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Effi cient air use reduces energy consumption and costs
Schmalz vacuum automation focuses on reducing energy consumption and costs through efficient air use and air-saving technology solutions
E
nergy efficiency and sustainability have become highly prominent as the manufacturing industry
continues its journey toward a greener future, with efforts to make a tangible contribution to the objectives of Net Zero.
Schmalz is fully dedicated in supporting a world where businesses are striving for energy efficiency, succesful tackling of multiple logistics and commercial challenges, and now facing stratospheric increases in the cost of the energy needed to power their facilities. Generating and using compressed air by the vacuum gripping systems in packaging and palletising in industrial sectors is just one example where energy consumption can be reduced and efficiencies and cost savings realised by introducing latest-generation vacuum technologies.
Tangible returns on investment Schmalz UK Sales Director Neil Turnbull explains how businesses can achieve significant savings by reducing the quantity of air required for each product handling cycle: “A conventional vacuum gripping system will continue to use air for the full duration of the handling cycle. If we use the example of a product-handling cycle, where vacuum is required for a duration of four seconds, in the overall 7.5s cycle time we can quickly see how the costs add up. With 480 cycles per hour and 3,840 cycles over an 8-hour shift, there will be a total of 256 minutes when vacuum is being generated.” “A vacuum generator will use around
105 litres of air per minute, so over a full shift, a total of 26,880 litres of air will be used,” says Turnbull. “With compressed air estimated to cost £0.04 per 1,000 litres, the cost is £1.08 per shift. If this cost is then extrapolated over the course of one year – 52 weeks, six days per week and 2 x 8-hour shifts per day – the
18 February 2024 | Automation
cost of the air used equates to £673.92 per vacuum generator. Manufacturing companies with significant assembly and packaging process can unlock huge potential savings once their processes are audited and solutions implemented.”
Energy-saving technology “Using the same operational criteria, but this time making the calculations based upon using Schmalz air-saving technology which holds vacuum once reached, the time air is used drops from 4s per cycle to just 0.5s, this being the time needed to achieve a safe vacuum level,” continues Turnbull. “With just 0.5s of air required per cycle, the total time air is being used in the 8-hour shift reduces to just 32 minutes. Running the same calculations, the cost of the air being used by a single vacuum generator over the period of one year drops to just £81.12. This results in an annual saving of £592.80 per each vacuum generator.” With such a saving for each vacuum generator, it is easy to see how Schmalz air-saving technology can deliver a significant return on investment when applied to the multiple gripper
units being used across several production lines in a typical industrial manufacturing environment. In addition to reducing air consumption by up to 80%, this technology allows air consumption to be monitored with a condition-monitoring function, and predictive maintenance is also possible with the diagnostic function.
“The examples detailed here represent just a few of the opportunities where both efficiencies and subsequently cost savings can be made by looking closely at and investing in the latest vacuum gripping technologies. We have a dedicated team of technical engineers based in the UK that can offer free and impartial advice to support the UK manufacturing industry, in both the end user and OEM machine builders sectors to ensure cost-effective, energy-efficient solutions are delivered. This is a win/ win situation for both sectors.”
CONTACT:
Schmalz
www.schmalz.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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