Saalfelder Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH (SAMAG) in Germany produces crankshaft bearing caps for a large German automotive manufacturer. For the cleaning of these components, the company required a cleaning system with the highest cleanliness results and a short cycle time, as well as a high level of energy efficiency.
SAMAG invested in a continuous cleaning system from BvL Oberflächentechnik GmbH in Germany. In the American market, several automotive suppliers have also been using BvL systems, including ZF Sachs Automotive Méxiko S.A. de C.V. in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, and KSM Castings NC Inc. in Shelby.
Some technical measures were installed in the cleaning system for SAMAG to optimize energy consumption and emissions. In addition to insulation on the pipes, optimized drying and the introduction of an automated stand-by state, the cleaning system was equipped with exhaust air management specially developed by BvL.
The exhaust air management system developed by BvL reduces the volume of exhaust air, which consumes the most energy in a continuous cleaning system. To achieve this, the system measures the moisture content in the drying zone and extracts only as much air as necessary for the process. This creates the best possible moisture level in the system and the volume of hot exhaust air - and therefore energy - blown out of the system is kept as low as possible. The warm and most air, and with it the energy, remains in the system.
"The system has now been in operation for one year and provides a proven energy saving of 20% compared to a similar system without these energy efficiency measures," said a company spokesperson. "The absolute saving is 10.4 kWh, which means the total consumption of the system is only 41.2 kWh instead of 51.6 kWh. Additionally, water consumption was reduced by a full 20% and noise emissions were decreased by 5 dBA."
SAMAG purchased another cleaning system of the same type from BvL, plus all cleaning systems in the production workshop were retrofitted with the special exhaust air management to achieve further energy savings.
For more information contact:
Scott Knoy, Vice President
German Machine Tools of America
4630 Freedom Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-973-7800
sales@gmtamerica.com
www.gmtamerica.com