Armstrong Industrial says its fluid technology division has helped Metso Minerals (HEL: METS) reduce processing power consumption by 40% on a recent project and saved over £25,000 (C$47,063.25) annually.
The application involved a tube press system used to remove waste iron and other by-products from furnace exhaust through a filtration process. Armstrong’s process applies pressure of up to 100 bar to dewater the slurry and produce a drier filter cake that can be handled, stored or disposed of more easily.
“Rather than assuming that existing equipment is operating as efficiently as possible, operators can examine whether pump selection, system configuration and controls are properly matched to the demands of their application,” said Divyanshu Shrivastava, Armstrong Fluid Technology’s global product manager. “In many cases, targeted changes to pumping technology can reduce energy consumption without requiring major changes to the wider infrastructure.”
Shrivastava added that these improvements are particularly important in industrial applications where pumps may need to operate continuously. With the Metso project, the replacement solution had to meet demanding operating requirements. He says its systems needed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Working together, Metso Minerals and Armstrong Industrial developed a positive-displacement pumping solution comprising S75 Trimax pumps, accumulators and nitrogen-charged back-up bottles,” he said. “Adjustable flow mechanisms and safety devices were incorporated to achieve the required tight hysteresis — the narrow operating range around the system's pressure set point.”
Financial impact
Armstrong says the financial savings were also significant, with yearly energy costs falling from almost £60,500 with the rotary pump to less than £36,300 with the Armstrong’s solution. The company says it identified a further £7,390 in annual service savings, with £5,040 coming in maintenance time and £2,350 in spare parts.
“A targeted assessment of an individual system, supported by appropriate equipment selection, controls and monitoring, can reduce energy consumption and costs while strengthening reliability,” Shrivastava concluded
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