Developing Your Energy Management Program

With energy costs constantly rising, it’s critical to identify opportunities that positively impact the bottom line.Electric motor-driven systems are estimated to consume more than one-half of all electricity in the USA and more than 70% of all electricity in industrial applications. A well-planned energy efficiency management program can reduce plant operating expenses and lead to increased profits.

Applied Industrial Technologies is an Allied Partner of the Department of Energy . Together we can suggest the services, tools and products available to assist you in reaching maximum system efficiency .

Whether it’s an entire operating system, or just one specific section of your production line, we can offer you seminars, plant assessments and professional product guidance. Look to us for solutions that blend seamlessly into your operations.

Contact your Applied Account Manager to discuss energy management practices of industrial systems such as motors, HVAC, compressed air, pumping and more.

Improve Electric Motor Management and Save

A motor’s initial purchase price represents only 2% of its total lifetime cost. That motor’s power usage represents almost all of the remaining 98%! When a motor is too large for the job at hand, it wastes energy and costs you money.

An energy efficiency plan concentrating on improved electric motor systems management can result in approximately a 13% energy savings for overall plant motor systems. Simply replacing standard (pre-EPAct) electric motors with NEMA Premium® efficient models can save 3 - 9% on a motor’s energy consumption.

Moreover, proper care of a motor will improve reliability as well as prolong its life. A basic motor maintenance program requires periodic inspection and, when encountered, the correction of unsatisfactory conditions. Items to check during inspection are: lubrication, vibration, ventilation and presence of dirt or other contaminants; alignment of motor and load; possible changing load conditions; belts, sheaves and couplings; and tightness of hold-down bolts.

Reliance Electric XE Premium Efficient AC Motors

The XE family of Duty Master® AC motors offers the highest level of energy-efficient operation, rapidly returning your initial investment through significant reductions in energy costs. These rugged motors come in a wide range of ratings and enclosures with a variety of performance characteristics to meet virtually every general purpose industrial application.

Every XE motor has reduced watt losses as much as 50 percent over standard efficient industrial motor designs. This reduction is achieved through optimized design, improved material selection and meticulous quality control through the following five areas of watt losses:

Moreover, this product line is manufactured using stringent ISO 9001 certification quality control procedures. Reliance
manufacturing standards impose tighter tolerances to guarantee premium efficient operation. As a result, you can count on continual savings through reduced energy costs for the lifetime of your motors. Comprehensive testing and quality control procedures ensure compliance with a broad range of industrial performance standards as well, including NEMA, IEEE and UL®.

Regulate Systems with Reliance Electric Variable Frequency Drives

Variable frequency drives (VFDs) can save energy and help you develop a continuous-flow manufacturing process. Benefits include:

• Increased energy savings for pumps and fans
• Improved process control
• Reduced mechanical stress through soft start capability
• Payback periods are often less than a year

Energy savings for pumps and fans
(The systems approach)

In most facilities, centrifugal pumps and fans run at fixed speeds. An automatic valve or some other mechanical means varies fluid flow rates. By using a VFD, motor speeds can be regulated electronically. Adjusting pump or fan speed to a desired flow rate can result in energy savings many times that of the motor alone.

Improved process control

The throughput rates of most industrial processes are functions of many variables. For example, throughput in rubber extrusion or continuous metal annealing depends on, among others, the material characteristics, the crosssectional area of the material being processed and the temperature of one or more heat zones. If a plant uses constant-speed motors to run conveyors on the line, it either must run without material during the time required to change temperature in a heat zone or produce scrap during this period.

When using a VFD, the time needed to change speed is significantly less than the time it takes to change heat-zone temperature. By adjusting the material flow continuously to match heat zone conditions, a plant can operate continuously. The results are decreased energy usage and less scrap.

Reduced mechanical stress

Drives reduce mechanical stress on process systems by employing soft starts. Starting a motor without soft start increases stress on the mechanical system. Belts slip and squeal and chains jump.

