Power Quality & Utilization Guide

Plastics Industry

Rob Van Heur - Laborelec

Mark Verheijen - GDF Suez
January 2009

Energy Efficiency

Source: PackTech
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

1. Introduction to the industry

This application guide describes the energy consumption and opportunities for making
energy savings in the plastics industry based on examples from both theory and practice.

1.1 The industrial world

Two hundred and thirty million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide.
Europe, including Switzerland and Norway, accounts for 25 per cent of total production,
this being approximately equal to the production of North America (24 per cent).
At 8 per cent, Germany is the largest producer of plastics in Europe, followed by the
Benelux. See Figure 2 for the production shares of the different countries.

Figure 1 World plastics production [7]

Source: PlasticsEurope, WG Market Research & Statistics

2
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

The industry currently has to cope with price increases because of the high price of oil
and a temporary shortage of raw materials.
On average, prices have risen between 50 per cent (for polypropylene (PP)) and 100 per
cent (for polystyrene (PS)) since the start of 2004.

This increase has manifested itself in the increased price of plastic end products such as
packaging, building materials (insulation, pipes, window profiles, etc.), automobile
components, and a huge variety of other types of equipment. Further price increases are
expected in the coming months.

EuPC (European Plastics Converters) is also presently warning about the uncertain
supply of raw materials. Plastics processing companies are increasingly being confronted
by shortages of raw materials from suppliers, who in recent years have invested most
heavily in new production capacity in the Middle East and Asia.

Figure 2 World plastics production

Source: PlasticsEurope, WG Market Research & Statistics

3
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

The consistently strong growth in the consumption of plastics in China, India, Central
Europe, and Russia is certainly playing a role in this phenomenon. As a result, European
plastics processors are not always able to secure the quantities of materials they wish to
order. [1]

1.2 Type of products in the industry

The relatively low density of most plastic materials means the end products are usually
lightweight.
They also have excellent thermal and electrical insulating properties. However some
types can and are being used as electricity conductors.
Most plastics are resistant to corrosion. Some are transparent, and therefore have
applications in certain types of optical equipment.
They are also simple to mould into complex shapes, making the integration of different
materials and functions possible.
If the physical properties of a particular plastic do not adequately meet specific
requirements, the composition can be changed with the addition of reinforcing filler
substances, colours, expanding agents, flame retarders, softeners, etc. to meet the
requirements of the specific application.

The main applications of plastics are:

• Packaging (especially food packaging)
• Construction (insulation, piping, etc.)
• The automotive industry (fuel tanks, dashboards, airbags, etc.)
• Textiles

2. Description of the production processes

Many different production and sub production processes are used in the plastics industry.
The production processes are: [2]
• Extrusion
• Injection moulding
• Blow moulding
• Rotational moulding
• Thermoforming
• Composites
• Compression moulding

4
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

The extrusion, injection moulding, and blow moulding production processes are
described in this section. These are the most common processes in the industry.

2.1 Process description

2.1.1 Extrusion

PRINCIPLE

Extrusion is a continuous process for the production of semi-manufactured products such

as pipes, profiles, cable sheaths, films, sheets, and plates. Although the design of the
mould and some extrusion components are different, each product has the same
production method.

Plastic pellets are added to the extruder. A screw pushes the grains through a heated
barrel. The grains are pressed together and melt. To heat the barrel, thermal oil is often
used, usually heated electrically. The plastic is pressed into the correct shape in the
mould at the end of the screw and cooled by water or air. When the product has reached
the desired length, it is cut to size.

Figure 3 Extruder unit, (1) Extruder, (2) Granulate (3) Extrusion mould (4) Extrusion
profile

5
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

ENERGY CONSUMERS

The biggest energy consumers in the extrusion process are the motors, heating units,
cooling processes, and compressors. Figure 4 shows a diagram of the extrusion process.
To gain a clearer understanding of energy management, it is advisable to look at energy
consumption in relation to time. It can then be seen if energy consumption is
commensurate with production. The large energy consumers in particular must be
carefully matched to the process to ensure they do not operate unnecessarily.

