Consumables
Cost-cutting with combined dampening solution circulation and ink unit temperature control
Monday 17. August 2015 - technotrans AG uses a patented free-cooling function
Infinite adaptation of the power to the actual demand
Cost-efficient, stable, and process-optimised production
technotrans AG lowers the CO2 emissions and energy costs of offset printing applications with the combination unit beta.c eco+. The heart of the modular solution for dampening solution circulation and ink unit temperature control is a highly efficient refrigeration unit based on digital scroll compressor technology, a frequency-controlled temperature control circuit pump, and a free-cooling function to cool the ink units. Together with the optional, speed-controlled cooling water pump station beta.ps eco, the combination system reduces the fixed costs by 50 per cent. This makes it a very profitable investment for printing companies within a short period of time.
A cooling system that perfectly adapts to the demand of the printing press: Thanks to the digital scroll technology, the technotrans solution cools only as required by the load. The current intake decreases to approximately ten per cent of the nominal current, as the digital scroll compressor is in idle mode when without load and therefore does not consume any refrigerant. “The automatic control enables substantial cost-savings, particularly during partial load operation,” explains Peter Böcker, head of sales of technotrans AG.
The temperature control circuit pump is frequency-controlled. “Up to 80 per cent of the drive energy can be saved thanks to the infinite adaptation of the pump output,” says Peter Böcker. As a result, the total energy consumption can be reduced by 50 per cent in combination with the speed-controlled cooling water pump beta.ps eco. For printing companies that work in three shifts, five days a week, this results in cost savings in the range of several thousand euros per year.
As a sophisticated solution for dampening solution circulation and ink unit temperature control, beta.c eco+, with its high-precision measuring and dosing systems, also saves on additives. The consumption data is automatically recorded. Optionally, technotrans also offers the beta.f dampening solution fine filtration system for a long dampening solution and filter service life. “We can easily see how quickly beta.c eco+ pays off compared to air-cooled entry-level systems,” says Peter Böcker. Only the purchase price of these systems is lower. Especially under normal climatic conditions, such as in Germany, where 80 per cent of the cooling function for the ink units can be handled via the free-cooling function, the system can show its full potential.
The efficiency of the system has been proved by comparative measurements performed by various system users and certified by BG ETEM. Since the launch of the beta.c eco+ system, the company from Sassenberg has sold an average of 50 systems per year. However, there is still strong demand for these types of solutions throughout the industry: “We estimate that less than ten per cent of all printing companies use a modern cooling solution,” says Peter Böcker.