PC-JUL22-PG50-51.1_Layout 1 26/07/2022 11:30 Page 50
FOOD & BEVERAGE ENERGY-SAVING MEASURES WITH SWIFT ROI
Industrial automation specialist Festo offers five practical measures for reducing compressed air energy consumption in food production 2 – Check new machinery specifications
T
he top five tips are as follows: 1 – Conduct regular energy audits and improvement programmes An energy audit should assess
compressed air system performance from the point of generation in the compressor room to consumption on the food production line and all points in-between. The number and type of compressor, the required operating pressures, and the number of filters and dryers required all influence energy efficiency. Food processing usually requires high quality air, so needs more filtration to remove contaminants and moisture, which consumes more energy. A thorough audit analyses the data from
the assessment, documents the findings and includes an estimate of the energy saving that can be achieved. This is essential to deliver consistent and comparable results across multiple sites. Festo conducts energy audits in
compliance with ISO11011:2013. This ensures a consistent approach to consider the energy chain from supply, conversion to compressed air, transmission throughout the factory and end-use applications. Audits to this standard provide a measurable return on investment – whether your benchmark is KWh, CO2 or hard cash. However, one audit in isolation is only a snapshot in time. To be truly effective, audits need to be undertaken regularly, with results feeding into a continuous improvement plan.
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carefully Machine optimisation is critical in achieving
energy efficiency and controlling costs. Independent estimates indicate that compressed air consumption represents around 77% of the total operational lifetime cost of a typical packaging/assembly machine, whilst the initial capital investment represents around 14% and maintenance accounts for the remaining 9%. Key questions to ask include: does the
machine have an energy monitoring system? Is the compressed air consumption data recorded? What is the design operating pressure – and has consideration been given to operating different pressure zones? Also check that the OEM has carefully weighed the electric versus pneumatic question. Have they optimised the machine for initial purchase price or lifetime operating costs? Look for machines that feature a reduced
pressure cylinder return stroke. For example, a cylinder using 6 bar advance stroke with a 3 bar return can yield a major saving over a cylinder using 6 bar for both strokes. This can quickly multiply into significant compressed air savings in multi-cylinder applications. Introducing ‘out of the box’ energy monitoring at the machine build stage is another ‘must have’ and costs less than retrofitting it after installation. Tuning pressure settings beyond standard ‘factory’ machine norms further ensures your equipment is matched to your
5 JULY/AUGUST 2022 | PROCESS & CONTROL
specific application. By asking the right questions at purchase
time, machine end-users can ensure their operation supports their key environmental and cost targets, that it is future proof, delivers live monitoring 'out of the box' and has power energy consumption built in. 3 – Exploit free online software tools to
select the most energy-efficient products for existing machines If replacement of existing, energy-hungry
machines is not an option, don’t despair! There is a wide range of Intelligent products available today that provide energy consumption monitoring and control which can be retrofitted to existing machines. For example, air preparation units such as
Festo’s MS-C2M and E2M offer live energy monitoring to the PLC (via fieldbus connections) and reduce system pressure and block air flow when production has stopped. Intelligent pneumatic valve technology, such as the ground-breaking VTEM Motion Terminal, offers flexible control of force and pressure by integrating pneumatics, sensors, electronics and app- based software in a single unit. The energy saving benefits of these and other products - including totalling flow meters, pulse valves and energy reducing vacuum generators - are now easier to identify than ever before, thanks to software tools, such as filters within Festo’s online catalogue. It is worth noting that many food
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