Packaging manufacturer slashes baler energy costs 19 July 2013

Smurfit Kappa's Northampton plant is saving nearly £2,800 a year on electrical energy, following installation of an ABB variable-speed drive on its baler machine.

Chris Sims, energy and environmental officer for Smurfit Kappa, explains that the plant, which produces retail packaging, uses its hydraulic baler to compact off-cuts into bales, ready for transport to recycling.

The equipment used a fixed-speed motor-driven pump to compress the hydraulic fluid, with energy being effectively wasted as excess fluid was diverted through a pressure relief valve.

Another problem, he says, was the high temperature generated by its constant use. Leaving the hydraulic motor on full demand meant that Smurfit Kappa had to install an additional motor-driven fan to keep it cool.

"IDS [ABB Drives Alliance member Inverter Drive Systems] had already installed or modified some motors on other applications, so I invited them to look for more energy saving opportunities," explains Sims.

Smurfit Kappa and IDS measured the baler's power consumption at 11.1kW with a running time of 6,336 hours – equating to an annual running cost of the baler of £5,626.

Installing a 30kW ACS550 ABB general purpose drive and a pressure transducer reduced power consumption to 5.6kW – taking the cost down to £2,838 a year – a payback of just over 17 months.

"The pressure transducer gives a 4—20 mA proportional to the pressure," explains Andy Crocker of IDS. "On the drive, we have the setpoint at just below the valve opening pressure"

And he continues: "When the hydraulic ram is moving and fluid is flowing, pressure drops, so the drive speeds up the motor to maintain pressure. When the ram is not moving, pressure rises so the drive slows the motor."

Sims says that beyond the energy saving benefit, there has also been a reduction in noise, and the motor now operates at a lower temperature – improving its life expectancy and reducing maintenance.

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
ABB Ltd
Inverter Drive Systems Ltd

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