Managing Automation - May 2008 - (Page 23)

energy throughout the production process. To do that, Rockwell has intelligent motor control centers that are networked and can alert a technician when a system is hitting peak electrical consumption. Running equipment efficiently has always been a top priority for manufacturers. But, now, efficiency doesn’t mean only avoiding downtime; it also means using the least amount of energy. “On the operational side, we have a goal ingrained in what the manufacturing people do, and that is to run the equipment as efficiently as possible,” says Paul Stamas, vice president of IT at Mohawk Fine Papers. That means “balancing the availability of equipment, maximizing throughput and capacity, and generating quality products. The key there is doing that using the least amount of energy.” Mohawk invests in energy-efficient drives and motors, as every little thing counts. “It’s not sexy, but it’s meaningful,” Stamas says. And the company has undertaken other, bigger energy initiatives that have drawn attention from some government agencies. At Mohawk, all of the energy consumed during manufacturing comes from wind power. The Environmental Protection Agency listed the company as one of the top 20 users of wind power in the United States. As a paper company, Mohawk understands the balance of nature and the need to foster an environmentally conscious culture. Mohawk approaches business from both a socioeconomic and a compliance perspective. The wind power initiative, for example, doesn’t only provide an alternative source of energy that protects the environment by reducing CO2 emissions; it is also a cheaper source of power that lowers the company’s electric bill. Another effort goes directly to managing assets. Late last year, Mohawk purchased Infor’s Enterprise Asset Management system to manage manufacturing assets and tackle maintenance proactively to ensure that assets run optimally. In addition, Infor’s EAM system can accept inputs from sensor feeds that are monitored by OSI Pi and GE Fanuc Proficy (formerly Cimplicity) systems. The goal of using these tools together is to lower baseline energy consumption. “We are hoping with the implementation of these tools to get a 10 to 15% reduction in energy consumption,” Stamas says. “This hits the bottom line in obvious ways.” What’s less obvious, however, is that Infor’s EAM application can calculate the corresponding CO2 emission. Additional tools are available CEMENT, BULK CHEMICALS LEAD that provide sophisticated ways IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION to monitor emissions and optiMany companies are working to reduce “embedded mize burning while generating energy” — that is, the energy needed to produce a reports to prove to regulators pound of product. But some industries are just natural energy consumers. that carbon reduction targets are being met. Rockwell’s PavilINDUSTRY ENERGY * ion technology, which the comCement 53.22 pany acquired last year, can do Bulk chemicals 32.6 that, Nesi says. And that will Iron and steel 20.20 be an important metric to have Refining 17.07 in the future. Paper 14.32 Right now, the United States Aluminum 12.48 does not have rigid regulations Mining 9.34 on carbon emissions other than Glass 9.28 the Clean Air Act, which is deWood 3.68 signed to curb acid rain and air Agriculture 3.36 pollution, and some local state *Per dollar of products shipped to market (measured in BTUs) mandates in highly congested Source: U.S. Department of Energy, reproduced in Greener World Media, Inc.’s “The State of Green Business 2008” report. areas, such as California. But, in Europe, there is a cap and trade system on carbon emissions as part of the Carbon Disclosure Project, an initiative run by a U.K. independent organization aimed at creating a dialogue between shareholders and corporations regarding the implications for shareholder value and commercial operations presented by climate change. The Carbon Disclosure Project includes a collection of company reports on emissions, which are benchmarked against one another. If a company is under the carbon emission cap, it can take favorable credits and sell them to a At Mohawk Fine Papers, company that has exceeded its limit. the goal is to run the Europe also has the RoHS Directive, a regequipment as efficiently ulation that restricts the use of certain hazas possible — that is, ardous substances in electrical and electronic using the least amount equipment. Manufacturers must understand of energy. the requirements of the RoHS Directive to en- Photo courtesy: Mohawk 23 May 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - May 2008

Managing Automation - May 2008 Contents Take 1 Award-Winning Shoe-Maker Otabo Alters Course, Shifts Production to China IBM Partners with Universities for Cloud Computing Getting Noise in Production Under Control Incuity Embarks on a Vertical Market Strategy Foundation Intensifies OPC Standard Testing Mailbox Notes PM Roundtable Cover Story: The Business of Going Green Special Report: Night and Day Delivering on Promises Finding the Right Fit for Wireless Driving RFID Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - May 2008

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