Energy saving fact sheet

Saving energy in the

automotive (components)
manufacturing industry
Introduction

n reducing the environmental impact of your business through

If you are a small to medium sized manufacturer of automotive

parts, then this fact sheet could help you to:

n improving your business reputation and employee

n reduce your overheads

n improve your environmental performance
n be more competitive!

With energy costs expected to increase due to climate change

policies and other measures and pressure to reduce greenhouse
emissions, automotive manufacturers can save money and help
the environment at the same time.
This fact sheet provides practical and cost effective energy saving
options that can be applied to metal and plastic component
fabrication activities such as machining and welding, injection
moulding, parts assembly, surface finishing, quality control and
packaging.
Some actions offer immediate savings and other benefits while
others involve an upfront cost that can be recovered within a
few months or years.
Even if you have considered similar actions in the past, they may
be more cost effective now as the cost of many technologies has
gone down while the cost of energy has increased.

Major energy uses

Energy intensive activities in the automotive manufacturing
sector include: glass manufacturing; foundries and furnaces;
cutting and milling; degreasing; electroplating; drying;
polishing; ventilation; boilers; and hot water systems.
Energy consumption varies between workshops but processes
such as heating to melt the substrate and metal or plastic
forming generally consume the greatest amounts of energy.

Benefits of saving energy

Improving energy management can benefit your business and
the environment by:
n reducing energy and operation costs through increased

energy efficiency
n extending equipment life and reducing the risk of downtime

through improved maintenance regimes

avoiding energy-related greenhouse gas emissions

satisfaction by demonstrating a commitment to
environmental responsibility and providing a safer and more
comfortable workplace.

Things to consider when implementing

energy improvements
Implementing energy saving actions may require forward
planning and some changes to the way your business operates.
For example:
n Proposed changes to machinery settings, manufacturing

processes, lighting systems and other actions may

need to be discussed with managers, workplace safety
representatives, unions, insurers and suppliers to ensure
that they suit your existing drying and furnace and other
systems and will not impact negatively on product quality,
workplace safety or security.
n Employee training and awareness and management
involvement are likely to be required to support the
introduction of new equipment or processes and to provide
practical skills that help to reduce energy.
n Ongoing monitoring of energy use is important to
identify problems early and to measure (and reward!)
improvements. Key performance measures, such as energy
consumed per dollar of sales, can be used to gauge the cost
of energy inputs and savings achieved across the whole
business or for individual jobs or processes.
The following table (over page) outlines some common energy
saving opportunities for small to medium sized manufacturers
of automotive parts. The costs, savings and payback periods
are provided as a rough guide only. They include estimates of
up front costs such as capital, labour and installation, but do
not include ongoing costs unless these are fundamental to the
option itself (e.g. improved maintenance regimes).
The suitability and benefits of each option depend on the
nature and size of your business and the scale of application.
You should also check that they comply with local environment,
safety and other requirements.

Energy saving fact sheet

Saving energy in the automotive (components) manufacturing industry

* <5% total energy saving

$ up to $1,000

** 5-10% energy saving

$$ $1,000 - $10,000

Process change

*** >10% energy saving

$$$ $10,000 - $50,000

Maintenance

Option

$$$$ $50,000+
Equipment / plant upgrade

Cost

Energy

Payback

saving

period

Plan production to allow equipment to run at maximum efficiency

and as continuously as possible to avoid long warm up stages.

nil

**

Immediate

Implement a just-in-time purchasing plan and other strategies

to minimise storage requirements and warehousing overheads
involved in temperature control, forklifts and lighting.

nil

Immediate

Turn off air systems and boilers when not required. Automatic timers and
sensors can be installed to start and stop processes in some cases.

< 1 year

Hold temperatures in finishing and rinsing tanks at the lowest

possible level. Insulate tanks and cover them when not in use.

$$

< 1 year

Dry parts as much as possible before they are put into a drying oven. Use air knives
squeegees, rollers and other drying devices first, or let the parts air dry if practical.

$$

12 years

Maintain boilers to maximise efficiency, including

burner tuning and fire tube descaling.

<1 year

Maintain filters (e.g. mist eliminators or bag house filters) to

reduce flow resistance and ensure treatment effectiveness.

$$

<1 year

Identify and repair leaks in compressed air systems. An air recovery

unit can collect exhaust air from valves and return it to the system.
Reducing supply pressure of compressed air (and steam) can also
save energy but may require an additional ballast tank.
Use high volume, low pressure spray guns and insulate
spray booths that have a bake cycle.
Install variable speed drives (VSD) to control fan motors on air exhaust systems
so that the air flow rates can be optimised without the use of damper valves.
Install heat exchangers to capture waste heat from furnace and boiler exhausts
and use it to preheat incoming air to the burners or incoming water for
boilers. Heat exchangers can also be used to recover energy from cooling
water and lower the water temperature so that it is suitable for recycling.

$$

35 years

($$ ballast
tank)

(*)

(24 years)

$$

12 years

$$$$$

12 years

$$$

**

5 years

($$ cooling
water)

(*)

(12 years)

$$$

24 years

Minimise boiler blow down and install a heat recovery

system to capture blow down heat.

$$

46 years

Size boilers to suit production demands (e.g. two smaller boilers may be more
efficient than one large boiler operating at half load for long periods).

<1 year

Fit shut off dampers to retain heat after ovens are switched off.

Further information
If you would like further information, or to talk to someone who can help get you started, please contact
Ai Groups Energy and Sustainable Business Helpdesk on 1300 733 752 or at sustainablebusiness@aigroup.asn.au
or visit the AiGroup website at www.aigroup.com.au.

AIG8600