Fish Farming Company Saves Energy with Motor Upgrade
A Denmark-based specialist in aquafeed production has replaced an aging, damaged DC motor on its principal extruder with a Dyneo motor from Leroy-Somer, part of the Nidec group. The investment is providing the company with significant annual savings in energy costs.
Aquaculture, more commonly known as fish farming, is a rapidly growing sector. Companies such as Aller Aqua, which produces both freshwater and saltwater fish feed, are constantly looking for ways to improve its production technology and processes to benefit from this growth. Operating from headquarters at Christiansfeld, near Kolding, Denmark, Aller Aqua has been established for over 50 years and today has factories in Denmark, Poland, Germany and Egypt, exporting products to more than 60 countries worldwide.
The company has a broad product range, consisting of feed for 30 species of fish. As a result, production schedules are demanding, which is why the company sought to maximize its potential gains when the DC motor on one of the company’s main extruders at Christiansfeld had to be replaced.
“Aller Aqua had a particular interest in energy efficiency for its new motor solution as extruding feed stuff is a very energy-intensive process,” explained Carl Erik Niemann, sales engineer - drives and motors technology at Nidec Industrial Automation Denmark A/S. “They knew this would help boost both competitiveness and sustainable development.”
After a comprehensive evaluation of the market, the company opted for a 310 kW (2,400 rpm) Dyneo permanent magnet synchronous motor. Offering an efficiency level exceeding IE4 requirements, this option will enable the saving of at least 135,000 kWh of electricity per year.
“Beyond energy performance, Aller Aqua is now able to benefit from significant savings in maintenance costs, allied to increased machine availability,” said Niemann.“The previous DC motor featured a brush and collector system, which comprised wear parts.”
The implementation of the Dyneo motor also allowed local service center Ølgod Elektro to simplify the existing installation by eliminating the cooling/ventilation circuit required previously by the replaced IP23 DC motor.
(www.nidec.com)
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