Photo by Sidel Group The energy-saving Sidel blow molding machine.
A worldwide energy-saving programme between Sidel and Nestlé Waters has achieved energy savings equivalent to the consumption of more than 20 ovens, representing savings of more than €1m a year.
Nestlé Waters first began the conservation programme in 2010 when it challenged its long-term supplier, Sidel, a provider of production equipment and services for liquids in PET, to rationalise the energy consumption of all its production equipment.
Both companies were aware that blow moulding machines generally account for as much as 70% of the total energy consumption of a complete beverage bottling line.
When charged with reviewing the efficiency of the company’s electrical energy usage, Sidel started by carrying out a pilot eco audit on two of Nestlé Waters’ blow moulders.
After monitoring and measuring the electrical consumption of the blowers, Sidel identified corrective energy-saving measures to Nestlé Waters.
One recommendation was the installation of oven-top reflector lamps to maintain energy in the ovens of the blow moulding machines.
This achieved a reduction in the electrical power consumption required for the preform heating process equivalent to turning off 20 preform ovens.
“As we achieved around 20% in energy savings, we were really satisfied with the performance resulting from the upgrades to the first two blowers,” said Stephane Bosshart, corporate chief engineer at Nestlé Waters.
“So much so, that based on these results, we decided to apply a full eco-programme to share those best practices on all of our blowers worldwide,” he continued.
By the end of 2015, nearly 130 Sidel blow moulding machines were successfully converted with the oven-top reflector lamps. All of them gave a return on investment of between six and 24 months.