2.1.2 Injection moulding

PRINCIPLE

Injection moulding is a cyclical process mainly used for making plastic parts. Fluid plastic
is forced into a mould using an injection technique. It is a fast process and used for the
production of identical parts.
The injection unit used for injection moulding corresponds to that of the extrusion
process. The plastic is added, heated, and forced through the nozzle into a mould. The
difference between injection moulding and extrusion lies in the mould. With extrusion, the
mould is an opening where the plastic continuously flows out in a certain shape. With
injection moulding, the mould is a template into which the plastic is forced. The mould
consists of two parts that are electrically or hydraulically pressed against each other.
After the product has hardened, the mould is opened and the product is further
processed.

6
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

Figure 5 Injection unit, 1 Extruder, 2 Granulate 3 Injection opening (nozzle) 4 Mould

(lower part) 5 Product 6 Mould (upper part)

ENERGY CONSUMERS

Energy consumption with injection moulding can be divided into two phases. In the first
phase, there is high energy consumption during the injection of the plastic and when the
parts are removed. The other phase has lower energy consumption over a longer period
when the plastic is cooled.
The majority of the energy is used by the heaters and motors. The remaining energy is
used by peripheral and other equipment.

7
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

2.1.3 Blow moulding

PRINCIPLE

Blow moulding is used to make hollow objects such as plastic bottles. Molten plastic is
blown by compressed air to form the desired shape.
The injection unit is similar to that for extrusion and injection moulding.
The most important blow moulding processes are:
• Extrusion blow moulding
• Injection blow moulding

With extrusion blow moulding, plastic is extruded in the form of a tube. Then a mould
closes around the tube and the plastic is blown by compressed air and pushed against
the mould wall. The object is cooled while under pressure. Figure 8 shows an example of
extrusion blow moulding.

Figure 7 Example of extrusion blow moulding

8
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

In injection blow moulding, a preform mould is first filled by injection moulding. Then the
preform is placed in a blow mould where it is again heated and blown with compressed
air. Blowing can also take place at other locations, for example where the bottles are
filled. This reduces transport costs.

ENERGY CONSUMERS

The energy consumers for blow moulding are the same as extrusion and injection
moulding because the main process to produce the plastic is essentially the same.

2.2 Types of moulding machines

In this section, three different drive concepts for moulding machines are examined:

• Hydraulic
• Electrical
• Hybrid

As can be seen in Figure 9, the machines are the biggest energy consumers at the
factory.
If one looks at the purchase price and consumption of a moulding machine, the purchase
price of a moulding machine is lower than the energy costs of operating the machine over
its working life. Energy-saving machines will save money in the long term. It is therefore
not the purchase price that should be the top priority when purchasing a new machine,
but rather the consumption or ‘total cost of ownership’.
The following paragraphs describe the properties of the different drive concepts.

9
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

Hydraulic
The hydraulic drive is the oldest concept in terms of technical development.
The older systems have a single hydraulic pump with a high capacity and thus a high
energy consumption. Continuous pressure is supplied by a pump so that the system can
be used at any time. As a result, the electric motor is continually loaded. This results in a
high no-load.
In recent decades, multiple energy-saving pumps have been used in the hydraulic
systems in combination with pressure regulating valves. With no-load, the system is
provided with pressure by the smallest pump. Because multiple pumps are used, energy
savings can be achieved of up to approximately 30 per cent compared to the older
system with its single pump. These new, more economical hydraulic systems are
generally used in most modern machines. The conversion of an older existing machine
may be a worthwhile consideration.

