We help you to sustainably reduce your energy consumption.
Of all the resources on which modern production depends, energy is arguably one of the most crucial. Energy efficiency, and thus the carbon footprint, is a key indicator of a company's contribution to sustainability and climate protection. Indeed, the manufacturing industry is increasingly seeking sustainably produced goods and considers this issue an essential component of its purchasing decisions. Energy, too, is a resource that was long taken for granted. However, rising prices and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions are prompting companies to critically examine how they can produce more with fewer resources. The key to this lies in the transition to LinMot and the elimination of power losses in energy-intensive factory automation processes, such as pneumatic (compressed air) applications.
Energy consumption compared to pneumatic cylinders
Companies use pneumatic drives because of their somewhat lower investment costs. However, compressed air is one of the most expensive energy sources, as compressors can only convert a small portion of the supplied energy into usable power. The majority is lost as waste heat. In contrast, LinMot relies on direct-drive, brushless linear tube motors with extremely high efficiency. Furthermore, unlike pneumatics, the linear motor not only does not consume energy beyond what is needed, but can also convert energy during deceleration and store it for the next cycle. Given the high operating costs of pneumatic cylinders, linear motors prove to be a cost-effective alternative, where the higher investment costs can be recouped within a few weeks. It is therefore not surprising that more and more companies are trying to eliminate compressed air from their operations.
Compressed air is one of the most expensive energy sources because compressors can only convert a small portion of the energy used into usable power – the significantly larger portion is released as waste heat. State-of-the-art technology can achieve an efficiency of around 30%. Further improvements are hardly possible due to the almost reached physical limits. In addition to the already high losses from the motor, compressor, start-up, and run-down phases, as well as losses from compressed air treatment, losses from leaks in the distribution systems are also a factor in practice. As a result, in reality (without optimizations), after further conversion losses in the actuator, only about 5% of the energy used is available as usable power (Figure, Slide 19). Efficiency can be increased through optimal design of the piping system and actuators, consistent leak detection, and heat recovery. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment estimates the energy-saving potential at 20 to 40%, while other experts anticipate significantly higher savings.
Even if all these potential savings can be utilized, compressed air systems with a maximum achievable overall efficiency of 10% still use the energy extremely inefficiently. This is also reflected in the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a compressor: While approximately 10% of the total costs are for the purchase and another 10% for maintenance, energy costs typically account for 70 to 80% of the total costs over the compressor's lifetime!
It is therefore not surprising that more and more companies are trying to eliminate the use of compressed air from their operations or reduce it to an absolute minimum in times of rising energy prices and increased environmental awareness (keyword CO2 emissions).
Energy saving potential of more than 95 percent
Several studies show that linear motors are preferable to compressed air systems from both an economic and an ecological perspective. US Cotton, a cotton swab manufacturer, decided to replace its pneumatic cylinders with linear motors. LinMot linear motors to replace and measure whether the energy savings actually justify the price of the LinMot motors. The linear motor consumed only 3,2% of the energy of the pneumatic cylinder in the machine. Furthermore, the improved control also resulted in a 35% increase in machine speed. Since the linear motors also require no adjustment or replacement, trouble-free operation is guaranteed for many years.
Minimize costs and CO2 emissions
If we were to calculate the annual electricity bill and CO2 emissions of the previous example, where the total travel distance per cycle is 800 mm and the total cycle time is 900 ms, we would arrive at the following results:
| Electricity consumption (kWh)per year on one axis | Electricity bill (EUR)per year on one axis | CO₂ emissions (kg)per year on one axis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air cylinder | 21'250 | 3'612 | 10'625 |
| LinMot Motor | 680 | 115 | 340 |
| Annual reduction | 20'570 | 3'497 | 10'285 |
Continuous operation (8000 h/year) · CO₂ emission factor 0.5 kg/kWh · Energy cost factor 0.17 EUR/kWh · CO₂ emissions of the Ferrari Roma: 234 g/km
Continuous operation (8000 h/year) · CO₂ emission factor 0.5 kg/kWh · Energy cost factor 0.17 EUR/kWh · CO₂ emissions of the Ferrari Roma: 234 g/km
For a production line with 100 pneumatic cylinders, this means a annual savings of EUR 349,700 Just consider the electricity costs. The CO2 savings are sufficient to cover a Driving a Ferrari Roma around the world 110 times.
The simplest solution is usually the best solution.
In addition to significant energy savings, further cost reductions are achieved by eliminating mechanical transmission components (gears, timing belts, pulleys, cams, lead screws, etc.), resulting in a cleaner mechanical assembly, fewer parts, and smoother, quieter operation. Total cost of ownership (TCO) is also minimized by reduced logistics and installation costs due to a minimal number of standard components. Production costs are also lower due to increased throughput, more reliable motion, improved mean time between failures (MTBF), and drastically reduced maintenance and changeover costs.
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