Latest trends in

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Foundry Industry

Brakes India Limited

Foundry Division

Methodology for energy conservation

Steps

Activities

Step 1

Map a power distribution tree.

Step 2

Prioritizing the major energy consumers.

Analyze the consumption pattern and arrive at specific energy

Step 3
conservation themes.
Step 4

Implementation of the activities.

Step 5

Review and sustain the benefits.

Power distribution tree

Transmission
losses 3.47 %

Input Power
100%

Available Power after

loss 96.53 %

Melting
83.25 %

Furnace
78.76%

Melting
69.52%

Environmental
control 5.33 %

Utilities
2.97%

Auxiliary
4.49%

Holding
9.24%

Moulding
2.80 %

Sand plant
1.0%

Cooling
pumps
3.86%

Crane &
Hoist 0.63%

Finishing
2.18%

Mixer
1.80 %

Prioritization of major energy consumer

100
80
60
40
20
0

Melting

Environment

Utilities

Moulding

Finishing

Energy (kWh) = Power (kW) X Time (Hour)

Melting energy can be conserved
by reducing

Input
power

Cycle
time
4

Cycle time of individual activities during melting

operation
Composition &
temperature
adjustment

Deslagging

Tapping

Charging

Melting

Reduce these
activities

To reduce charging time

By automation through vibratory feeders
Before

Charging manually
with magnet

After

Vibro chargers for faster &

continuous charging

To reduce melting time

1. By improving the input power density
Before

Only manual On / Off control

After

Melt manager to track the changing

impedance to deliver optimum power
throughout the melting cycle.
7

To reduce melting time

2. By improving the bulk density of the input materials.
Before

Loose steel

Low bulk density

After

Bundled steel

Snap cutter for

compacting the
Runners

Higher bulk density

8

To reduce melting time

3. By reducing the radiation losses.
Before

Furnace without hood

After

Furnace with closed capture hood

9

To reduce time for composition adjustment

By exactly weighing & charging the input materials

Charge hopper and furnace on load cells to achieve right composition at the
first check.
10

To reduce de-slagging time

1. By using clean input charge materials.

Online shot basting machine

Shot blasted runners & risers

to minimize slag generation
11

To reduce de-slagging time

2. By easing the method of de-slagging (back tilting)
Before

Manual slag removal

After

Quick slag removal through

back tilting mechanism
12

To reduce tapping time

By tapping all the metal at a single stretch.
Before

Batch type transfer

through ladles

After

Single stretch transfer

through launder system
Also, no power used for
cranes, ladle heating etc13

To avoid superheating of metal

By Online monitoring & controlling of tapping temperature
Before

Contact type
measurement through
thermocouple

After

Continuous monitor
through Infra Red
pyrometer
14

Best practice in melting

Control of Sintering cycle through automatic sintering cycle timer.

15

Best lining practice in melting

Dense lining through pneumatic ramming for improved lining life
Before

Manual Ramming

After

Pneumatic Ramming
16

Best lining practice in melting

Pneumatic lining push out mechanism for lining breakage
Before

After

Manual breakage

Faster breaking by lining push out

Minimum 12 hrs

Maximum 3 hrs

17

Best practice in melting

Maximize the continuous utilization of the furnaces
Before

After

Continuous usage of a single furnace to achieve the required output and

optimized lining life
18

Best practice in melting

By introducing harmonics filters

Reduction of harmonics in the power system thereby

minimizing the transmission losses

19

Prioritization of major energy consumer

100
80
60
40
20
0

Melting

Environment

Utilities

Moulding

Finishing

Moulding
1. Reduce energy consumption in sand plant.
2. Reduce the mixer energy consumption

20

Best practice in molding

By minimizing the number of conveyors in sand plant during the
design stage
Before

25 conveyor

After

16 conveyors

21

Best practice in molding

By minimizing the number of conveyors in sand plant
Before

After

1
3 conveyors

1 conveyor

22

Improved practice in molding

By optimizing mixing cycle time by improving the efficiency of the
mixer
Before

After
GHT
EASED
0 mm

OP

SAND LEVEL

SAND LEVEL

<-----CURVED
ARM BLADES

Blender blades
manufacturers design

<-----CURVED
ARM BLADES

Lowered blender blades 23

for better mixing efficiency

Prioritization of major energy consumer

100
80
60
40
20
0

Melting

Environment

Utilities

Moulding

Finishing

Utilities
Reduce energy consumption by the compressors
Regulate the input voltage to the circuit

LIGHTING
WHEN IT IS BRIGHT
SWITCH OFF THE LIGHT

24

Optimize utilization of compressed air

Intermediate diaphragm controlled pressure regulator to supply

25
compressed air at constant pressure

Optimize utilization of compressed air

Demand analysis
105
100

90
85
80
75

13:50

13:30

13:10

70
12:50

P si

95

H o u rs
A fter

B efo re
26

Best practice in compressors

Screw compressors with variable frequency drive in the design
stage
Before

After

Balanced opposed reciprocating

compressor

Screw compressors

More energy consumption / CFM

27
Less energy consumption / CFM

Best practice in lighting

Servo controlled lighting stabilizer for controlling the input voltage

28

GREEN POWER

! Installed 59 windmills.
! Each windmill capacity is 250 kW.
! Wind energy consumed in this year is
15 million kWh.
! 25% of power requirement of Foundry is
met by wind power.

29

We have installed equipments for creating congenial & eco-friendly work

environment that consume around 5.33% of the total input power.

30

We have installed equipments for creating congenial & eco-friendly work

environment that consume around 5.33% of the total input power.

Rain water harvesting tank

Dust collector
31

Energy conservation proposals in progress .

1. Installing a shredding machine for increasing the bulk density of
the input charge

2. Preheating the charge material to reduce melting energy

3. Usage of eco friendly high calorific SKO instead of LDO

4. Installing magnetic resonators in the fuel line for high efficiency.

5. High efficiency fan for blowers and cooling towers.

32

Energy Consumption
Melting

kWh / Ton of metal

650
600
550
500

602

571

Benchmark

Current

450
400

Period

33

Energy Consumption
Auxiliaries - Melting

kWh / Ton of metal

200

175

150

125

163

146

100
Benchmark

Current

Period

34

Energy Consumption
Moulding

kWh / Ton of metal

30

20
26
21

10
Benchmark

Current

Period

35

Energy Consumption
Utilities

kWh / Ton of metal

30

20

27
22

10
Benchmark

Current

Period

36

Overall specific energy consumption

kWh / Ton of metal

950

900

850

920
862

800

750
Benchmark

Current

Period

37

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT
S usp end ed p articulate m atter (S P M )

m icro g ram s / cu . m ete r

500

400

300

200

414

100
15 9
0
B en ch m ark

C u rren t

P erio d

38

CONSERVE ENERGY TODAY

AVOID CRISIS TOMORROW

39

Thank You
40