Combat rising energy costs with energy management systems from Mitsubishi Electric

Energy transition has resulted in an increase in energy costs and has made the subject of energy efficiency increasingly significant. The primary concerns of the production industry include the need to ensure that companies remain competitive, even with rising energy costs, and that production processes continue to run smoothly without any problems. Mitsubishi Electric is well aware of the needs and requirements in plant automation and is therefore well qualified to provide a complete application-oriented energy management system. The aim of the “e&eco-F@ctory” concept is to help manufacturers to save energy, increase their productivity and reduce production costs quickly and easily. To this end, Mitsubishi Electric has produced a whole series of innovative production technologies to which the know-how and experience of its e-F@ctory partners also add another dimension. On its stand at this year’s SPS IPC Drives trade fair, Mitsubishi Electric will be showcasing the third generation of its energy control pack (ECP) and demonstrating how the compact FR-A741 frequency inverter with integrated energy recovery function works, along with its F-series energy-saving industrial robots.

Before energy costs can be reduced, all the relevant consumption data must be made transparent and analysed. The ECP from Mitsubishi Electric records all the data required from production level to control level in real time and makes it available for analysis on various levels in management systems simultaneously. The system which was developed jointly with e-F@ctory partners INEA and LEM combines the hardware, software and documentation required for a turnkey energy management system in a scalable solution. Up to 80 per cent of the ECP can be preassembled and adapted to new as well as existing applications and it can be used to control speeds, adjust loads and control temperatures accordingly throughout its service life.

Mitsubishi Electric offers a wide range of user-friendly products which can help plant manufacturers to further reduce their energy consumption, CO2 emissions and costs. These include, for example, its tried and tested frequency inverters which generate maximum output with minimum input, thus reducing the energy consumption of an installation compared with a conventional network with peaks by up to 60 per cent. The feature responsible for this is an Optimum Excitation Control function (OEC) which ensures that the connected motor receives the exact magnetic flux required for maximum efficiency during operation. This enables savings to be made on energy costs, especially at lower speeds. The FR-A741 frequency inverter also has an integrated energy recovery function which makes it ideal for applications with cyclical acceleration and deceleration. At SPS IPC Drives, Mitsubishi Electric will be demonstrating the compact frequency inverter in an exhibit presenting the Hänel Lean-Lift^® in which the FR-A471 is integrated in the Hänel EcoDrive^®. In this application, it ensures that up to 40 per cent of the energy required for upward travel is recovered and fed back into the energy supply system.

Mitsubishi Electric offers a wide range of user-friendly products which can help plant manufacturers to further reduce their energy consumption, CO2 emissions and costs.
Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.

Another product line that can bring energy savings in machinery and plant engineering are the MELFA industrial robots from Mitsubishi Electric. The new F-series is characterised by a high level of performance and compact design combined with low power consumption thanks to the use of the latest Mitsubishi Electric actuators. With their precision, speed and longevity, they have brought cross-sector automation to the production industry and have made processes more flexible and cost-effective. Mitsubishi Electric will be showcasing an exemplary robot from the F-series in a model application on its stand at SPS IPC Drives. With their cycle times of 0.29 seconds, these robots can increase the productivity of an installation by up to 30 per cent and reduce cycle times due to their flexibility. The robots from the F-series can be put into operation quickly and easily and enable reliable operation within confined spaces with optimum repeat accuracy due to their fully enclosed design. As a result, they can also help to reduce energy costs in the production industry and can be seamlessly integrated in energy-saving concepts designed by Mitsubishi Electric.

For further information please visit www.mitsubishi-automation.com

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