VLT FlexConcept wins 30% energy savings in 18,000 bottle/hour Italian bottling lines
Cantine Riunite, the world-leading wine producer of Lambrusco and sparkling Emilian wines, won many advantages by incorporating VLT FlexConcept into a bottling line expansion project.
The energy-efficient choice
The decentralized high-performance Danfoss VLT Decentral Drive FCD 302 was integrated with the hygienic, energy-efficient Danfoss VLT OneGearDrive gearmotor.
Over 80 highly energy-efficient complete driving systems were installed in the wine bottling line, which processes 18,000 bottles per hour. Each driving system comprised a reduction gearbox plus frequency converter.
Engineer Matteo Zanoli, Head of Production, reports: ”Our supplier, a world leader in the bottling line and machinery sector, suggested that we use the Danfoss VLT FlexConcept operational solution on our conveyors - we immediately accepted. The fact was that we wanted to make a choice which continued our tradition of quality and innovation, so we took the opportunity to equip ourselves with a highly energy-efficient system, fine-tuned to increase line productivity”.
Exceeds IE4
The Danfoss VLT OneGearDrive reduction gearbox is equipped with a permanent magnet motor and has an efficiency equal to 96%, which is higher than the IE4 standard. This value thus not only exceeds current legal requirements, providing significant immediate energy savings, but also meets future legislative developments for at least the next decade.
Cantine Riunite’s decision to use the complete Danfoss VLT FlexConcept system, which offers overall energy efficiency levels of 90%, allows them to continue production with savings of more than 30% in comparison to a traditional solution, which guarantees that they will recover their investment in just over a year.
Few variants, few spare parts
Saving energy is only the first of the many benefits guaranteed by the Danfoss operations solution:
- Thanks to its smooth surfaces free from cooling fans, the EHEDG-certified hygienic design allows cleaning times to be reduced by 40% compared with traditional systems, while IP67 and IP69K ingress protection levels guarantee perfect system sealing. The system is therefore fully washable.
- In addition, with the Danfoss solution, replacing the oil lubricant is now a simple maintenance operation, performed once every 35,000 hours, or once in every seven years of operation.
- Finally, thanks to the increased level of standardisation together with maximum flexibility, only two reduction connections and two frequency converter sizes are needed for more than 80 fully operational systems. This means that the risk of plant shutdowns due to refurbishment delays is 100% covered, with only two exchangeable mechanical parts and a single electronic control unit.
Maximum energy efficiency, easy in-depth cleaning, minimal maintenance and smaller warehousing are the advantages from which Cantine Riunite can now benefit by opting for the Danfoss VLT FlexConcept solution for bottling their high-quality wines.
source: Danfoss