energy management Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Unitherm Insulation Systems

May 7, 2012 by Kendal White

Opportunities for Greater Efficiency in Custom Molding

As more and more manufacturers see significant energy savings after insulating their machines, insulation jackets are becoming priority number one in many energy management strategies.

UniTherm has been supplying insulation jackets in the plastics industry for over 30 years, and with each new product and custom service, UniTherm strives to address a specific processing need. With this innovative mentality, UniTherm can provide opportunities for greater efficiency, as it has with its new product called QuickCool.

QuickCool is an insulation jacket with an additional feature—it is designed to open easily so that machines can quickly cool as they are prepared for different processes. QuickCool wraps completely around the barrel and insulates as well as UniTherm’s other jackets, but it has high-temperature straps on the inside to hold it in place while the top flap opens to release heat when necessary. Otherwise, the top flap velcros tightly to the rest of the jacket to keep machines working at high efficiency with minimal heat loss. This way, barrels and heater bands are always easily accessible without having to remove the entire jacket, and machines can reach and maintain different desired temperatures as needed.

QuickCool closed to insulate

QuickCool open to release heat

Barbara Arnold-Feret, custom molding expert and new addition to UniTherm’s sales team, calls QuickCool a “flexibility enhancer.” QuickCool, she explains, “offers all the advantages of insulation along with the ability to change temperatures quickly. It allows great flexibility for molders looking to cool their machines for whatever reason, including material changes.” No longer do custom molders need to worry about insulation encumbering their access to the machines or their ability to switch processes involving different materials. “It is especially convenient when working with polyolefins and perfect for molders that make a little of everything,” says Barbara.

In fact, a custom molder with 3,000 molds running short runs with PolyPro and ABS installed QuickCool blankets on its machines and found that the product allowed them to cool from 550˚F to 350˚F in the time it took to change the mold.

UniTherm has been supplying insulation for over 30 years, and the Research and Development team continues to explore new energy-efficient solutions. They are excited to offer a product that will not only save energy but also adapt to the alternating processes in custom molding.

May 4, 2012 by Kendal White

Manufacturing Matters: 5/4 Weekly Wrap Up

Another great week ripe with industry news. Here are the highlights:

Plastics News reports that the shortage of nylon 12 has led the auto industry to seek alternatives resins to use in fuel lines, connectors, tubes, and other key components. Molders and resin makers have offered a variety of possible alternatives, and automakers have established a system to begin testing.

The Huffington Post addresses the current the job market as US Congressional Candidate Stacey Lawson proposes a plan for creating jobs and rebuilding our middle class. Lawson stresses that we can by reclaim the American dream by “restoring the high-wage jobs that are the foundation of a sustainable economic recovery,” and she lays out 7 priorities to help us get there.

Clean Technica overviews the Department of Energy’s voluntary energy savings specifications designed to help building owners, operators, and manufacturers develop minimum performance requirements. The DOE recently released new specifications for lighting troffers and parking lot lighting, which could reduce energy use by 40%.

image from cleantechnica.com

Industry Intelligence announces a new compostable bioplastic film that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by up to five days. The new film, developed by Sira-Flex Resolve, creates an ideal atmosphere to better preserve stored food.

image from flickr, courtesy of I-5 Design & Manufacture

And in a free webinar, Design World discusses how Design for Manufacturability (DDM) eliminates many restraints associated with conventional manufacturing. The webinar examines how DDM can create plastic parts, layer-by-layer without machining, molding, or casting.

If you like the Weekly Wrap Up, follow our blog to receive more updates and industry news every Friday.

May 3, 2012 by Kendal White

How to Conduct an Energy Study at your Facility

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

It’s true. We offer a lot of general advice about how manufactures can save energy, and we have a great deal of data showing the results of different energy-saving strategies, but each facility operates differently, and in most cases, energy plans must be tailored to fit the facility. Your measurements govern how you manage and guide your strategic course of action.

