: General technical support for the program.

1994

Advance Circuits, Roseville

Goal: Evaluate water conservation at a printed circuit board manufacturer.

Intern Summary

Astoria Industries, Jackson

Goal: Research source reduction and recycling opportunities for a fiberglass reinforced plastics shop.

Intern Summary

EMD Associates, Winona

Goal: Recommend options to reduce lead solder paste and solder flux in a printed circuits manufacturing facility.

Fisher-Rosemount, Eden Prairie

Goal: Identify and segregate contaminated materials to reduce hazardous waste.

Intern Summary

University Technology Center, Minneapolis

Goal: Develop methods for reducing waste in a multi-tenant commercial building.

Intern Summary

US Steel – Minntac, Mountain Iron

Goal: Identify solid waste source reduction options and develop a plant-wide waste recycling program.

1993

Crenlo, Rochester

Goal: Reduce solvent emissions in painting operations.

Intern Summary

Rosemount Aerospace, Burnsville

Goal: Investigate aqueous alternatives for cleaning measurement instrumentation.

Intern Summary

SCS Co-Sines, Maplewood

Goal: Recommend solutions for zinc alloy die cast scrap reuse.

Intern Summary

Tandem Products, Blooming Prairie

Goal: Reduce waste in polyurethane manufacturing operations.

Intern Summary

Wernke Ink, Plymouth

Goal: Develop options for recycling ink-contaminated HDPE containers.

Zytec Corporation, Redwood Falls

Goal: Identify source recovery options for isopropyl alcohol at an electronic equipment manufacturer.

Intern Summary

1992

Avecor Cardiovascular, Plymouth

Goal: Evaluate alternatives to freon used in manufacturing medical equipment and supplies.

ME International, Duluth

Goal: Investigate alternatives to 1,1,1-trichloroethane used in a foundry process.

Intern Summary

Medallion Kitchens, Waconia

Goal: Increase transfer efficiency through part placement, spray adjustment and overspray reuse.

Intern Summary

Minnesota Valley Engineering, New Prague

Goal: Identify, assess, and minimize Industrial coatings waste.

Nico Plating, Minneapolis

Goal: Investigate the use of aqueous cleaners as substitutes for tricholorethylene.

Sci-Med Life, Maple Grove

Goal: Evaluate cold cleaning with isopropyl alchol to reduce CFC-113 use in medical device manufacturing.

Vision-Ease Polycarbonate, Brooklyn Center

Goal: Research eliminating trichloroethylene, a chlorinated solvent, from multifocal lens production.

1991

Aaron Carlson Company, Minneapolis

Goal: Assemble a list of waterbased lacquer suppliers and establish criteria for judging the quality of finish to compare lacquers.

Intern Summary

Continental Machines, Inc., Savage

ICI Fiberite, Winona

ThermoKing, Bloomington

1985 – 1990

1990

Alliant Techsystems, New Brighton

CertainTeed Corporation, Shakopee

Larson Boats, Little Falls

Metronic, Inc., Fridley

1989

Aero Precision, Saint Paul Park

Graco, Inc., Minneapolis

Hutchinson Technology, Inc., Hutchinson

Johnson Filtration Systems, New Brighton

1988

LeMettry’s Collision and Paint, Richfield

Midwest Electric Products, North Mankato

Operations for Reducing Green Sand Waste from Foundry Operations, Lisa Monsour

Professional Plating, Anoka

Saint Paul Brass Foundry, Saint Paul

1987

Bloomington School District, Bloomington

Bridge Wheel Co., Inc., Bloomington

New Dimension Plating, Hutchinson

Saint Paul Technical Institute, Saint Paul

Washington Scientific Industries, Inc., Long Lake

1986

Electronic Industries, New Hope

Micom Corporation, New Brighton

Perkin Elmer, Minneapolis

RayGo, Inc., Brooklyn Park

Telex Communications, Inc., Le Sueur

Thin Film Technology, North Mankato

1985

Gage Tool Co., Coon Rapids

Joyner’s Inc., Brooklyn Park

Micro Parks, Inc., Saint Paul

Midwest Finishing, Coon Rapids

Nordic Ware, Saint Louis Park

Sperry Corporation, Roseville