ENERGY MANAGEMENT | TECHNOLOGY
moulding machine, Engel has collaborated with temperature control unit manufacturer HB-Therm of St. Gallen, Switzerland, to develop the tempera- ture control unit series known as E-Temp. The compact devices are networked with the injection moulding machine via OPC UA (Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture). With its service-oriented, platform-independent and freely scalable structure, this communications model offers great flexibility. A high degree of data security is guaranteed by the technical safety features that are an integral part of the architecture. OPC UA is becoming increasingly popular in the plastics industry for networking injection moulding machines, peripherals, sensors and applications and is an important component of the Inject 4.0 platform from Engel. US injection moulder Evco Plastics, based in Wisconsin, has been involved in an energy efficien- cy project in collaboration with ExxonMobil as part of a Focus on Energy initiative by the state. Wisconsin Focus on Energy verified hydraulic oil as an energy efficient technology, capable of reduc- ing electricity demands. Mobil DTE 10 Excel hydraulic oil is the first lubricant to be studied by Focus on Energy, which works with Wisconsin businesses and residents to reduce energy waste. The study was undertaken by a group of 12 engineers from ExxonMobil, Evco Plastics, Focus on Energy and Lube-Tech & Partners. The verification of Mobil DTE 10 Excel demonstrated a 3.3% electricity demand reduction in one of Evco’s 300 US ton injection moulding machines, in comparison with using standard oil. Overall, the study confirmed that Mobil DTE 10 Excel oil can provide an allowable payback range of between 1.5 and 8 years, depending on operating conditions. Mobil DTE 10 Excel oil is formulated to help
reduce power consumption and increase machine output, resulting in lower energy costs over the long term. In addition to their efficiency benefits, Mobil DTE 10 Excel oils help minimise mainte- nance costs and downtime by keeping systems clean up to three times longer than conventional, mineral-based oils in bench testing. Dale Evans, CEO of Evco Plastics, took part in a discussion at NPE 2018, where he highlighted the importance of energy efficiency to the company. He said that for more than 20 years, Evco has been working on improving its environmental sustain- ability, through programs to save energy and other
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initiatives such as noise reduction and better water usage. The company’s switch to all-electric ma- chines and servo-hydraulic machines has been central to its energy efficiency drive. “The oil we look to use in our servo hydraulics adds to it, giving us another layer of energy efficiency,” said Evans. “And it falls to the bottom line too.” Michelle Ruiz, the ExxonMobil lubrication engineer who led the assessment at Evco, said at the NPE discussion there are other benefits of using Mobil DTE 10 Excel oil in addition to the energy savings verified in the study. “Synthetic oils last three times longer than conven- tional oils,” she said. “This means you’re not throwing away oil, you are reducing the energy con- sumption of the machine as it runs smoother, and it doesn’t have so many emission steps to make the oil because it lasts that much longer.” Ruiz made a comparison between blood needed in every part of the human body and good hydraulic oil needed to
make the machine run well. Evans
added: “We are anticipating machinery and pumps to last longer. There’s less friction, less heat build-up. So it saves money in the long run.”
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.arburg.com �
www.wittmann-group.com �
www.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu �
www.omega-plastics.co.uk �
www.gualaclosures.com �
www.engelglobal.com �
www.hb-therm.com �
www.evcoplastics.com �
www.exxonmobil.com
May 2018 | INJECTION WORLD 53
Above: Evco Plastics worked with ExxonMo- bil to verify the energy savings of using the latter’s hydraulic oil in its injection moulding machines
Left: Insert moulding is one of Evco Plastics’ specialities
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