That’s why DIY approaches are so beneficial for facility owners and managers—they offer adaptable tools that bring you closer to remedying a problem or operating more efficiently.

We can all agree that energy prices are high and machines consume huge amounts of energy, ergo operating machines is an enormous expense (the third largest, behind materials and labor, to be exact). But let’s take a step back. Before you seek out solutions, it’s important to know exactly how much energy the machines in your facility are consuming.

That’s where the Power Sight PS 2500 comes in to play. Experts at your energy company use this handheld meter to measure and log energy output. But if you don’t want to hire a professional, you can easily do it yourself. Here’s how:

Connect the PS2500 to your computer via Bluetooth. This will allow you connect wirelessly, install Power Sight software, and sync the PS2500 with your computer.
Check the settings in the electrical panel. Identify the relays, the power source supplying them, and the direction of power to ensure accurate measurements.
Connect the PS2500 to the machine using the voltage, amperage, and natural clamps. When all three are attached, the machine will connect to the computer.
Run the test. Initiate the test using the keys on the PS2500. Data logging parameters can be set within the software. The meter will measure and log energy output until you discontinue the study. You can use the Remote Control option and control the meter completely from your computer.
Create a report. Save the data uploaded your computer, and the Power Sight software will generate a report. From there you can compare, summarize or compile the data as you like.

image from summittechnology.com

Armed with facility-specific data about energy consumption, you can take an active approach to managing your energy costs. Like the idea, but bogged down with a countless other to-dos? Click here for a customized energy report from UniTherm.

May 1, 2012 by Kendal White

How to Join the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge

Going green. Saving energy. Encouraging efficiency. Reducing carbon footprints. Promoting eco-friendly practices. Being environmentally conscious. Conserving resources. It goes by many names, but the social movement is undeniable.

I remember seeing for the first time the trendy “Save the Planet” tees cropping up in clothing lines of popular retail stores. Years later, it turns out that going green more than a fashion trend. It is a compilation of personal and political choices that continues to build momentum worldwide.

We can see big impacts, too, when we look at the sum of our efforts. That’s why government and corporate entities promote going green, leading by example and initiating challenges to get others involved.

Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge

Last year, President Obama and former President Clinton issued the Better Buildings Challenge and extended the challenge to industrial plants for an even greater impact. Because buildings consume about 20% of all the energy used in the US, the initiative’s long-term goals include

Updating American buildings to make them 20% more energy efficient
Saving American businesses nearly $40 million in energy costs

With the help of energy efficiency products, services, technologies, and partnerships, several industrial partners have stepped up to the challenge—3M has 78 participating plants, Alcoa has 30, Nissan has 3, and GE has 125 million sq. ft. of plant space (to name a few).

But you don’t have to be a big name with copious plant space to make a difference. Think of it this way—as a little guy, your carbon footprint is already smaller so you don’t have to make such extravagant changes. Every little bit counts.

To join the Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge

Assess your building portfolio to determine energy efficiency opportunities and publicly pledge an organization-wide energy savings goal for the next 2-5 years.
Announce and initiate a showcase project on 1 facility (retrofit, retro commissioning) and develop an organization-wide plan to achieve your energy savings goal.
Share your experiences with energy efficiency solutions, your organization-wide energy savings, and the energy performance at individual facilities for recognition.

In return for your commitment, the Department of Energy agrees to support you via expert technical assistance, connect you to a network of allies, and provide you with national recognition. Win-win-win.

What are you doing to green your building? The Better Buildings Challenge is just one way you can contribute to the social movement. Incentives are abundant, and the payoffs reach far and wide. For starters, you can insulate your equipment to conserve energy and maximize efficiency, and when you start seeing the savings, you can move on to other areas like HVAC and lighting for a complete energy-efficient overhaul.

