Rising energy costs and environmental regulations make energy efficiency indispensable. Gessner has sustainably increased energy efficiency in its own company thanks to Festo Energy Saving Services. All processes, from the compressor to the pneumatic applications, were analyzed on site by Festo experts and successfully optimized. According to the German Federal Statistical Office, the production of paper, cardboard and goods made from them is one of the five most energy-intensive industries. Gessner, part of the Mativ Group, is the European mar- ket leader in the technical specialty papers and synthetic materials sector. It manufactures filtration products for the automotive industry at its site in Feldkirchen- Westerham, Germany, and is constantly developing new solutions. “It is easy to become blind to existing production processes and operations,” says Armin Niederhuber, responsible for Energy Management at Gessner. “That’s why we brought in the expertise from Festo in the person of Heiko Fleischhacker, to help us see and improve things that we don’t have an eye for ourselves.” The energy efficiency expert and certified auditor at Festo is used to not only taking a close look, but also to determine exactly where energy is not being used efficiently. Efficiency and transparency According to Heiko Fleischhacker, an audit always makes sense if a company wants to obtain an objective assessment and a precise picture of the current condition of its compressed air system. The aim is to identify inefficient areas and opportunities to save energy. During his audit, Heiko Fleischhacker analyzed the entire compressed air system at Gessner and quickly identified shortcoming that, once remedied, led to sustainable energy savings. “We were also advised to install a higher-level compressor control system. With the same result,” states Armin Niederhuber. Thanks to the retrofit, the operating times of the compressors were adapted much more precisely to the actual air requirements. All information and data obtained from the audit were processed by Festo and made available to all employees on the web-based Festo Energy Saving Services Portal, including open points on potential savings. “Everyone, from energy management employees to on-site workers and mechanics, can access it and see what needs to be done where.” Real-life application Sustainability Automation Compressed air energy efficiency audit
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