Electrical

Fully electrically driven injection moulding machines have been on the market for some
time now. Servo motors are used to open and close the mould.
Greater energy efficiency is achieved by eliminating the no-load losses. These losses are
absent because continuous pressure does not have to be maintained anywhere within
the system. Direct transmission is used for fully electrical machines.
The initial cost of an electrically driven machine is generally higher than a hydraulic
machine. However, the energy savings can make an electrically driven machine
financially attractive in the long term.
Besides energy savings there are also the following advantages:
• No hydraulic oil present that can soil the product
• Lower maintenance costs. No storage, replenishment, drainage, etc. necessary for
hydraulic oil
• Less susceptible to failure
• No start-up delay
• Less noise
• Lower water consumption

10
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

Hybrid
The advantages of both techniques are applied in hybrid machines.
Most hybrid machines have a hydraulic pump for clamping the mould. Servo motors are
used to drive the screw.
Hybrid machines are generally less expensive to buy than fully electrical machines. They
are, however, not as energy efficient. This may change in the future because this
technique is still seeing significant advances in applied technology.

3. Energy data from the plastics industry

Energy consumption in the plastics processing industry is mainly electrical. Energy

consumption is attributable to the following actions:
• Melting of raw materials
• Cooling (mould, gauges, oil, etc.)
• Driving peripheral equipment such as grinders, compressors, pumps, pre-driers,
mixers, etc.
• Vacuum formation of semi-manufactured products
Machinery, including peripheral equipment such as grinders, hopper fillers, dosing
systems, and conveyor belts account for the majority of the electricity costs. The
remainder is attributable to space heating, cooling, compressors, and lighting.
The energy consumption is specific to the processing technique. Energy consumption for
the processor is an important factor because it represents a considerable operating cost.

11
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

Figure 9 Energy balance of a plastics processing plant

4. Energy measures

4.1 Specific consumption of plastics processing processes

The energy consumption per kilogram of end product can be calculated for each plant.
The literature provides the relevant data in Figure 10 for the examined production
process in relation to energy consumption per kilogram.

There is no major difference between injection and extrusion moulding. The average
consumption per kWh/kg barely differs.

12
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

Specific energy consumption however can differ quite significantly from plant to plant.
Consumption can even be higher than the values given in the figures below, but savings
are usually then possible.

Energy consumption depends on a variety of different factors:

• Type and characteristics of the plastic (for instance, each material has a different
melting temperature)
• Design, complexity, and size of the end product. The greater the pressure on the
mould, the more energy is consumed
• Each technique used for the shaping of the product has its own specific energy
consumption, depending on heating, moulding, and cooling
• The higher the quantity of production, the lower the specific energy consumption
• The cycle time determines how long the pump or electrical motor is switched on
during the moulding process
• Size of the plant
• Frequency of use of the mould
• Outside temperature (there is a 10 per cent higher consumption in the summer)

Figure 10 Specific energy consumption for some plastic processes from the
literature

13
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

4.2 Energy-saving measures

Extrusion

The following list can be taken into account in order to reduce energy consumption in
extrusion processes:

• Choose the right extruder. A poor choice of screw/mould combination results in

higher energy consumption.
• Optimize the speed of the extruder.
• Switch off as many energy consumers as possible when there is no production.
This is mainly the extruder’s heating and cooling. Stand-by power consumption is
thus limited.
• Make sure the housing of the extruder is well insulated.
• Keep the melting temperature of the plastic pellets as low as possible.
• Try to minimize the use of compressed air. Use fans for cooling instead of
compressed air.
• Thermal heating is often mostly electrical. Compare this with using gas.
• Use free cooling. Free cooling can be used when the outside temperature is lower
than the cooling water that goes back to the chiller. This cools the water before it
goes to the chiller. The lower the outside temperature, the greater the effect of free
cooling. This means the compressors use less energy for cooling.

Injection moulding

The following list can be taken into account in order to reduce energy consumption in
injection moulding processes:

• Make sure the parameters for the object being produced are optimal
• Is the process stable?
• Is the mould periodically cleaned?
• Optimize the cycle time. Determine if the cycle time can be reduced.
• Is the current installation still suitable for the product being manufactured?
• Are procedures in place for switching off energy consumers during longer duration
production stops?

14
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

• Is the pressure set correctly for the product being formed?

• Is the mould being used to its maximum capacity? (For instance, do not use a four-
part mould to manufacture one product per cycle.)
• Variable Speed Drive on motor (case)

BLOW MOULDING

The energy-saving measures described above are applicable to blow moulding. Blow
moulding is after all a derivative of extrusion or injection moulding.

