WHY
– Refurbishment of air-conditioning for warm/cold rolling mills
HOW
– Implementation of a free cooling air conditioning solution
WHAT
– Energy efficient Vindur® Compact air-conditioning units including duct network
WHY | The challenge
Constellium, a world leader in the development, production and recycling of aluminium products and solutions, had to replace the air conditioning system in its hot/cold rolling mill. The existing system was no longer economically viable due to its age, lack of spare parts availability and high maintenance requirements. The conversion had to be carried out in a confined space and during ongoing production. As a result, it was necessary to decouple the exhaust air fans.
HOW | The idea
As part of the refurbishment, Constellium aimed to significantly increase energy efficiency. In order to achieve this, the implementation of the Free Cooling air conditioning system from Weiss Air Solutions was proposed. Free cooling uses outside air to cool the building when the outside temperature is low enough, without the need for chillers.
WHAT | The solution
The solution was to significantly reduce energy consumption by cooling the entire building with outside air. Appropriate air conditioning units were installed, the ductwork was laid and the new equipment was connected to the running production line without disrupting operations.
The Vindur® Compact 120.3 DXU air conditioning units used can cool using outside air for three-quarters of the year. As a result, their energy savings will be equivalent to the energy consumption of more than 100 households per year.
The implementation of the free cooling system not only resulted in significant energy savings, but also increased cost efficiency and helped to pay for the investment within a short time. The quick implementation allowed Constellium to continue production seamlessly while achieving significant environmental benefits.
The advantages at a glance:
- Significant reduction in energy consumption
- Significant increase in cost efficiency
- Fast payback period of just a few years
- Efficient and quick implementation of the conversion with no significant impact on production