SOlUTIOnS
M
arkus Mettler is Technical Operations Manager at ebm-papst in 1990: “Electricity prices were low and semiconductor prices were high, but
Mulfingen, Germany. He also serves as the location’s environmental we kept focusing on our efficient, electronically controlled motors and fans
officer. This dual role is extremely logical: “When the environmental and continuously developed them. That is now paying off.” lindl believes that
officer has a good idea, the operations manager can implement it straight away,” the greatest potential savings lies in a comprehensive view of the complete
the native of Germany’s Hohenlohe region relates with a smile. Mettler has free system at the customer’s facility. Here, the largest increases in efficiency are
rein to implement environmental measures if they also make economic sense. hidden. “discovering this potential and realising it together with our custom-
He started right at the company’s own home base. Working together with an ers is our clear competitive advantage.”
innovative heating contractor from the region, the heat distribution system at
the location was optimised in terms of its energy consumption. This has pro-
“Comprehensive thinking means clear
vided a savings of some 600 tonnes of CO
2
per year. However, Mettler is not yet
fully satisfied: “We still have to deal with the heating boilers. The last one was competitive advantages.” Dr Bruno Lindl
built 27 years ago and we still have lots of capacity, though our heated space
has increased almost threefold since then. Years ago, systems were sized quite Gunter Streng, R&d Manager for Product division A, illustrates how these
differently.” This is in sharp contrast to the new green plant right around the ambitious goals are implemented when developing new products, offering
corner in Hollenbach. There, the capacities were designed to match the area the example of the HyBlade
®
axial fans. The blades are no longer made
and type of use exactly — to the last detail. Where do the company’s high envi- entirely of aluminium, but rather of an aluminium insert sprayed with fibre-
ronmental standards come from? “We work in a wonderful cultural landscape glass-reinforced plastic. In a study, the developers had a life cycle assess-
in which others go on holiday. This environment has an impact on us, and we ment carried out of the new fans in the manufacturing phase — from bauxite
know that we have a great responsibility to maintain it.” mining to die-casting to the finished product. The result: “For a production
run of 100,000 HyBlade
®
fans, the savings is 9,000 megawatt-hours. This
Thinking, calculating, acting. “First: product design that conserves roughly corresponds to the energy consumption of 3,000 households.” This
resources. Second: manufacturing that conserves resources. Third: energy- calculation does not even include the large potential savings provided by EC-
efficient, low-noise operation. This has become our principle for develop- powered fans in operation. However, the same holds true for other products
ment,” emphasises dr Bruno lindl, Managing director development. And this of the company’s three German locations, including the condensing boiler
is true even if it seems unreasonable at first glance. Such was the case in technology from landshut (see page 16).
Left: One for all —
Markus Mettler is
Technical Operations
Manager and Environ-
mental Officer at the
Mulfingen location.
Right: Gunter Streng,
R&D Manager for
Product Division A,
and Managing Director
Development Dr Bruno
Lindl inspect a newly
developed impeller
geometry.
12
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