April 24, 2012 by Kendal White

International Standards for Energy Management: How ISO 50001 Can Help Companies of All Kinds

“Individual organizations cannot control energy prices, government policies, or the global economy. But they can improve the way they manage energy.” –ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele

Energy is one of the largest controllable expenses of your plant, or of any building for that matter. And luckily, as more and more building owners realize remarkable ROI in energy-saving strategies, the amount of related information continues to grow.

In fact, a quick Google search for energy management returns about 54,800,000 results, which gives us about 78 pages to wade through. Of course, no one has time for that, so we usually just collect tidbits of advice we hear about going green and put them to use as best we can.

For example, at home I know to keep the thermostat under 68° in the winter and over 72° in the summer for better energy savings. I know to run the dishwasher only when it’s full to maximize water use. I know to open the shades during the day to let in natural light. I’m sure you’ve heard similar rules of thumb.

So we’ve got the basics down, but managing energy in an entire plant requires a bit more forethought than simply turning off the lights when we leave the house.

download avaiable at iso.org

Fortunately, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) launched an energy management standard last summer. According to ISO, the energy standard—ISO 50001—will provide industrial plants, commercial, businesses, government facilities, and entire organizations with “access to a single, harmonized standard for implementation across the organization with a logical and consistent methodology for identifying and implementing improvements.”

Twenty-six US facilities, including 3M, Cook Composites, Dow Chemical, Nissan, and Volvo, participated in ISO 50001 pilot programs. In addition, the Department of Energy endorses ISO 50001 as a “proven approach for US industrial commercial facilities to plan, manage, measure, and continually improve energy performance.”

Companies implement these energy standards to reduce their energy consumption and environmental footprint, but they can become ISO 50001 certified as well. On March 8^th of this year, Volvo’s Dublin plant was the first US facility to achieve certification. This third-party verification can afford companies a competitive edge and greater confidence in their supply chain.

For those that utilize it, the energy standard will be hugely helpful as it takes the guesswork out of energy management. Instead of the trial and error strategy I use at home, haphazardly turning the thermostat up or down, ISO 50001 provides an explicit framework applicable in any company—public or private, large or small. Companies worldwide can now adopt best practices in energy management.

Have you begun working towards your ISO 50001 certification? What other energy management tools—software, audits, etc.—do you use at your facility? If you’re kicking off a new energy management program or you’re working to keep your energy output in check, get a customized energy report today.

August 24, 2011 by Kendal White

A Quick Guide to Energy Management Software

If you’ve picked up any industrial trade journal or browsed the business section of the news for energy related topics, you’ve probably read about energy management software of some type. Everyone seems to agree that energy management software is the next big thing, but how will such systems actually help your business?

Energy management software generally provides options for evaluating effectiveness and ROI of efficiency projects or for measuring, tracking and controlling energy consumption to eliminate waste.

Software for Energy Efficiency Projects

With so many options to choose from, determining which energy efficiency projects to implement might seem a difficult task for any industrial facility. Employees tasked with reducing energy costs often have limited budgets and must prioritize new projects and plan for future implementation.

Through the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) division the U.S. Department of Energy offers free calculators and software tools that allow you to analyze opportunities to reduce energy costs and help you calculate possible energy savings gained from energy efficiency projects. These tools help calculate the potential return on investment or paybacks for projects, like high temperature insulation jackets, allowing you to purchase the most cost-effective projects first and achieve the greatest amount of energy savings.

Beyond software tools, the EERE also provides a variety of training courses, seminars and webinars for those interested in reducing energy costs with software. Segmented by industry, these resources offer significant insight into options available for you to reduce energy costs.

Energy Management Systems

Available as basic software that controls lighting systems or more complex systems that measure, analyze and control energy consumption, efficiency software offers many custom options for improving efficiency. Sophisticated software systems monitor every aspect of energy consumption and manufacturing emissions, store data that you can use to pinpoint energy waste and send web or cell phone alerts notifying you of any issues.

