Karsten S.A., a traditional textile company with manufacturing plant in Blumenau, a city in Santa Catarina, state in the South Region of Brazil, considered the sixth longest-running company in the country, is quality and innovation benchmark for household linen and decoration products. With a strong Environmental Management policy, recognized four times through the Fritz Muller trophy – the main environmental recognition of Santa Catarina State – the company ensures that all of its production processes follow sustainable development policies.
Due to those initiatives and the expansion of this market segment, the industries in Santa Catarina State have turned to WEG to implement energy efficiency projects in their manufacturing plants. After surveys and technical specifications carried out by WEG energy efficiency analysts and consultants, two projects were developed. One of them required the replacement of old motors – the W21 IR1 line and imported motors of the looms, already rewound a few times – with 101 W22 IR3 Premium electric motors. The motors were purchased through the Motor Bonus Program, an initiative action of the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) and Santa Catarina Electricity Utility Company (Celesc) managed by WEG, which allowed a discount of R$ 125,960.00 on all the electrical equipment. With the replacement of the motors, which demanded a dedicated project for this application, the estimated savings are 932,050.44 kWh/Year, corresponding to approximately R$ 298,256.14.
In parallel, the weaving HVAC automation project was implemented, which included the automation of three 40 hp motors and three 50 hp motors, all 4 poles, and the installation of two 242 A CFW11 inverters and two 211 A CFW11 inverters. Such automation provided savings of 35%, with a financial gain of R$ 232,148.38 per year. The return on investment for this project was 5 months.
This equipment has been in operation since September 2018, and the electric motors were installed on various Karsten machines, such as:
- Cooling towers;
- Steam boiler (primary and secondary air blowers);
- Thermal oil heater boiler;
- Motor for the lifting pump that collects water to the WTA - Water Treatment Plant;
- Motor of the pump for effluent treatment sieves;
- Motors of the G6200 looms - machines used in the Karsten production process;
- Return fan of the wiring HVAC.
The retrofit of the manufacturing plant to improve energy efficiency by replacing electric motors and automating processes also enabled the company to increase the production reliability, as with the reduction of maintenance downtime, the productive process occurs in a more linear, reliable and economical way.
“The energy efficiency project developed by Karsten + WEG + CELESC is essential for the Karsten. We have specific and bold goals for energy efficiency, and we work day by day seeking improvements and innovations in this regard. We started the energy efficiency project by replacing fluorescent lamps with LED ones in order to make the employees aware of the importance to avoid energy waste. We then moved on to replacing the motors to ensure the effectiveness of the reduction in electricity consumption. ”
Vladimir Moresco - Karsten S.A. Supervisor
Karsten once again demonstrates it is concerned with energy efficiency, and it will achieve measurable gains from implementing these projects. In addition to participating in the Bonus Motor Program and the weaving HVAC automation project, the company was the first textile company in Santa Catarina to install a Wastewater Treatment Plant through the biological system, and it is constantly improving due to its environmental, social and economic commitment.
WEG, recognized for its Energy Efficiency solutions for a great variety of industrial applications, offers the market various high-efficiency product combinations to reduce power consumption and streamline the industrial processes worldwide.
