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for 24 hours in continuous operation, were
also converted to frequency converters
with variable torque loads. This lowered
the energy consumption of the ventilators
by around 40 per cent.
Energy consumption made visible
Hemmerich and his team took the decisive
step towards lowering compressed air
consumption with the introduction of the
energy efficiency module MSE6-E2M from
Festo. “The energy efficiency module gave
us the opportunity to see the amount of
compressed air we were using during
operation of a line,” explains Hemmerich.
“In addition, we were able to determine
how the compressed air requirement de-
veloped when we switched off individual
consumers. We were thus able to locate
leaks and eliminate unnecessary con-
sumption.” One of the core functions of
the MSE6-E2M is the automatic shut-off
of the compressed air in stand-by mode,
which made it possible to establish how
quickly the system empties. The energy
efficiency module MSE6-E2M immediately
reports an unusually quick drop in pres-
sure to the system controller.
At the same time, the automatic pressure
shut-off function prevents further com-
pressed air consumption while the system
is not in operation. Thanks to its onboard
intelligence and the specific model for op-
erating the compressed air systems, the
MSE6-E2M independently identifies when
a system is in production and when it is at
standstill. At Unilever, however, they decid-
ed to use the alternative option to operate
the MSE6-E2M via the system controller so
that all information is merged centrally.
Significantly reduced energy consumption
Thanks to the new condition monitoring
for the pneumatic components of his
Magnum machine, Alexander Hemmerich
now has continuous process-relevant data.
The MSE6-E2M regularly exchanges impor-
tant measurement parameters, such as
Perfectly portioned:
the extruder outputs one Magnum core per second.
The stick is inserted in the ice cream during extrusion.
High-tech for maximum pleasure:
the Heppenheim factory is
one of the main Unilever production locations for ice cream.