30 n ENERGY EFFICIENCY September 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com Compressor upgrade delivers 46% saving for brass specialist The Birmingham-based brass hardware and accessories manufacturer, Armac Martin, started life as a brass foundry in 1929. It is a fourth-generation family business with a global reputation for design and craftsmanship. The company relies heavily on compressed air for its CNC machining centres, but its previous air system was operating constantly at full capacity, leading to unnecessary energy costs. Armac Martin wants to make its operations more sustainable, with a goal of achieving net-zero by 2041. This made the significant energy drain of its compressed air system a major cause of concern. The company has now adopted a new system capable of providing a variable compressed air supply. This has led to a 46% reduction in energy consumption compared to its previous system. Before implementing the new compressor, Armac Martin identified the potential savings through data-logging and energy audit exercises over several weeks. It collaborated with FPS Compressors and Compressed Air Systems UK – Birmingham, which recommended moving to a compressed air system based on a variablespeed screw air compressor (an FPS Nobel 18.508 DVF PM). This new system varies the speed of an IE4 permanent magnet motor from 15-100% of the maximum speed to match demand. The direct-drive system avoids the energy losses of drive belts, which can incur losses of 411% when transferring energy from a motor to a compressor. Precise pressure control is now delivered from 6–13 bar, while accurate, optimised cooling of the compressor is provided by low-noise radial fans. The 46% reduction in energy consumption translates to £23,637 in annual savings, delivering a return-on-investment of 14 months. “The use of compressed air represents a large chunk of electricity costs at machine shops such as Armac Martin,” says FPS Air Compressors MD, Nick Poole. “To make gains, users of compressed air must get smart about specifying the optimal technology – notably the compressor. Armac Martin is a great example of what this strategy can deliver. “While the company’s previous compressed air system ran constantly at full capacity, the new solution reduces power requirements by only meeting actual demand. The result? Significant improvements in energy efficiency without any compromise in manufacturing performance.” n A Birmingham brass parts manufacturer has cut the energy it uses to compress air by 46% by installing a direct-drive, variable-speed screw air compressor driven by an IE4 permanent magnet motor. Armac Martin has achieved a 46% reduction in energy consumption by installing this variable-speed screw air compressor The brass parts manufacturer relies heavily on compressed air for machining
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