Union Papertech gets six figure saving from mobile drive spare 10 September 2010

Paper manufacturer Union Papertech is reporting £120,000 in cost savings, following the design and installation of a mobile, configurable variable speed drive spare for emergency maintenance.

The Lancashire-based plant operates several manufacturing processes powered by electric motors, ranging from 110kW to 250kW and controlled by variable speed drives.

Union's Steve Sherlock explains that holding spares stock to cover the complete motor and drive range was prohibitively expensive, but that, in the event of a breakdown, not having the right products in stock could lead to costly downtime.

He called in technical specialists from Brammer, who suggested investing in a mobile solution that could be quickly configured to control any of Union Papertech's applications.

Their solution was put to the test almost immediately, says Sherlock, when a variable speed drive failed. The new mobile drive was successfully configured and helped to keep the plant running until a replacement could be delivered, he says.

"This investment has been an instant success. It has effectively paid for itself five times over in the space of a few weeks," comments Sherlock.

"We could have potentially suffered significantly from breakdowns, if any of the existing inverters were to fail. If just one failed, the whole process would come to a halt. This solution has allowed us to maintain optimum output while any spares can be ordered in as and when we need them," he adds.

Brian Wall

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Brammer UK

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