Suitcase manufacturer crams energy costs down

The manufacturer of the Trunki ride-on suitcases has saved £7,800 by retrofitting an energy efficient motor to its moulding machine. Magma Moulding has trialled a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) from […]

The manufacturer of the Trunki ride-on suitcases has saved £7,800 by retrofitting an energy efficient motor to its moulding machine.

Magma Moulding has trialled a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) from ABB to cut down on wasted energy in the production process without extending the time it takes.

The moulding machine for the children’s suitcases has a 65-second cycle time – around 30% of this was previously spent off load, during which time the hydraulic system was not in operation but the pump motor still ran at maximum speed.

The ABB drive measures the rotational force in the motor to decide if the machine is on or off load and reduces the speed of the motor when possible.

The moulding machine previously drew 40kW of power but since fitting the drive, this has reduced to 23.5kW. As it runs for 4,500 hours per year, the drive is saving 74,250KWh annually.

The company plans to install more of the energy efficient drives to its other machines.

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