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How UK technology can improve energy management and efficiency
| By Robin Kent, Tangram Technology Introduction In trying to achieve the ultimate goal of “Sustainable Manufacturing”, energy usage and management is extremely important and the UK is taking a leading role in developing the enabling technologies and techniques to achieve this. Energy efficiency has traditionally had a low priority in plastics processing due to the relatively low cost of energy compared to other costs such as materials and labour but this has changed dramatically in the past decade. In fact, a completely new set of rules are being applied to the sector and energy efficiency is now a major factor in management, machine purchases and operations. There are three major drivers for this increased concern with energy use: Cost: The relatively high cost of energy in the UK and the tax treatment of energy, e.g. the UK Climate Change Levy, both encourage investment in energy efficient technology. The cost of energy in the UK is high compared to many countries and even small reductions in energy use can often easily be financially justified. Security: The security of energy supplies is no longer assured for most countries and the UK is no exception. It has been widely demonstrated that improving energy efficiency is far more cost effective and easier than finding new sources of supply and increasing generation capacity. Legislative drivers: Environmental legislation in the UK is well advanced and there is a wide range of environmental legislation forcing companies to reduce carbon emissions to meet government targets, e.g. Carbon Reduction Commitment. The result of these three drivers is that the UK plastics processing industry is rapidly moving to become a world-leader in energy efficient plastics processing. Although the transition is difficult for some companies, the results in the long-term will be worth it. Energy management Benchmarking UK plastics companies are developing world-leading techniques in monitoring and targeting for plastics processing. Tangram Technology (www.tangram.co.uk) is an acknowledged world-leader in developing simple techniques for monitoring and targeting using easily available information. These techniques use simple internal information to set energy performance targets on a monthly or weekly basis by finding the Performance Characteristic Line (PCL) for the site. This information can also be used for future energy cost budgeting to provide accurate future energy costs when production volumes vary. Tangram Technology has also developed operating curves for many plastics processes both at the site and at the machine level, e.g. injection moulding, extrusion, rotational moulding and thermoforming. These operating curves can be used to benchmark both sites and machines against comparable sites and machines world-wide. Measurement It is no accident that the UK market for monitoring and targeting equipment (to measure, record and analyse energy use) is one of the most advanced and competitive in the world. These systems can be hard-wired or use wireless connections for more flexibility. Specialist UK companies have also developed methods of integrating process equipment such as mixers and blenders into the measurement systems to provide accurate measurement of material throughput, e.g. www.resourcekraft.com. The UK has a wide choice of competing suppliers and systems but other areas of the world are still only discovering the benefits of this technology. UK companies are therefore well placed to export and develop markets for their innovative technologies. Reporting All areas of the world are improving energy efficiency but reporting of progress and achieved energy use reductions is a vital part of the process. The demanding UK requirements for reporting have led to the development of innovative software for the reporting process and more new software tools are being developed to meet this need. The essential tools for energy management are being developed and used in the UK to establish a framework for experience in this vital area. Services Development of the measurement and reporting framework is vital but UK companies are also developing the hardware to reduce energy use in a wide variety of services. Typical work involves the development of low-loss transformers, e.g. www.bowerselec.co.uk, power conditioning and voltage reduction equipment, e.g. www.powerperfector.com and measurement and control equipment compressors, cooling and chilled water, lighting and polymer drying. Prime processing machinery It is an undeniable fact that the UK has decreased in importance as a supplier of prime plastics processing machinery but this has been replaced by the rapid development of add-ons and controls for the prime machinery to improve the overall energy efficiency. This can range from simple insulation for most processes to reduce heating energy use (see Figure 1) and this can be supplied by well established UK suppliers, e.g. www.elmatic.co.uk and www.insulwatt.co.uk.  (Figure 1: Process insulation) UK suppliers also at the forefront of developing machine controls for reduced energy use, e.g. www.ccstech.co.uk and much of this technology is unique to the UK. This is not simply the development of controls for the main machinery but also the development of controls for the complete production management system and ancillary equipment, e.g. www.mattec.com. UK suppliers have also developed economical and simple tools for monitoring the energy use of all types of sites and processing equipment. This type of simple, portable equipment allows processors to ‘look inside’ their process and to use the information from this to improve energy efficiency, e.g. www.spcmini.com.  (Figure 2: Energy trace from injection moulding machine using SPCMini) Training and surveys The UK is not only developing the technology but is also actively engaged in training the rest of the world how to reduce energy use in plastics processing. The Carbon Trust (www.carbontrust.co.uk) in the UK has produced a wealth of information and resources for training and information and has also trained and accredited many people on how to carry out energy surveys to identify and implement energy saving opportunities. Tangram Technology (www.tangram.co.uk) is also active in training and surveying plastics processors around the world and has a unique position in this area. The pressures on the UK plastics processing industry may well be seen as detrimental to the industry but they are driving changes in the industry. The high costs of energy are forcing the plastics processing industry to change their methods of operation and they are becoming leaders in many of the advanced technologies that will be needed around the world in the future. Energy efficiency is recognised as a vital part of the world-wide drive towards a sustainable future for plastics processing. The UK industry is already providing the tools and techniques to improve energy efficiency and will continue to do so in the future. More Information: ROBIN KENT Tangram Technology Ltd. Hitchin UK Tel:: +44 (0) 1462 437 686 Email: info@tangram.co.uk Web: www.tangram.co.uk |
