Energy costs cut by 15 percent with motor-drive package

Over the years, the blown film extruders suffered wear and tear on parts, which reduced the output. One particular machine had been fitted with a new barrel and screw. To make the most of these improvements, Capital Valley also decided to replace the machine’s existing DC motor with a new AC motor.

ABB Authorised Value Provider, APDS recommended an ABB 200 kW IE3 motor together with an ACS880 variable-speed drive.

“The new drive and motor are much more efficient,” says Richard Haigh, Capital Valley’s project manager. “Also, because we’re getting live readings of our power usage from the drive, we can see how this changes with different products. products. This helps us quote a more accurate selling price for our products because we have better information on what it costs to produce them."

Together with the new barrel and screw, the ABB drive and motor are saving Capital Valley Plastics between 10 and 15% on power use per tonne on the refurbished machine.

Capital Valley Plastics had used an ABB drive and motor on a previous extruder project. In that case, replacing a blown DC motor with an AC motor and variable-speed drive increased productivity by 30%.

Capital Valley intends to work with APDS again to replace the DC motors on two other blown film extruders with ABB drives and motors.