Even without Utility Company Rebate and Elimination of Air Compressor
Costs, LPD™ Vacuum Dryers Pay Back Investment Cost in Less than a Year
SANTA ANA, CA, U.S.A., June 19, 2006 - Southern California Plastics, Inc., a
custom molder of engineering thermoplastics, has only just begun a large-scale
changeover from conventional desiccant systems to Maguire’s LPD™ vacuum resin
dryers, but already the benefits are as clear as the now defect-free lenses that
are among its products, according to the company.
Southern California Plastics began by using an LPD dryer on a trial basis and
soon reported energy savings that on an annualized basis amounted to $28,000.
Included in the figures were: 1) savings resulting from a reduction of dryer
energy consumption by 82%; 2) elimination of the cost of generating compressed
air for desiccant dryers; and 3) an energy-conservation rebate from Southern
California Edison, the local electrical utility (see table).
“If Edison hadn’t given me a rebate, I would still be able to pay off the
cost of the LPD dryer in less than a year - it’s just incredible,” said Ernie
Rodriguez, president of Southern California Plastics. “We have ten more LPD
dryers on order, and with subsequent rebates for energy savings, I expect to be
able to recover 40% of the investment cost.”
Additional savings from elimination of compressed air have been an
unanticipated benefit, according to Rodriguez. “Our 25-horsepower screw
compressor was running nonstop and drawing lots of power,” he said, “but the LPD
vacuum dryer needs only a small amount of compressed air to run the vacuum
generator.”
Still another benefit is productivity and product quality. “We have to dry
100 pounds an hour of polycarbonate for molding clear lenses,” Rodriguez said.
“With this new dryer we haven’t had one single defect.”
The reduction in defects is attributable to the much shorter heat history
imposed on resin by the LPD dryer, according to B. Patrick Smith, Maguire vice
president of marketing and sales. “Besides requiring only 20% of the energy
needed by a desiccant system to properly dry resin, the LPD dryer takes only
about one-sixth of the time,” Smith said. “This shorter heat history, combined
with a more uniform and efficient drying process, reduces the likelihood of
polymer discoloration or degradation.”
The LPD dryer differs radically from conventional hot-air/desiccant dryers in
two ways: 1) instead of flowing hot, dry air over the pellets to slowly draw the
moisture out, the patented LPD dryer uses vacuum to reduce the boiling point of
water, quickly turn the moisture into water vapor, and literally pull the water
vapor from within the pellets; and 2) the LPD dryer carries out heating and
vacuum drying simultaneously in separate stations, making possible small batches
while in effect transforming a batch process into a continuous one that keeps
pace with the throughput of the plastics processing machine.
Southern California Plastics operates 24 injection molding machines, running
polycarbonate, polyetherimide, and other engineering resins. The company offers
moldmaking and design engineering services and maintains clean-room molding and
assembly areas for medical-device components.
|
Electrical Power Cost Factor |
Value * |
| Desiccant Dryer |
Hourly power consumption |
12.40 kWh |
| |
Power consumption at 7,500 hours per year |
93,000 kWh |
| |
Annual cost at rate of US $ 0.165 per kWh |
$15,345 |
| |
Annual cost of power for compressed air |
$11,000 |
| |
Total annual energy cost |
$26,345 |
| LPD™ Dryer |
Hourly power consumption |
2.20 kWh |
| |
Power consumption at 7,500 hours per year |
16,500 |
| |
Total annual cost at rate of US $ 0.165 per kWh |
$2,723 |
| Annual cost savings without rebate from
electrical utility |
$23,622 |
| Rebate from electrical utility |
$4,600 |
| TOTAL ANNUAL COST SAVINGS |
$28,222 |
###
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PLASTICS, INC. is located at 3122 South Maple Street, Santa
Ana, CA 92707 U.S.A. Tel: 1-714-751-7084. Fax: 1-714-751-4018. Email: info@socalplastics.com.
Visit www.socalplastics.com.
MAGUIRE PRODUCTS, INC., headquartered in Aston, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., is the
world’s largest supplier of gravimetric blenders and liquid color pumps and also
manufactures loading systems, granulators, dryers, auger feeders, and related
equipment and software. Its customers include injection, blow, and rotational
molders, extrusion processors, and compounders. Founded in 1977, Maguire
operates five manufacturing facilities in Aston and Smithfield, Rhode Island,
U.S.A. The company maintains a network of distributors in the Americas and
overseas and has two sales and service subsidiaries: Maguire Europe, which
supports customers throughout Europe and operates a distribution center in
Tamworth, Staffordshire, United Kingdom; and Singapore-based Maguire Asia,
serves customers throughout South Asia and the Pacific Rim. Visit the Maguire
Products web site: www.maguire.com
