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.