Offset Printing
Alpha Colour Gets Set to Be the UK Pioneer with Energy Efficiency Meter from Heidelberg
Monday 29. October 2012 - Electrical meter integrated into new carbon neutralised Speedmaster XL 75
Energy efficiency meter measures and controls the energy used in the press room
Combined with Prinect Energy Reporting, it is possible to analyse the energy efficiency of individual press components and several distinct time periods
Heidelberg UK believes the installation of integrated electrical meters will finally silence “green myth-makers” and confirm that Heidelberg’s established and on-going initiatives to improve energy efficiency puts it in pole position on sustainability and the environment.
Alpha Colour will be the first company in UK to install this gauge next month and managing director Jeff Williams is looking forward to having a tool that will give his customers even greater confidence in the company’s environmental credentials.
“We are taking delivery of a Speedmaster XL 75-4+L this autumn,” he says. “We elected to have it carbon neutralised which focuses on the carbon impact of the manufacture of our press. With the integrated electrical meter we go further and can monitor our energy usage in producing print as well. We already have ISO 140001, ISO 9001, FSC and PEFC certification, but we really believe that with the increased demand for proof of sustainability, scientific measurement of utilities is right thinking for printers.”
Energy is second only to paper as a contributor to the carbon impact of the printed job. Earlier this year Heidelberg became the first press manufacturer to offer customers the option of carbon neutralising their presses, calculating the energy used in the manufacture of each press specification and allowing customers to balance that with a contribution to sustainability projects around the world. Healeys and Alpha Colour are both at the forefront.
Heidelberg is also the first press supplier to offer the integrated energy meter to enable printers to also measure and control the energy used in the pressroom. It measures both the press and ancillary equipment including dryers, dampening systems and air compressors with information displayed on the wallscreen of the press. This new energy meter goes further than just giving connected load because power and energy are not the same. Energy used is power x time per 1,000 sheets. For instance on a Speedmaster XL 106-6+L with DryStar the connected load is 242kW but the effective power consumption at 18,000sph is 151kW. Unlike a car which uses more energy the faster it goes, in printing the energy efficiency per 1,000 sheets can actually reduce the faster the press runs.
With the meter users can view energy usage in real time, energy usage over a period of time and, combined with Prinect Energy Reporting, it is even possible to analyse the energy efficiency of individual press components and several distinct time periods.
“Ecology and economy can go hand in hand,” says Matt Rockley, B1 and B2 specialist. “As maximum energy efficiency occurs at the highest speeds an operator monitoring his energy efficiency is encouraged to keep output at the maximum.”
Speedmaster presses have many features which enhance energy. The use of sinusoidal synchronous motors rather than DC motors means 95% rather than 90% efficiency. Heidelberg’s own DryStar dryer concept minimises the distance between dryer and sheet to just 80mm, making it 20% more efficient that other systems. The AirStar output control ensures that only as much air is produced as needed for a job. At 70%, the AirStar is more than twice as efficient as conventional side channel blowers. CombiStar Pro, for cooling the ink unit, uses cool air (below 20°C) from outside which reduces the amount of electricity used to run the refrigeration unit. It’s ideal in colder climates. Research and development looks closely at the green factors in all its work.