Tarkett, a vinyl flooring manufacturer located in Ronneby, Sweden, is using ABB data insights and service expertise to save 800 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy per year from its motor-driven systems. According to Tarkett, this represents about 1% of the site’s total energy consumption each year.
The company achieved these savings through the use of ABB’s Ability Digital Powertrain Energy Appraisal system. Insights derived from this system led the company to upgrade 10 motors to IE5 SynRM technology to boost energy efficiency from 80% to 95%. Based on current energy prices, ABB says the payback period for Tarkett on this upgrade will be 18 months or less.
According to ABB, its IE5 SynRM motor technology combines the performance of permanent magnet motors with the service-friendliness of induction motors because they do not include rare earth materials in permanent magnets. The rotor in a synchronous reluctance motor has no magnets or windings, resulting in virtually no power losses.
This motor upgrade is part of Tarkett’s wider strategy to deploy innovative technologies and act sustainably in its operations. “The biggest lesson for us is that we’ve been maintaining motors that we should have exchanged years ago,” says Ted Evaldsson, Tarkett’s supervisor of electrical maintenance.
Tarkett is now planning to connect additional motors to ABB digital services to yield greater energy savings with the help of a digital energy audit. ABB says that, by extending the coverage of monitored assets, Tarkett will be better positioned to constantly identify and prioritize energy-saving opportunities at a larger scale, while also saving considerably in CO2 emissions.
