Going beyond our technologically advanced components and space saving design, a large part of our job at IntelliFinishing is working with our customers to solve their problems and challenges. There are usually a few key hurdles that lead a customer to consider purchasing a system or renovating their existing setup. As part of a four part series, we will look at the specific challenges one of our recent customers faced, and the solutions provided by IntelliFinishing.
The third goal for our customer was to reduce energy consumption and eliminate waste as much as possible. This makes sense, as energy rates continue to rise and the emphasis on lean and green continues to grow.
As we promote so often at IntelliFinishing, independent studies have shown that our unique chainless power and free conveyor can save over 40% on utility bills when compared to the antiquated monument systems. This held true for this project as well, but there were other innovations that helped as well.
Simply replacing the 6 open-faced paint booths with a single automated booth went a long way in reducing energy use on the booths themselves, as well as the air handling units used to condition air going into and air being exhausted from the paint line. Our conveyor line is also decoupled, allowing each drive section to operate independently, only running when a carrier is present. The same could be said for the process washer as well. So while a monument system may have two or three large motors pulling chain continuously, the IntelliFinishing system breaks our conveyor down into much smaller sections that are controlled by much smaller variable speed drives. In this way, more motors does not equate to greater electricity usage, but actually reduced demands and added great flexibility.
The process equipment used in IntelliFinishing systems is also a step above the industry norm. Our oven and washer panels are insulated to help keep chemical tanks and curing chambers at temperature. On average this makes our process equipment 75-80% more energy efficient. Automated product doors also help to prevent heat loss. As a side note, the insulated ovens we incorporate in our systems also prevent accidental burns of employees. Even running at temperature, you can place your hand on the sidewall.
