Despite increasing production significantly, with two record months already this year, the UK’s leading graphic overlay and membrane keypad manufacturer, Fascia Graphics has reduced its carbon footprint two year’s running.
Fascia has achieved this through the use of new technology and by bringing in a specialist in energy saving strategies. Firstly they invested £1m in two Sakurai MS80-SD servo-driven cylinder presses, becoming the only manufacturer in the industry to use these machines. The Sakurai’s are designed with bespoke heat exchange units which remove the heat from the waste air and use this to heat up the fresh air being pumped in. This drastically reduces the amount of energy the dryer uses as the fresh air coming in has been heated by recycling the heat from the waste air.
Fascia are also now working with SMARTech energy, specialists in helping businesses to develop cost effective strategies to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. Following a SMARTech energy management survey, it was identified that Fascia could save over a third of its energy costs by introducing four different SMART energy optimising technologies – installing LED lighting throughout its factory, optimising the main incoming power supply voltage, motors and air conditioning.
The ECO-MAX Voltage Optimiser will not only carefully reduce supply voltage, which results in immediate quantifiable energy savings – the reduced voltage is also kinder to electrical equipment onsite, reducing stresses caused by excessive heat and vibration – making equipment last longer. The Optimised LED lighting solution includes zoned controlled sensors, and by switching to LED lighting and implementing Voltage Optimisation the power quality across the site is improved as well a reduction in ampage.
Ernie Griffin, co-founder and financial director of Fascia Graphics said: “Our £1m plus investment in the latest technology over the last two year’s was the first step in reducing our carbon footprint. The SMARTech energy management survey was a real eye opener for us, and the energy savings solutions proposed are going to make a huge difference to both our environmental credentials and ongoing business costs.”
The installation of the two Sakurai’s along with implementing the SMARTech recommendations has been so successful that Fascia were invited by FESPA UK (the industry’s leading trade association) to present at the ‘Screen Printing Now’ conference in London to speak about their pioneering technology, and its energy saving benefits.
Stuart Pearce, managing director from SMARTech energy said: “Working with Fascia Graphics is an absolute pleasure. They have a refreshing approach in their focus to continually improve the efficiency of their working environment. As a forward thinking organisation we are delighted to be supporting them.”
Fascia presently serves in excess of 800 customers both domestically and globally and is continually looking to improve their efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint wherever they can.
