Euromap energy efficiency measurement: Best grades for Kautex machines

KBB – Machines with a future
When developing the all-electrical KBB machines, the market leader for extrusion blow molding machines came up with an especially sustainable concept. The latest measurements of energy consumption based on Euromap 46.1 standards prove the concept is successful: Many KBB machines reached the highest energy efficiency classification 10. “Our machines are often operated over several decades. We therefore would like to offer our customers long-term solutions, which are not only in accordance with the state of technology, but which for many years achieve outstanding results in the area of energy efficiency”, says Dietmar Michels, product manager for the KBB series. “The principle applies to the entire value-added chain. This requires a high technical maturity of the selected components, which on this level has only been available for a few years. Energy efficiency starts with the size of the machine and the correct drive concept with a matching extrusion system and ends with use of the de-flash material in a closed loop system.”

Best energy efficiency class during the Euromap measurement
The outstanding efficiency of the all-electric extrusion blow molding machines is confirmed by the latest test based on the Euromap 46.1 standards. Several Kautex machines of the KBB series achieved the best energy efficiency classification 10. The industrial Euromap standards developed by the association permit the comparison of machines by different manufacturers on the basis of standardized parameters. The electrical consumption, the cooling water consumption and heat energy of the plastic are measured. “It is our objective to satisfy the customer requirements for transparent and comparable energy consumption values and to present the energy efficiency classes under a neutral label”, says Heinz-Werner Eckerskorn, Director R&D. Euromap specifies the machine settings, the measuring instruments used and the plastic material. “Energy saving potential can mainly be found by looking at the main energy consumers of a blow molding machine: the extruder drive and the heating”, states Heinz-Werner Eckerskorn. “Kautex Maschinenbau continuously tests different machine components to guarantee the highest energy-efficiency.” By introducing many technological optimizations, Kautex systems can now operate with a significantly higher energy-efficiency compared to a few years ago. This means that the company additionally contributes to the ambitious objectives of the German Federal Government: an annual increase in energy efficiency by 2.1 percent until the year 2050.

Individual consumption measurement provides planning dependability
In addition to the Euromap 46.1 standards, Kautex Maschinenbau also established consumption measurements to provide energy usage for the anticipated production conditions, before the delivery of a machine. This machine-specific measurement is made for all Kautex machines at the pre-acceptance performed at the Bonn headquarters. It considers the material and the product being made as well as the configuration of the machine. In contrast to Euromap 46.1, this data includes the recording of the electricity, water and air consumption; the pressures of all supplied utilities; the entire cooling energy; the water temperature and the calculated kg per hour throughput. The measurements are always based on the entire machine and valid for the conditions and settings of the pre-acceptance. “By providing this information, we offer our customers higher confidence for the connection to their supply system”, explains Heinz-Werner Eckerskorn.

About Kautex Maschinenbau
Eight decades of providing its customers with innovative products and services have turned Kautex Maschinenbau into the world's leading company in extrusion blow molding technology. With customers that include major automobile manufacturers and suppliers, as well as companies working in the packaging industry. All of them have come to rely on the knowledge and experience of a brand that stands for both quality and reliability. With 550 employees in Germany and a further 200 around the world, the company reached an annual turnover of €144 million in 2017. In addition to its HQ in Bonn, a Customer Service Center in Berlin and regional offices in the USA, Russia, China, Italy, India and Mexico, Kautex Maschinenbau operates an extensive global network of service and distribution offices.