Many companies are changing their operations to reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact. We made this commitment a high priority in 2018 when we set our own targets.
Reducing Our Energy Usage
In 2018, we launched a mission to significantly reduce our energy usage and reduce our carbon footprint. Director Richard Andrews set an ambitious target to cut energy use by half by 2023. Thanks to recent investments and machine upgrades, we reached these targets. More importantly, we have made changes and improvements that enhance energy savings and improve part quality and performance.
“Our goal was to reduce annual power consumption by 50% against 2018 usage of 1.98 gwh, by 2023. In order to achieve this, we have installed several power meters which are providing an insight into genuine/wasted usage and results of changes.” Richard Andrews, Director, 2020.
The power meters give us insight into where our energy is being used. This in turn helps to indicate where it can be reduced. We checked these results earlier this year and realised our target had been met and energy consumption was continuing to reduce.
Investments in Fiber Laser Technology
We achieved most of our energy savings by investing in fiber lasers. These replaced our older CO₂ machines. The new Bystronic Bystar 10kW and 12kW laser machines, installed in 2019 and 2022, use significantly less power than the outdated CO₂ models. These machines, along with our existing 3kW fiber laser, can deliver energy savings which make a big impact.
Fiber technology allows for faster and more precise cuts, making these machines much more efficient, reducing the overall carbon footprint of each job. Recently, we decommissioned our last remaining CO₂ laser, which had been in service for over 17 years. This machine, our first Bystronic laser with a 4m x 2m bed, had become outdated and uneconomical to operate, leading us to retire it. It was replaced by a Bodor 12kW laser. This is a different brand to our existing laser machines but we are looking forward to seeing if it can improve our service overall.
Read more about our new investment here.
“Fiber technology has become faster and more efficient using less power for even more powerful machines. The older machines become expensive and time consuming to repair and there have been upgrades to the software and technology.” Tony Dale, Shift leader.
Upgrading Nitrogen Production
We have been producing our own nitrogen since March 2010. In 2018, we expanded our nitrogen generator to support our new fiber lasers, and we upgraded it again in 2024 as the previous technology had become outdated. The new generator is more energy-efficient, consuming less power and providing greater control over nitrogen production, boosters, and storage.
Improved Automation and Tower Storage
In 2019, we installed our tower warehouse and machine automation, which we extended in 2023. The tower stores materials and cut parts and automatically loads the 10kW laser. This setup has significantly optimized material stock management, reduced forklift traffic, enhanced workplace safety, and greatly minimized the downtime of the 10kW laser.
Additional Energy-Saving Measures to Reduce Our Energy Usage
Smaller changes also contribute significantly to our overall energy reduction. These include installing LED lighting and PIR sensors, reducing paperwork, implementing efficient recycling practices, and transitioning to an electric fleet of vehicles. All helping in reducing our carbon footprint.
A Greener Future for Midtherm Laser
After achieving significant energy savings we are now exploring other renewable energy options. After already cutting our consumption by 1,000,000 kWh per year, we plan to further reduce our carbon footprint. We plan to install solar panels that can generate up to 200,000 kWh annually to produce all energy in house. However, we know that the greatest impact comes from reducing our energy usage first. These targets, along with the nitrogen generator, would see the machines here being powered entirely (or a high percentage) ourselves.
“We are proud of our accomplishments in energy reduction and excited for the next phase of our sustainability journey.” Richard Andrews, Director.
