The cost-effective, efficient, hygienic integrated actuators transforming food and beverage
The cost-of-living crisis has put food and beverage companies in a difficult position:
On the one hand, the cost of parts and energy is rising rapidly. On the other, consumers are responding to these difficult economic times by demanding cheaper and cheaper goods.
In this fiercely competitive sector, it’s no wonder that food and beverage companies are looking for ways to make their operations more efficient.
But any solution to this challenge also needs to be a perfect fit for the industry’s needs, meeting the highest standards of hygiene and safety.
That’s why many companies are spotlighting a potential energy saving that has often been overlooked: optimizing compressed air use.
In this article, we’ll explore the surprising impact that compressed air usage can have on energy spend – and see how smart food and beverage companies are using the latest tech to bring budgets under control.
Why is using compressed air so expensive?
Compressed air is a vital component in many food and beverage production processes – particularly motion control systems, which often use compressed air to move actuators.
But generating compressed air requires a significant amount of energy, which makes running a pneumatic system expensive.
Rising energy prices have compounded this problem. The latest figures suggest that energy now accounts for 15% of a food manufacturer’s cost base – up from just 2% before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Buying, installing, and maintaining a compressed air system is also an expensive task.
Most conventional motion control systems are made up of a large number of components, from the actuator and valves to piping and switches. All of these components must be integrated perfectly into a circuit, so that the system functions correctly.
But these components often come separately and make up separate items on the bill of materials. Which means that each one must be purchased and installed separately, and each one has its own maintenance requirements and schedule.
Between installation time, the cost of components, and maintenance time, this makes implementing and running a compressed air system extremely expensive.
However, there is a solution to this problem: integrated valve and actuator solutions.
Energy optimization and cost reduction
The IMI Norgren IVAC solution is designed to reduce energy consumption and tackle the operational inefficiencies in food production.
Our actuator solution offers an integrated valve and magnetically operated switches within a single body.
It’s a drastically simpler system build. Less tubing, which means less “dead” air volume. As a result, less air is required for the motion control output.
Depending on your application, you could save up to 50% on your air and energy use – just by switching to our integrated solution.
Controlling energy spend without compromising hygiene
Your customers, your people, and the quality of your products can’t be compromised.
That’s why we’ve tailored our solutions to meet the highest standards of hygiene for the food and beverage industry.
All IMI Norgren IVAC solutions have an IP67 rating – which means they can be used in a variety of zones across your production process, including in washdown applications.
The integrated valve and switches mean that foodstuffs can’t become caught inside it, as well as making it easy to clean without compromising its operations.
IMI Norgren IVAC: The hygienic, efficient compressed air solution
With the entire food and beverage industry under pressure to do more with less every day, operational efficiency is more important than ever.
By reducing tubing and wiring, you’ll make ongoing maintenance and servicing quicker and cheaper, minimize downtime, cut down on energy waste, and make it easier to hit your productivity goals.
Looking to bring costs under control in your plant? We’re here to help with reliable, high-performance solutions, tailored to the needs of food and beverage companies.
Get in touch today to find out how we can help you.