Development of criteria for the communication of energy efficiency for classifying plastics processing machines

Status

completed

Summary

The aim of this project is the development of an energy efficiency label for plastics processing machines in close cooperation with industrial partners. This allows marketing and communicating highly energy efficient plastic processing machines. Manufacturers should be motivated to develop more energy-efficient machines.

As the efficiency criteria for evaluating the energy consumption of plastics processing machinery the specific energy consumption SEC [kW/kg] is used. In order to compare these criteria an energy measurement standard for injection moulding and extrusion has been developed. For injection moulding the EUROMAP 60 has been adapted based on the proposal worked out from the project team, now for download at the EUROMAP recommendations under: www.euromap.org. For extruders, a working group to create a new Energy measurement standard EUROMAP 90 was founded, but no consensus could be found yet.

To communicate the two energy efficiency labels, different approaches have been chosen in the next step. The aim is the development of two labels, one for an internal company concerning the communication of the energy demand according to the EUROMAP 60 for injection moulding and the second for extrusion concerning the whole branch.

The classification of the machines is made by the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI). The EEI can be calculated from the measured specific energy consumption SEC, the theoretically required energy for melting and three constant correction factors. Furthermore the energy efficiency of the machines has been grouped in energy classes. These classes are communicated directly on the label and will on the one hand help the customers at purchasing and investment decisions and should lead to a greater awareness towards energy efficiency on the market. On the other hand the energy classes should act as a motivator for the manufacturer in developing more energy efficient machines.

At the sites of our project partners Schöfer (injection moulding) and Internorm (extrusion) extensive energy measurements have been made. The measurement results of machines with different state of the art have been used for economy studies, for energy savings potentials and for the classification and evaluation of the energy efficiency label. Another result of the project is a catalogue of possible ideas improve the energy efficiency of the machinery and therefore to reach a higher energy class.

Precaution for a Europe-wide label is taken with the creation of the two EUROMAP standards for energy measurement. Members of the EUROMAP are currently in the process of introducing the measurement standards and do not see the potential of a label at the moment. A further step towards a european-wide implementation has been taken with the help of the EU project "LEEP" submitted at the programme "Intelligent Energy Europe".

Project management

Ao. Univ. Prof. DI Dr. techn. Wolfgang Wimmer
Technische Universität Wien, Institut für Konstruktionswissenschaften, Forschungsbereich ECODESIGN

DI Rainer Pamminger (Projektkoordination), Roland Winkler

Project or cooperation partner

• PROFES - Professional Energy Services GmbH
  DI. Mag. Erik Sehnal, DI Martin Krill, DI Rupert Wychera
• ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH
  DI Michael Bauer
• Cincinnati Extrusion
  Dr. Hans Berlisg, Dr. Christoph Steger, Thomas Strnad, Josef Pazourek
• Schöfer GmbH
  DI Gerald Schöfer
• Internorm Bauelemente GmbH
  DI Dr. Hans-Peter Mattischek

A.o. Univ. Prof. DI. Dr. techn. Wolfgang Wimmer
Techn. Univ.Wien, Inst. f. Konstruktionswissenschaften
Getreidemarkt 9
1060 Wien
Tel.: +43 (1) 58801 30744
E-Mail: wimmer@ecodesign.at
Web: www.ecodesign.at