Essentra Components’ clever use of insulation jackets cuts energy usage
An innovative energy reduction initiative based on the concept of insulated jackets is helping industrial components manufacturer Essentra Components cut its energy usage when heating machine barrels.
As a programme, some 347 injection moulding machines will be wrapped in custom-made heat jackets made from high-efficiency insulation to reduce heat loss in the extrusion barrels. Almost 300 machines have been fitted with jackets and Essentra Components has seen a 15 per cent reduction in energy usage per machine when its barrel is heated.
The jackets are installed in sets of three across the barrel and reduce heat loss per cycle across the machine. They also reduce the amount of energy needed (by 0.4kWh of electricity) to reheat the barrel for the next cycle. Furthermore, the jackets have reduced the external guard temperature by 30 per cent, decreasing the risk of accidental burns.
Essentra Components estimates that the jackets are saving £400 per year in the UK, across 7,000 hours of manufacturing per machine, whilst costing just over half of that figure to install – representing an ROI of just 0.6 years.
Essentra Components expects the jackets to extend the lifespan of its electric machinery as well as reducing CO2 emissions. At its Flippin Arkansas location, 83 machines have been fitted out and are expected to shed 654 metric tonnes of CO2 annually.
A ‘win win’ solution
Richard Sederman, Strategy and M&A Director at Essentra Components said: “As a business, we’ve set ourselves the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. To do that it takes many small yet critical innovations like these heat jackets to make the incremental steps needed to reduce our carbon output.
“The results we’ve seen so far are impressive in comparison to the extremely low installation cost. Not only will it reduce our energy usage and carbon output, but it will keep our team safe. In truth it’s a ‘win win’ solution to a very challenging problem.”
Chris Butler, Divisional Engineering Manager, added: “In recent months we’ve accelerated the installation of new electric machinery. These new heat jackets will allow us to not only make those machines more efficient but extend their lifecycle, helping use reduce wastage and carbon emissions, ensuring these machines continue to run for years to come.”
The final stage of installation will see the last 52 machines fitted with heat jackets in Rayong Thailand. By project end, Essentra Components will have installed 1,041 of the energy jackets across all its injection moulding machinery.