With such a large range of software options available, determining which services you need isn’t always easy. According to a recent report by business research leader Verdantix, the best method for choosing appropriate management software lies in implementing readily available, free software, choosing a reputable software provider, and clearly outlining your needs prior to the sales process.

What systems are you currently using to monitor your energy usage?

August 18, 2011 by Kendal White

A Bright Idea: Energy Efficient Lighting

It’s a real pleasure to introduce Greg Canniff and Justin Ferrarello as UniTherm guest bloggers. Greg, a Specification Sales Specialist, and Justin, a Social Media and Marketing Specialist, both work for MH Companies, a leading provider of lighting and integrated controls solutions. We’re excited about the opportunity to share their insight about the latest in energy efficient lighting technology!

Greetings from the world of Lighting! We’re happy to offer you a glimpse into our industry through our friends here at UniTherm.

As we’re all aware, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, has become the driving factor in developing building projects across the globe. We’re asked to consider energy efficiency, environmental friendliness and sustainable methods.

Energy Efficient Lighting Options

The latest projects turning heads are those attempting to set the bar with goals of Net-Zero energy. Net-zero energy buildings operate independently of local energy grids, and some even produce more energy than they consume. We’re approaching those ambitious goals using innovative products with solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies; LED is the most widely known SSL technology.

[Read more…]

July 29, 2011 by Kendal White

Energy Efficiency in Plastics Manufacturing

The US Department of Labor reports that the energy management sector has more than doubled in the last two years, with 75% of all jobs in an industrial setting. While energy managers prove a valuable asset to large corporations, many plastics manufacturers with a slimmer budget are tasking current employees with energy related projects.

So how does a non-energy-expert implement energy saving projects? As with any project, the first task lies in evaluating the current situation, researching potential options for improvements, and calculating the potential results of each option.

What are your true energy costs?

With home energy costs, lighting and temperature control usually come to mind as the biggest portion of energy costs. This isn’t the case in plastics manufacturing, according to a recent study focusing on the balance of energy usage in an average plastic plant. Energy consumption for lighting, temperature control and ventilation equate to just over a third of the energy that machines use in most plastics facilities.

While specific energy consumption of machinery varies slightly from plant to plant, there is virtually no difference between the amount of energy consumed in injection and extrusion molding.

A critical first step in any successful energy management plan for a plastics facility is ensuring that machines, which account for 60% of all energy consumption, operate as efficiently as possible.

Energy-saving Measures for Extrusion and Injection Molding

To reduce energy use in extrusion processes, consult with production managers and plant engineers to optimize equipment performance. In many cases optimization of the extruder speed can significantly lower energy usage without impacting end results.

[Read more…]

May 9, 2011 by Kendal White

Energy Management Bootcamp Preview

We’re less than 24 hours away from Energy Management Bootcamp – if you haven’t registered for the webinar, do it now! Space is limited and at last check we were just about at maximum participants.

To get your head thinking in the right direction for tomorrow’s call we asked Dr. Kent a few preliminary questions. Have more questions you hope to get answered? We’ll be taking questions for Dr. Kent throughout the webinar and we’ll relay any questions posted here.

1. How should a company analyze their utility bill to determine a need for an energy conservation project?

Companies need to first of all understand their energy bill and the components that make up the bill. The actual cost of power (the kWh) is often only around 70% of the bill. The other charges make up 30% of the bill and need to be examined. This is often the easiest part and some really big savings can be made here if you understand how the bill is constructed.

Don’t be afraid to ask the power company for help here. You are paying them a lot of money every month. Get their people out to explain how the bill is made up and what you are paying for.

Incidentally, surveys show that about 5% of power bills contain actual errors. This makes it important to check the bill every month and to compare the values to those on your meters.

2. What suggestions do you have for employees to help them engage others, especially upper level management, on moving forward with an energy management program?

Employees need to realize that management is largely motivated by $$$. Some progressive companies will also be motivated by a desire to reduce their environmental impact but these are in the minority. This means that employees need to emphasize the double benefit of energy management. It can save the company money and also reduce the environmental impact. There is no conflict here – it is a classic win-win situation.

