NorTex Metal Finishing saw a partnership with the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center save them over $1,000 in energy costs and improve the usage of heated tanks.
Shelby WoltersNorTex Metal Finishing was purchased by Shelby Wolters in 2018 and has been under his ownership and management since that time. They offer surface protection at their Garland, Texas, metal finishing facility. They service a wide variety of industries, including automotive, robotics, telecom, defense, and construction.
Wolters had more than 15 years of experience in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, and manufacturing technology, with positions at Texstars, Lockheed Martin, and Bell Helicopter.
He had previously worked with the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center on technology exchanges related to manufacturing in the aerospace industry. The mission of the TMAC is to increase the global competitiveness of the Texas Economy by growing the extended manufacturing enterprise.
Free Onsite E3 Assessment for Pollution Prevention
Shelby Wolters, left, speaks with officials after receiving the Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) awards presented by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR).So when TMAC reached out to him about an opportunity to participate in receiving a free onsite E3 Assessment funding by a pollution prevention grant to help identify other saving opportunities, Wolters said, “Yes, why not?”
The on-site assessment was provided by TMAC through an EPA Region 6 Pollution Prevention grant by delivering an Economy – Energy – Environment (E3) Assessment. The Garland, TX metal finishing facility was evaluated for lean, energy and environmental improvement opportunities and associated cost savings.
It began with a brief site visit by TMAC, which included a tour of the Garland, Texas, facility. Shelby had made major improvements since taking ownership in 2018. His focus on quality, quick turnaround, and excellent customer service was moving his organization in the right direction.
TMAC’s review included identifying opportunities for lean, energy, and environmental savings. The energy review identified an opportunity to qualify NorTex as a manufacturer that was using more than 50% of its electricity for manufacturing. TMAC produced the reports that were submitted to the Texas sales tax office to request a $3,500 refund and removal of state sales tax for all future electricity billing.
TMAC also noticed that the heated etch tanks could be insulated to also help reduce electricity costs. TMAC’s automation team then installed a wireless machine monitoring system, which included a power consumption current sensor and a tank temperature sensor to help collect actual data on the electricity required to bring the tanks to temperature throughout the day.
Collecting Data and Visualized Information
For over a week, TMAC collected this data in the cloud (i.e., Microsoft Azure) and visualized the information through Power BI to determine the actual cost of approximately $13 per day for electricity to maintain the temperature required for the production process.
The next step in reducing tank heat loss was to identify possible solutions for insulating the test tank. Polypropylene tank floats, shaped like NorTex installed UFOs, help insulate the tanks. In addition to reducing heat loss, these floats would also reduce fumes, evaporation of chemicals, drag out, and exhaust maintenance.
Saving Over $1,000 in Annual Heating Costs
TMAC staff then collected another set of data after the UFOs were poured into the tank. In addition to saving over $1,000 in annual heating costs, this tank was now available 31% more time at the correct temperature during the day. This study provided real data to validate the promises of the UFOs, which could now be installed in up to six additional tanks at their facility.
“It was great working with TMAC to bring another set of well-trained eyes into our facility,” says Wolters, Owner and CEO. “Their ability to provide onsite data collection helped us validate our actions to generate real savings for NorTex. We are looking forward to our continued partnership with TMAC and our efforts to make positive changes to advance our ability to meet the needs of our customers.”
In addition to the electrical savings from reducing heat loss, the floats also reduced employee exposure to fumes, chemical evaporation, drag out and exhaust system maintenance. This effort identified 85,000 kWh reductions, over $6,000 in electricity cost savings, 31% increase in available etch tank capacity as a result of consistent tank temperature, and a $3,500 sales tax refund from their manufacturing electricity usage.
Visit https://www.nortexmetalfinishing.com and https://tmac.org.
