SMC Corporation will be showcasing the latest in their range of energy saving solutions at Auspack 2019.
Energy saving has long been a focus for SMC whose Japanese roots has ensured lean manufacturing and Kaizen philosophy at the core of its business. “SMC is a sales driven organisation. We listen to our customers and the market is saying it loud and clear – they need energy saving solutions which are easy to understand, easy to implement and which can be measured and maintained” says Tony Randall - Head of OEM & Key Accounts for SMC Corporation ANZ’s Global Account Group.
According to Randall they are finding more and more customers who are actually specify energy saving as part of their tender requirements. The increase in energy costs is of course a big driver for this.
“Customers know they need to look at the bigger picture and take a long term view at cost saving - energy saving forms very much part of this picture. At SMC we have worked on making the process clearer and easier to understand for our customers. We have developed an energy saving roadmap to simplify the process” says Tony.
The process starts at the very beginning with the customer objective. The customer may have a key objective when it comes to energy saving – what will make a difference to their bottom line? There are also energy saving targets to work to, and these are increasingly becoming more and more important and top of mind for businesses which SMC are dealing with.
The first point of to consider is quite logical but often overlooked - measurement. You can’t save what you can’t measure – you don’t know what you are saving if you don’t know what you are using!
According to Tony many customers still have machines without the very important digital flow switch to measure the use of air.
The digital flow switch provides improved benefits.
The PF3A7-H series features (up to 12000 l/min):
• example Wide range of flow measurement 30 – 3000 l/min in one switch
• 3-Screen display digital flow monitor added
• Applicable fluid: Air, N2.
• Flow ratio 100:1
• Pressure loss: 75% reduction (20 kPa / 5 kPa)
SMC guides the customer through the various points on their machines which could benefit from energy saving components. Sometimes it is as easy as retrofitting a new more efficient product and this could mean ultimate energy and cost saving for the client. SMC assists customers to calculate the potential savings at each point. An energy efficiency calculator is available online to make this an easy process.
There are quick wins when it comes to air consumption. Any factory using more than 500 kPa could benefit from a booster. It is common that factories run at the pressure of the highest pressure application requirement which is a wasted on the rest of the applications in the factory which may require less than 500 kPa. A simple booster where higher pressure is needed means the rest of the factory can run at the required lower pressure and save money and energy in this way according to Tony. SMC offers a range of booster regulators designed to increase your factory’s air pressure by up to 200%/ 4 times with no power supply required.
Customers can enjoy a maximum of 4 times the pressure by connecting the air booster to a factory line and space savings can be easily achieved as it connects directly to air tanks and pneumatic circuits.
The VBA/ VBAT series also offers reduced heat generation (by not increasing compressor loading) with no electricity required for an improved service life of valves and cylinders.
While some boosters are known to make unnecessary noise, SMC’s sleek range has reduced noise by up to 13 dB thanks to a silencer in the exhaust and bumpers on the impact part of the switch valve.
Selecting the correct vacuum products can offer savings too. The vacuum should not be consuming compressed air when desired vacuum pressure has been reached. Clever energy saving vacuum units such as the ZK2 can help customers get around this. The ZK2 incorporates an energy saving switch which turns off the (compressed air) supply valve when the vacuum level is reached reducing air consumption.
“Once we have gone through the process and identified all the possibilities, we recommend an ALDS (Automatic Leak Detection System) to ensure reduced maintenance and increased savings. The Automatic Leakage Detection System is installed on an OEM machine’s main airline, and integrated with the machine’s control software (PLC). When the machine is newly installed, the ALDS system will run the machine through a complete sequence, measuring the air consumption of each actuator, and confirming that there are no leaks or identifying any leaks present.
During an idle moment in the machine’s daily operation, the ALDS system can perform a “Leakage Detection Cycle”, operating each component in sequence again, recording the air consumption and using the data to identify each leak. Today, creating a competitive advantage by employing lean manufacturing principles is made simple by a supplier such as SMC. By partnering with a supplier who offers superior offerings and expertise, it is possible to realise significant benefits.
According to SMC they have successfully completed energy saving projects with a number of global accounts internationally as well as locally.
The company will be showcasing live demonstrations of energy saving on their stand E140, at Auspack 2019.