5. Practical examples

Case 1: Frequency controller on injection moulding machine [6]

Introduction

There are various manufacturers supplying frequency controllers on the market to limit
the power consumption of moulding machines.
The plastics plant discussed in this case has two frequency controllers assembled on a
moulding machine.

Current situation
The moulding machines are set up with a 90kW motor not provided with frequency
controller.

Proposal
The proposal is to fit the machine with a frequency controller to reduce power
consumption.
Figure 11 shows the difference between the power consumption of a moulding machine
with and without frequency controller. During the whole moulding cycle, there is better
energy efficiency when the moulding machine is fitted with a frequency converter.
In total the cycle for manufacturing the product takes 71 seconds. The screwing process
and cooling stage are not shown.

15
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

The blue line shows the motor power consumption without frequency controller. The
magenta line shows the motor power consumption with frequency controller.

Figure 11 Motor power consumption moulding machine

When the set point varies from 100 per cent, it means that the oil pressure of the pumps
is excessive in relation to the required pressure in the current situation. Surplus oil will go
back to the tank without being used. A frequency controller will control the oil pressure of
the pumps according to the given set point. Hence, no excess oil pressure is produced
and energy will be saved.

During the closing of the mould, the full power of the pumps is required to generate
sufficient pressure in a short time. The pumps now operate at full power. The graph
shows that the power consumption is just about equal for both driving mechanisms. No
energy saving is possible here.

The biggest energy saving can be achieved during the holding and ejection processes.
During the mould’s holding process, no machine activity is required. Pump pressure is
only needed to keep the mould closed. Hence, the motor speed can be decreased which
results in lower energy consumption.
In the current situation, the pumps are switched on too early in the ejection process.
The ejection of the product only takes place when the robot has given a command for
this. This means the power consumption of the pumps is greater than needed. A
frequency controller keeps the pumps at idling speed until they receive a command. The
speed of the motor is then increased to the speed required for the removal of the product.

16
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

Estimated savings
When a frequency controller is used, savings can rise to 15.6 kW over the whole cycle.
This halves the power consumption.

Estimated investment
The investment and installation cost of a 90 kW Variable Speed Drive is around EUR
20,000. Depending on the number of running hours, the payback time on this investment
can be as low as two years.

Case 2: Energy efficiency of production machines

Introduction
The energy consumption of production machines in the plastics industry amounts to 60
per cent of total energy consumption. The energy consumption of different machines was
measured during an energy scan at an injection moulding plant. The most important
parameters are the power consumption (in kW) and the product produced (in kg/hour)
per machine. Measurements were recorded for a total of 16 machines of different sizes.
See Figure 12.

Measurement results
The following table shows the measurements

17
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

Machine Power consump- Production / hour Specific con-

tion sumption
(kW) (kg/h) (kWh/kg)
M1 5.5 0.65 8.44
M2 6.8 1.2 5.68
M3 12.4 3.23 3.84
M4 11.9 4.99 2.38
M5 9.2 4.21 2.18
M6 28 16.84 1.66
M7 12.1 9.4 1.29
M8 25.5 19.88 1.28
M9 10.1 8.54 1.18
M10 18.8 16.24 1.16
M11 15.6 14.31 1.09
M12 22.4 22.35 1
M13 27 27.65 0.98
M14 37.8 40.78 0.93
M15 17 27.36 0.62
M16 18.7 30.4 0.62

Figure 12 Measurement results

Specific consumption
Figure 13 shows the specific consumption of the machines measured. It can be seen by
the measurement values that the smaller machines have higher specific consumption.
The large machines have average specific consumption lower than 1.2 kWh/kg. If this
value is compared with the literature shown in Figure 10, this value falls within the range
of the literature.

However, consumption when producing smaller parts is inefficient. We advised the use of
smaller machines or applying multi-component injection moulding. The company will take
this advice into account when ordering new moulds but decided not to replace the
existing ones. It must be mentioned that a new mould is expensive and does not pay for
itself with the reduction of energy costs.