Reduced-voltage and –frequency starting decreases this mechanical stress. VFDs vary output voltage along with output frequency. Output voltage varies with the frequency to control a motor’s torque and speed. Controlling torque and speed results in a soft start as the motor’s speed accelerates based on a pre-programmed rate. Acceleration time in most VFDs may be varied from 5 to 360 seconds. In short, a VFD inherently offer soft starts.

Combine Eficient Gearing with Eficient Motors and Gain Savings

Substantial energy and operating cost savings are gained by combining premium efficient motors and highly efficient gearing. 8 to 35% efficiency gains are possible by upgrading to a more efficient, or more properly sized gearbox and energy-matched gear components (helical, cyclodial, bevel or planetary).

Dodge QUANTIS® Gearmotors

The QUANTIS® helical bevel gear reducer can improve efficiency by as much as 30% over traditional worm gears:

• Reducer housings are constructed of class 30 gray iron with cast internal ribbing for added strength
• All ground, optimized gearing for less noise and more energy efficient performance
• Modular design for flexibility and quick response
• Total gearing efficiency is 95%

Maximize Drive Performance with A Properly Designed Belt Transmision System

A properly designed belt transmission system is highly efficient, quiet and requires minimal maintenance. Certain types of belts, however, are more efficient than others.

The majority of belt drives use v-belts, which feature a trapezoidal cross section which wedges into the pulleys to increase friction and transfer capability. V-belt efficiency deteriorates by as much as 5% over time if slippage occurs because the belt is not periodically re-tensioned.

Cogged belts have slots that run perpendicular to the belt’s length. These slots reduce the belt’s bending resistance and can be used with the same pulleys. They run cooler, last longer and are about 2% more efficient than standard v-belts.

Synchronous belts are toothed and require the installation of mating toothed-drive sprockets. Synchronous belts offer an efficiency of around 98% and maintain that efficiency over a wide load range. Synchronous belts require less maintenance and retensioning, operate in wet and oily environments, and run slip-free.

Synchronous belts are an extremely efficient option. However, cogged belts may be a better choice when vibration damping is needed or shock loads cause abrupt torque changes that could shear a synchronous belt’s teeth. Synchronous belts also make a whirring noise that might be objectionable in some applications.

Goodyear Eagle PdTM Synchronous

Belts are designed to complement today’s high efficiency rated motors.

• Especially effective in high energy consuming drives, drives that run continuously, and drives that increase energy consumption during peak periods
• Reduced noise and vibration
• Reduced maintenance and downtime
• Good resistance to aging, UVA rays, ozone and hydrolysis
• Working temperature range: -30° C to + 80° C
• High resistance to oils, fats and greases; Good resistance to most acids and alkalis
• Applications: farm machinery, mining machinery, machine tools, textile machinery, woodworking machinery, industrial pumps, printing trades machinery, A/C industry, wood processing industry, construction equipment, conveyors, metal working machinery, industrial blowers, paper industry machinery, food processing equipment, packaging machinery, automotive industry, bottling and canning industries

Goodyear Falcon Pd™ Synchronous Belts latch onto Gates Poly Chain® GT®2 sprockets for drop-in convenience.

• Reduced noise
• Exceptional tensile strength for premium performance
• Rubber construction for better resistance to flex fatigue
• Backside idler compatible when needed
• Wide range of operating temperatures for greater versatility
• Available in 8 mm and 14 mm
• Applications: lumber, pulp and paper, packaging equipment, food processing, feeder and conveyor drives, bucket elevators, high output air coolers, conveyor drives

Goodyear Torque-Flex® Cogged Belts

• Oil, heat, ozone and abrasion resistant
• Raw rubber edges contact the sheaves for increased horsepower ratings (25 – 30%) over standard v-belts
• Cogs allow for greater flexibility and heat dissipation
• Applications: designed for tough, small sheave diameter, high tension drives

Goodyear HY-T Wedge™ Cogged Belts

• Narrow profile provides savings through efficiency
• Greater horsepower than classical belt
• Oil, heat, ozone and abrasion resistant
• Raw rubber edges contact the sheaves for increased horsepower ratings (25 – 30%) over standard v-belts
• Cogs allow for greater flexibility and heat dissipation
• Applications: designed for compact, high horsepower drives and high shock loading on short centers and small diameters