Maintenance and repair
Best practices
Restructuring work to keep a slaughterhouse afloat
When design, business, engineering and the environment all come together A tenancy change presents an opportunity to retrofit a slaughterhouse, making it more efficient and safer Measures generate energy savings of 52 % (gas) and 20 % (electricity) and cost-savings of € 77 000 a year When the...
Best practices
Jam manufacturer saves 100 tonnes of fuel oil per year
When letting off steam is a problem Jam factory discovers how to fix its steam production, save fuel and boost its performance Actions taken to optimise and upgrade its steam system save around € 35 000 per year Favols is a jam manufacturer in southwest France which is keen to improve its energy...
Best practices
Maintenance of pumps
Maintaining your pumps is not just important for increasing their lifetime and effectiveness, which reduces costs, but also to avoid unexpected breakdowns that can slow or stop production. In most cases, pumps are designed for specific applications, so manufacturer or supplier maintenance and repair...
Best practices
Optimising steam-generation systems
Steam is in heavy demand in industries requiring heating processes, and it is typically an energy-intensive process to generate it. The ratio of steam energy costs to total energy costs ranges between 20 and 60 %. Optimising the steam-generation system and rationalising demand for steam can...
Best practices
Optimising compressed air system
Smart tools solve two problems, save energy Installing sensors and smart valves in the compressed air system saves power and money The combined solutions save € 15 300 per year in energy costs The German company Edison Fatehpour Stanzerei develops solutions in the areas of stamping techniques, tool...
Best practices
New motors save money
Motoring along more efficiently than ever One-off investment of € 2 000 in more efficient and controllable motors yields results Annual cost savings on energy come to around € 800, equivalent to a 1.6 tonne CO2-reduction Chemotechnische Abpack-Service GmbH (CAS) is a small company from Germany...
Best practices
Fixing leaks in the compressed air system cuts costs
Air of confidence in efficiency monitoring Company decides to implement routine checks of compressed air system Savings in both energy and emissions prove the value of energy performance monitoring The German company AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH produces plastic compounds, which are processed into technical...
Best practices
Conducting an energy audit
Companies, especially SMEs, need to operate as efficiently as possible to remain competititve. Energy auditing is a useful way to identify and prioritise energy-saving opportunities. First, assess current energy use in a company by taking energy meter readings and analysing consumption (record them...
Best practices
Focus on durability in new asset building
Extending the lifetime of a product (asset) has a number of environmental advantages: less resource extraction, less energy embedded (the direct and indirect energy required to produce goods plus the energy needed to source and process raw materials they contain) and less waste generated...
Best practices
Customer outreach: how to extend product lifetimes
Two key factors determine a product's lifetime: the way it is designed and built, and whether consumers choose to properly maintain (repair) or to replace it. Manufacturers are in control of the first factor and can very much influence the second by providing detailed descriptions and guidelines on...
Best practices
Caterpillar paves the way in heavy machinery remanufacturing
Long history of sustainability on display Clever scheme to promote end-of-life product remanufacturing Almost no waste sent to landfill, and huge reductions in energy and water use Caterpillar is an American heavy machinery- and engine-maker with a strong brand and long history in remanufacturing...
Best practices
Leasing extends end-of-life product cycles at Xerox
Xerox sees the 'green' light Copy machine-maker develops strong remanufacturing business model Its reverse supply chain activities save around € 107 million annually and divert 35 million kg of waste from landfill Xerox ventured into the managed service sector by enabling customers to lease its...