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Utopia - Ecogate

Date post: 14-Apr-2017
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Utopia Bathroom Group, the UK’s brand leader in fitted bathroom furniture, has slashed its electricity bills by investing in energy-saving dust extraction technology from ECOGATE ® . ECOGATE ® – PERFECT FIT FOR UTOPIA For 25 years, Utopia has been designing and manufacturing high quality bathroom furniture, bathroom suites, and bathroom accessories which are sold through a network of 600 retailers covering the UK and Ireland. Today, the company employs 140 people at its large, modern manufacturing centre in Bilston, West Midlands. Utopia’s managing director, Dave Conn, along with production engineer, Jon Phelps, first saw the Ecogate technology being demonstrated at the W12 exhibition and were soon convinced that retrofitting the Ecogate system would make significant savings to the running cost of Utopia’s existing dust extraction systems. In May 2013, Ecogate Ltd, together with authorised installer Dust Control Systems Ltd (DCS), were called in by Utopia to carry out a thorough energy appraisal and present proposals for retrofitting Ecogate throughout the site. Ian Rayner, sales manager at Ecogate, explains: “Utopia were operating two large-capacity drag chain filters, and a total of eleven main fans; ranging from 11kW to 75kW. And, with production operating on a two-shift pattern, fans were running virtually all day, 7 days a week. We were able to determine the extraction demand for every single machine in the workshop and calculate how each system could be adjusted for volume and duty cycle by optimising with Ecogate. We put forward an ‘extraction- on-demand’ proposal, demonstrating that annual savings of around 450,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) were achievable – giving a full return on the investment in approximately two years. Furthermore, the installation was backed by a Carbon Trust assessment which meant that it qualified for Green Equipment Finance through Siemens (SFS Ltd).” Utopia commissioned DCS to carry out the work which involved the installation of eleven Ecogate Power MASTER ® variable speed drive units, each with integral Ecogate greenBOX ® 12+ controllers, and a total of twenty six motorised Ecogate damper gates which automatically open and close as machines come on or off line. Responding ‘on-demand’ to variations in machine usage, the Power MASTER units continually adjust the speed of the fans, and optimise energy consumption. Additionally, to aid clean-up on CNC machining centres, eleven push-to-run overrides were installed, complete with automatic 5-minute ‘return-to-service’ functions. Utopia’s Jon Phelps says, “Installing Ecogate made sound business sense. Prior to Ecogate the extraction system was running at full capacity – even if only half the machines were operating. A bank of Ecogate Power MASTER variable speed drive units with integral controllers. Ecogate automatically adjusts speed of main fans as machines come on or off line. Twenty six Ecogate automatic motorised gates are fitted to individual machines. Utopia Bathroom Group’s manufacturing centre, Bilston, West Midlands. For more information contact: DCS Tel: 0800 040 7116 www.DCSlimited.co.uk Ecogate Tel: 01924 566770 www.ecogate.co.uk Recently, we reached the six month mark since first installing Ecogate, and analysis of the system data produced staggering results – total savings were way ahead of original predictions, and equated to annual savings of 700,000 kWh. Ecogate is a remarkable system which, as well as saving energy, has also increased the efficiency of the extraction system. And, the DCS installation team installed and commissioned the complete system to schedule, over a two week period, with no interruption to production.”
Transcript
Page 1: Utopia - Ecogate

Utopia Bathroom Group, the UK’s brand leader in fittedbathroom furniture, has slashed its electricity bills byinvesting in energy-saving dust extraction technologyfrom ECOGATE®.

ECOGATE® – PERFECT FIT FOR UTOPIA

For 25 years, Utopia has beendesigning and manufacturing highquality bathroom furniture, bathroomsuites, and bathroom accessories whichare sold through a network of 600retailers covering the UK and Ireland.Today, the company employs 140 peopleat its large, modern manufacturingcentre in Bilston, West Midlands.

Utopia’s managing director, DaveConn, along with production engineer,Jon Phelps, first saw the Ecogatetechnology being demonstrated at theW12 exhibition and were soon convincedthat retrofitting the Ecogate systemwould make significant savings to therunning cost of Utopia’s existing dustextraction systems.

In May 2013, Ecogate Ltd, togetherwith authorised installer Dust ControlSystems Ltd (DCS), were called in byUtopia to carry out a thorough energyappraisal and present proposals for

retrofitting Ecogate throughout the site.Ian Rayner, sales manager at Ecogate,explains: “Utopia were operating twolarge-capacity drag chain filters, and atotal of eleven main fans; ranging from11kW to 75kW. And, with productionoperating on a two-shift pattern, fanswere running virtually all day, 7 days aweek. We were able to determine theextraction demand for every singlemachine in the workshop and calculatehow each system could be adjusted forvolume and duty cycle by optimising withEcogate. We put forward an ‘extraction-on-demand’ proposal, demonstratingthat annual savings of around 450,000kilowatt hours (kWh) were achievable –giving a full return on the investment inapproximately two years. Furthermore,the installation was backed by a CarbonTrust assessment which meant that itqualified for Green Equipment Financethrough Siemens (SFS Ltd).”

Utopia commissioned DCS to carryout the work which involved theinstallation of eleven Ecogate PowerMASTER® variable speed drive units,each with integral Ecogate greenBOX®

12+ controllers, and a total of twentysix motorised Ecogate damper gateswhich automatically open and closeas machines come on or off line.Responding ‘on-demand’ to variations inmachine usage, the Power MASTERunits continually adjust the speed of the

fans, and optimise energy consumption.Additionally, to aid clean-up on CNCmachining centres, eleven push-to-runoverrides were installed, complete withautomatic 5-minute ‘return-to-service’functions.

Utopia’s Jon Phelps says, “InstallingEcogate made sound business sense.Prior to Ecogate the extraction systemwas running at full capacity – even if onlyhalf the machines were operating.

A bank of Ecogate Power MASTER variable speed drive units with integral controllers.

Ecogate automatically adjusts speed of main fansas machines come on or off line.

Twenty six Ecogate automatic motorised gatesare fitted to individual machines.

Utopia Bathroom Group’s manufacturing centre,Bilston, West Midlands.

For more information contact: DCS Tel: 0800 040 7116www.DCSlimited.co.ukEcogate Tel: 01924 566770www.ecogate.co.uk

Recently, we reached the six month marksince first installing Ecogate, andanalysis of the system data producedstaggering results – total savings wereway ahead of original predictions, andequated to annual savings of 700,000kWh. Ecogate is a remarkable systemwhich, as well as saving energy, has alsoincreased the efficiency of the extractionsystem. And, the DCS installation teaminstalled and commissioned thecomplete system to schedule, over a twoweek period, with no interruption toproduction.”

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