Products for Achieving Sustainability

The two examples highlighted here illustrate the range of products available for such initiatives—ranging from machine-mounted equipment to online analytical tools.

Exlar’s (www.exlar.com) Tritex II series electro-mechanical, integrated actuators reportedly deliver up to 40 percent more thermal efficiency than traditional brushless motors of the same size. This allows the actuators to run cooler, saving users energy and money. A recent study cited by Exlar (Chanhassen, Minn.), which compared an Exlar Tritex II actuator to a hydraulic and pneumatic actuator of similar power ratings, indicated that the hydraulic actuator consumed more than four times the energy of the Tritex II actuator, and the pneumatic actuator consumed as much as 10 times more energy.

The Energy Savings Estimator from the Drive Technologies Division of Siemens Industry (Alpharetta, Ga., www.usa.siemens.com/industry) is an online tool that allows customers using drives, motors, couplings, and gearboxes to estimate potential energy savings across their entire drive train.

Using the Energy Savings Estimator, the end user submits existing data points about their current system, such as: the application (fans, compressors or pumps), horsepower, motor speeds, reduction stages for gearboxes, etc.  Once the operating profile is input, the Energy Savings Estimator evaluates the potential for energy savings in kWh, dollars, and CO2 emissions, as well as a projected return on investment for the recommended solution.

The Estimator also illustrates approximations to help users understand what their estimated savings means in terms of sustainable operations, such as “488,000 kWh could fully charge 40,800 electric cars, allowing them to travel 1,600,000 emission-free miles.”

>> Click here to read Automation World's complete coverage on sustainability, "Does Sustainability Matter to Manufacturing?"