Carbon Trust Funding Helps Astrum Halve Power Bill

Steel-component manufacturer Astrum will slash electricity use at its foundry by more than half and save more than GBP80,000 a year thanks to a GBP400,000 interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust. The loan is the largest sum awarded so far from the Carbon Trust's GBP100m Big Business Refit - a drive to provide small and medium businesses with zero-cost capital to invest in new high-performance energy-efficient equipment.

Astrum, which makes steel components for tanks and heavy-duty earth-moving vehicles, will use the money to replace its ageing air compressors. The new equipment will halve the company's energy use, increase productivity and will reduce its carbon emissions by more than 600 tonnes a year. Since the Big Business Refit launched in September 2009, more than 800 UK businesses have received GBP30m in total to scrap their old energy-guzzling equipment. The Carbon Trust has now announced it will increase the maximum level for its zero-interest unsecured loans to GBP500,000 following unprecedented interest in high-value loans in the last three months.

Mike Hutchinson, operations director at Astrum, said: 'Our compressed-air system is critical to the performance of our plant and the quality of the products we produce. 'The loan will pay for itself within four years through energy savings and has provided a cost-effective and hassle-free way for us to upgrade crucial equipment. Astrum identified the savings opportunity for the new system and compressor-efficiency specialist Air Energy Management developed a bespoke system to 'switch off' air-compressor drive motors where possible.

The system has reduced the demand on compressed air and replaced old and large air compressors with two more efficient smaller Compair compressors. Also funded by the loan have been: low-pressure drop piping from Teseo Air Systems; variable-speed compressors; and a leak-detection programme.

The entire system will reduce Astrum's energy demand by 1,255,000kWh per annum once the project is completed in early 2010. Sean Connolly, managing director of Teseo UK, said: 'Our aluminium pipe sections are leak-free, lightweight and, due to higher flow rates of a smooth-profiled aluminium tube (typically 30 per cent higher than steel), have a very low pressure drop across the system, making them a more efficient compressed-air delivery system than other offerings on the market.

'This provides a cost-saving from day one. Colin Mander, managing director of Compair UK, said: 'At Compair, reducing compressor cost-of-ownership is our primary goal. 'The two variable-speed compressors supplied are configured to match air supply to plant demand, so Astrum is assured of maximum energy performance at all times. 'In addition, both machines are supplied with our Assure extended warranty as standard.

NSK Bearings Save Costs For Carbon-Fibre Producer

NSK's SpaceA range of bearings has solved a problem of premature failures of stainless-steel bearings used in the manufacture of carbon graphite and composite materials for aerospace applications. Operating in a solution of ammonium bicarbonate, the stainless-steel bearings were failing after about six weeks; however, the SpaceA replacements have been operating for eight-months without problems, providing significant savings for the manufacturer.

The SpaceA bearings are situated at both ends of five rollers, over which the carbon-fibre material passes in a surface-treatment process before being submersed in the bath of ammonium bicarbonate. This is an arduous application for bearings, as illustrated by the fact that the 10 stainless-steel 6205 bearings that were used previously were failing and requiring replacement every six weeks. In addition, analysts calculated that the frequent replacement was costing far too much in lost production time.

Keen to remove these costs and improve productivity, the manufacturer contacted NSK to enquire about the company's cost-saving programme and to find out how the technical consultancy aspect of the programme might be able to help. Following the enquiry, NSK engineers visited the manufacturer's plant to assess the application. Subsequently, they recommended replacing the stainless-steel bearings with units from NSK's SpaceA series for special environments.

The SpaceA series is a range of bearings, ball screws and linear guides that provides high performance and reliability under all types of demanding operating conditions including: super-clean, vacuum, non-magnetic, corrosive, high/low temperature, nuclear and high speed. Products in the series meet a wide range of technical requirements with a programme of high-performance materials, surface finishes and specially developed lubricants, including solid types.

The SpaceA bearings recommended for the surface treatment application were 6205 units with martensitic stainless-steel inner/outer rings and balls; the latter supplied with an MoS2 solid lubricant coating. In addition, the cage of the bearings is self-lubricating and the bearings are provided with shields of Austenitic stainless steel.

Initially, two SpaceA bearings were fitted to one of the rollers to assess the performance. After a trial period of three months, the customer was confident enough to replace the remaining eight bearings. These are still operating successfully after eight months, and subsequent orders for SpaceA bearings have been placed for an alternative machine.

Students Race Low-Carbon Fuel Vehicles

Among the teams entering cars in the low-carbon fuel category are the University of Hertfordshire with a hydrogen-powered car and Oxford Brookes University with a parallel hybrid. Teams from across the world have entered the Formula Student competition, which is backed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and takes place at Silverstone the weekend after the British Grand Prix This year, for the first time, there is a category for cars powered by low-carbon fuel.

Formula Student is aimed at building future engineering talent and there are five different classes that can be entered. Those taking part design and manufacture a single-seater racing car. Among the teams entering cars in the low-carbon fuel category are the University of Hertfordshire with a hydrogen-powered car and Oxford Brookes University with a parallel hybrid.

Robin McGill, Chief Executive of the IET, said: "Environmentally friendly fuels are the fuels of the future and it's for this very reason that the IET has pushed to have a low-carbon vehicle category in the competition". "We have been a partner in Formula Student for three years and recognise the vital role the competition plays in promoting careers and excellence in engineering".

With three weeks to go, both teams are gearing up for the challenge. It is the 11th car that the University of Hertfordshire has entered in the competition. The team of nine students, who are all final year MSc students, is looking to build on the previous years' results of 7th and 5th.

The Hertfordshire car is hydrogen powered with an adapted 250cm3 internal combustion engine. Leader of the Hertfordshire team, Professor Howard Ashe, said: "The students are keen to take part in the competition as they are only too aware that it provides them with hard to come by real world practical and business skills". "It helps them to gain valuable team working and individual skills". "It also gives them an appreciation of real world skills".

"Now that their exams are over, the team are working all day, every day, including working into the night, to ensure the car is fit for purpose for its launch on 3rd July". The Oxford Brookes team is entering an electricity-powered parallel hybrid car. The team is led by James Larminie and it's the seventh year that the university has taken part in the competition. Made up of undergraduate and postgraduate students, the team is currently busy putting the finishing touches to the car.