Ceepackaging

Technology

Energy costs forcing rethinking of printing processes

Heat is energy
High temperatures are necessary for many industrial processes. The heat generated by cooling the products, and also the heat and gases in the ambient air, can be recovered. For this to be effective the heat has to be removed where the temperature is the highest. The heat recovered from running processes can be directly utilized somewhere else. Especially with the operation of press peripheral systems, the majority of the energy used for production is available for reuse. Here there are potential recoverable energy sources that are generated during production and if not tapped the energy escapes unused into the environment. This gives printing companies the possibility to reuse expended energy.

Heat and water: dream team for environment-compatible heat recovery
Need-oriented equipment such as dampening solution cooling units, drying systems and motor cooling systems help to ensure stable, high-quality production. At the same time, a pressroom climate with constant air temperature and relative humidity is essential. With air-cooled systems the exhaust heat warms up the pressroom which has a negative effect on the microclimate. Water-cooled systems are more suitable for heat recovery purposes: compared to air, water has a high specific heat capacity, it stores large amounts and has a higher density.

Besides that, water-cooled systems avoid air turbulence, which raises dust and powder and is detrimental to employees’ well-being. Another advantage is the much lower operating costs compared to air-cooled units since permanent air exchange is not necessary. The power costs for fans and the costs for air humidifiers are avoided, and there is no heating up of the outside air in winter. As a result quality is constantly high, energy costs lower, and there is less harm to the environment.