Up to 30% of the energy spend in most companies is ‘discretionary’, this means that the company spends the money because they ‘choose’ to spend it by either inefficient practices or by a lack of knowledge. Employees should highlight the fact that an Energy Management program can both reduce energy costs by 30% but also reduce the environmental impact by the same amount.

Focus on the $$$ savings and the environmental benefits will follow automatically.

3. In your presentation you remind companies that although changing the facility’s lighting can make a difference, there are other energy efficiency projects out there that have the potential of bringing more savings to a company. What are some different energy conservation projects available to the manufacturing industry?

For plastics processing companies the energy use from lighting will be in the region of 5% of the total energy costs. Companies need to map their energy use and to find out where they are using the most energy and where projects will be most effective. For plastics processing, the main use will almost always be in the plastics processing equipment but this may not yield the best (most cost effective projects). The projects chosen will depend on where the energy use is and what the best opportunities are. In some cases this is in the services (compressed air, cooling water) and in other cases it is in the process (plastics processing machines. Every site is different.

Incidentally, I always recommend that companies do some work on lighting, it may not be the best place for real savings but it is essential to send a message to the employees. It is all very well carrying out projects in the ‘hidden’ areas but employees like to see lighting projects for the simple reason that they can see them. A lighting project sends a message that the company is doing something.

4. What are a building’s major heating and cooling losses?

Buildings are complex beasts and most of the heat losses (or gains) will be fixed when the building was first constructed. I always look for building sealing and insulation. It is no use heating or cooling a building if all the doors are left open and if the building itself is poorly insulated. Improving the sealing and insulation are major projects that will have long paybacks but simple measures can reduce costs quickly.

As an example, many sites will be heated in the winter but the access doors to loading bays will be left open and the heating will be on. This only heats the outside and is a losing battle. When companies try to motivate their people they find it hard to do because people simply turn up the heating to compensate for the open doors. Link the heating to the doors with a simple tamper-proof micro-switch so that when the doors are open then the heating will not work! Behavior modification is rapid.

5. How can a company determine which area/machine/appliances consumes the most energy? Are there any free resources that would help?

Energy mapping is a simple and essential first step. We will cover energy mapping in the Webinar.

4. What are the first steps for someone to take when they begin this process?

The essential first steps are to get the information. Many sites are awash with data but they mistake this for information. They are not the same thing. Data doesn’t tell you what to do next, information does.

The first steps are:

Get the data.
Convert this to real information.
Act on the information.

5. What energy solutions are best for certain machines/facilities?

There are no ‘boiler-plate’ answers to this. If there were then I would be out of a job. The reality is that every site has different issues and whilst there are some tried and tested solutions for a range of issues it is impossible to tell which issues are important to a site without knowing the site and without having the information.

6. How can a facility tell if their energy management solution is beneficial? How should they analyze their bill before and after?

Assessing the effectiveness of action is always difficult but the Performance Characteristic Line method (described in the Webinar) provides the most effective method. Assessing a site’s performance using a simple measure such as kWh/kg is ineffective and can lead to the wrong answers. This is because this is affected by production volume and simply increasing the volume will decrease the kWh/kg. This will be discussed more fully in the Webinar.

April 14, 2011 by Kendal White

Energy Management Bootcamp Webinar

What are you doing to control and reduce your facility’s energy costs? Energy costs can easily be reduced by up to 30% by implementing various energy conservation projects.

Join us on Tuesday, May 10 at 1:00pm Central as UniTherm hosts Energy M anagement Bootcamp presented by Dr. Robin Kent. Learn the importance of energy management from a business standpoint and how to educate others on the importance of reducing your company’s environmental footprint. Dr. Kent will also highlight key projects that could improve energy efficiency in your facility and the financial impact they can have on your [Read more…]

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