Increase your print manufacturing capacity while cutting energy consumption and emissions
Manufacturers who need expansion face worries about return-on-investment for new equipment, along with potentially-high energy costs and environmental impact.
We specialise in the reduction of heat, costs, fuel consumption and emissions for manufacturers who have installed additional production capacity. We provide expert, full turn key managed engineering services. From survey and design to installation and commissioning we will manage everything for you, our full range of service and maintenance services will also ensure your savings are for the long term and managed for commercial and environmental requirements.
One print industry example is a multi-national flexible packaging manufacturer which needed a second print line at a factory to produce cigarette cartons to meet growing demand.
The client was concerned about potentially-high fuel costs of operating the associated thermal oxidiser required to treat exhaust air from a second print line and potentially-increased greenhouse gas emissions.
However Operational Group came up with an excellent solution resulting in a range of benefits.
Operations Director Paul Bedworth said: “The print plant had an existing rotogravure press producing cigarette cartons but needed a second print line to meet growing demand. However, the potentially-high thermal oxidiser running costs to accompany a second line was a concern.
“The original print press has gas-fired heaters for dryers and exhausted around 40,000 m3/hr of solvent air to the oxidiser. Gas consumption was 10.8 million kW per year, costing £192,564 annually, and emitting 2,326 tonnes of greenhouse gases.”
“The client had estimated that a second print line would effectively double gas consumption to over 21.6 million kW per year, costing £385,128 per year, and emitting 4,652 tonnes of CO2 greenhouse gas.”
“However Operational Group designed a bespoke optimisation and airflow control system which reduced airflow from the original press to 16,000 m3/hr. Overall, the thermal oxidiser now uses 9.2 million kW of gas per year and emits 1,994 tonnes of CO2, which is a reduction of 2,658 tonnes per year, representing a 57% reduction. LPG fuel consumption has also been reduced by 12.4m3 kW per year. These reductions, efficiencies and savings are all significant benefits.”
“Our engineers worked closely with the client during installation and commissioning. It is a great example of our collaborative approach and our range of in-house expert engineers.”
Paul added: “In addition to energy recycling and thermal oxidiser solutions, such as those used in the print industry, we work on other industrial process and abatement equipment. These include carbon beds, catalytic oxidisers, recuperative oxidisers, distillation towers and zeolite wheels. These abatement processes are used for different industries ranging from brick making, metal casting, automotive, paint and coatings manufacturing to water and utilities.”
Print and packaging clients consistently choose Operational as their trusted engineering partners. We specialise in process and equipment upgrades and optimisations, control and instrumentation projects and service and maintenance services.
For more details about our energy recycling and abatement systems work, visit the solutions pages.