3 minute read
PURMO GROUP UK GOES GREEN
Purmo Group UK goes green with a significant investment in a new powder coating system
Purmo Group has a history of making changes that matter, and change has always been a part of the Group’s DNA. They have always been perceptive to what is happening around them and good at grasping opportunities as they occur. But it has never been about just change for change’s sake. It has been about staying ahead of the curve, about using their insight to move forward and being good at implementing the moves required, from product design through to improving manufacturing processes, tackling sustainability challenges is a responsibility Purmo are proud to take on.
When it came to specifying the new powdercoating booth system for their UK manufacturing site, sustainable production with carbon reduction formed a significant part of the investment process as Purmo Group is working towards a sustainable manufacturing eco-system. The Group carried out a detailed market evaluation which included comprehensive product trials before selecting GEMA Switzerland to provide the recently installed solution at their Gateshead manufacturing facility. The new powder coating system known as a MagicCompact, pictured below utilises a combination of software and hardware which focus on production of high-quality finished components with the lowest environmental impact, supporting them on their journey to meet multiple sustainability goals as part of a wider sustainability strategy. The new system supplied by GEMA Switzerland is the first of its kind in the UK for radiator panel production and is one of just a handful of coating solutions in the globally that feature the GemaConnect platform in conjunction with SIT application technology. Innovations which are designed to reduce input requirements (electricity, compressed air, powder paint) whilst achieving excellent coating standards. The GemaConnect tool form’s part of a move towards intelligent digitalisation and AI, and plays a key role in connected industrial ecosystems.
In the first instance the new powder coating facility benefits from the intelligent GemaConnect digitalisation Industry 4.0 platform. This cloud-based tool provides complete digitalisation of the coating parameters, allowing the production team to understand its resource utilisation and to leverage the data to drive improved sustainability within their coating operation. The collective intelligence is drawn from multiple areas of the plant, providing a seamless flow of data from each device in the system. From the powder application pumps and guns, the line utilisation data, through to the compressed air requirements and energy optimisation the system is able to make autonomous decisions designed to significantly reduce consumption of resources used in the production environment, and to support greater sustainability over the manufacturing life-cycle. Purmo Group UK selected several technology upgrades over the standard systems available, all providing the basis carbon reduction, these include; EcoDrive energy optimisation system which automatically adjusts the power requirement, reducing demand on electricity by up to 15% during normal operation. Sustained repeatability due to the SIT dense phase application pumps which supports a reduction of between 10-15% in powder consumption due to its sustained repeatability. Intelligent pressure monitoring system which significantly reduces compressed air requirements through better management of the filter cleaning operation. (15-30% reduction depending on operating conditions) Sinter-plate filtration which provides the ultimate in powder recovery with a typical life-cycle of 10-15 years there is a significant reduction in waste to landfill against traditional cartridge filters. Outside of the sustainable production gains on offer, the GemaConnect system also provides data to the maintenance teams, giving them visibility of the conditions of the hardware components, this preventative maintenance initiatives to ensure the asset remains in optimal condition.
The Choice for the Professional Powder Coater
Visit: www.gemapowdercoating.com