18
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

Case 3: Frequency controller on 22kW cold water pump

Introduction

The plastics plant discussed in this case mainly produces plastic components for the
automobile industry and housings for electronic parts. These parts are produced by
injection moulding. Parts produced range from a few grams to 1.5 kg.

Current situation
The factory has a 22 kW cold water pump. This cold water pump is designed for the total
production capacity. Normally some 65 per cent of the production capacity is utilized. The
pump always operates at its full flow rate and maximum speed irrespective of the
production capacity and cooling demand. The pressure and flow rate are manually
regulated using a valve.

Proposal
The proposal is to fit the pump with a frequency controller and control the speed based
on the pressure in the pipe.
When more production machines are switched on, the pressure in the pipe will decrease.
The pressure decrease in the pipe causes the frequency controller to increase the speed
of the pump until the set point is reached. This system means the power consumption of
the pump depends on the cooling demand.

Estimated savings
To calculate the saving, it is assumed that during normal operation 65 per cent of the
production machines are running, and as a result 65 per cent of the cooling demand is
needed.
The savings are calculated as follows:

Cold water pump without frequency controller

Power cold water pump 22kW

Production hours a year 6,800 h/y
Annual consumption 134.6 MWh/y
Price of electricity EUR 90/MWh

19
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

Cold water pump with frequency controller

Machine capacity normal operation 65 per cent

Electrical consumption at 65 per cent normal operation 47 per cent
(Calculated with simulation tool) 10.3kW
New annual energy consumption 70 MWh/y
Annual energy saving 64.3 MWh/y
Annual cost savings EUR 5,787

Estimated investment
The investment sum includes the costs of a frequency controller, a pressure sensor, and
installation. The costs are subdivided as follows:

Frequency controller EUR 1,600

Material costs switch box EUR 500
Pressure measurement EUR 200
Unforeseen costs EUR 1,000
Labour costs EUR 2,000
Total EUR 5,300
Cost recovery time: 0.9 years

20
Application Guide for Plastics Industry

www.leonardo-energy.org

6. Conclusion

Different production processes are used in the plastics industry. The most
common are extrusion, injection moulding, and blow moulding. These
processes are very similar to each other. The extrusion and injection moulding
processes consist mainly of the melting of plastic pellets and the pressing of
this mass into a certain shape using a mould. With blow moulding, an already
produced shape is blown by compressed air in a mould to form the final desired
shape.
Specific energy consumption can be associated with these processes. This is
the average consumption per kWh/kg. The specific consumption per process is
shown in Figure 10. The specific consumption can differ from plant to plant.
This depends on various factors.

The biggest consumers at a plastics processing plant are the machines.

Moulding machines are used to produce the plastic products. The following
three concepts are available on the market to drive these machines: hydraulic,
electrical, and hybrid. The most efficient machine is electrically driven. This has
different advantages compared to hydraulic machines. The disadvantage of the
electric machine is the higher purchase price. The hybrid machines have the
advantages of both techniques. Hybrid machines are generally less expensive
to purchase than fully electrical ones, but they are not as energy efficient. This
may change in the future because the maturity of this technique is still
emerging.

21
 Energy Efficiency

www.leonardo-energy.org

References
[1] Fedichem press release — 1 October 2007
[2] Recipe, 2006; Low Energy Plastic Processing; project financed by the
European Commission, www.eurecipe.com
[3] British Plastics Federation et al, 1999; Energy in Plastic processing, a
practical guide, UK good practice guide 292
(http://www.tangram.co.uk/TI-Energy_in_Plastics_Processing_
(GPG292).pdf)
[4] Department of Science Technology and Environment of Ho Chi Minh
City, 2002; Energy and Environment Management in the plastic forming
industry of Ho Chi Minh; study financed by ADEME, France
[5] Tangram, 2001; Energy efficiency in plastics processing, practical
worksheets for industry; www.tangram.co.uk
[6] NRG Control. SyncroSpeed Saves at Southend
[7] PlasticsEurope, WG Market Research & Statistics

22