SMC Corporation Australia New Zealand (ANZ) describes itself as pioneers in energy-efficient solutions for the food and beverage sectors.
According to the latest statistics from Statista, Australia’s food industry has surged to a substantial US$92 billion, with an anticipated 4.59% growth rate over the next four years. The largest part of the market segment is attributed to meat processing which currently equates to around $18.5 billion.
Beverage processing, on the other hand, sits around $4.17 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3.09%.
The food sector is also at the centre of New Zealand’s economy, accounting for 62.8% of the $67.3 billion of exported goods, according to the Ministry of Primary Industries.
When looking at these numbers, it becomes evident that energy savings would play a vital role in the sustainability of the industry and the bottom-line of the companies involved.
“Significant savings can be realised at the very core of the supply chain – the manufacturing system.
In this realm, not all automation suppliers are created equal, and SMC stands out as the world leader with a market share of over 38% and leveraging 65 years of expertise, to meet and anticipate the evolving needs of its customers,” says SMC.
Incorporating energy-efficient solutions into the factory can yield big benefits.
Two of SMC’s products for energy savings on the factory floor are highlighted as star performers. By incorporating smart, energy savings solutions into the factory, big benefits can be achieved.
VBA air booster regulator
The latest air booster regulator, VBA-X3145 model has the capability to reduce air consumption by as much as 40% whilst increasing main line pressure by up to 1.7 time.
Designed for easy installation (horizontal and vertical), the VBA requires low maintenance, with a service life of 50 million or more cycles.
In addition, SMC offers a comprehensive range of automatic control equipment. These include chillers, pneumatic cylinders, dryers, ionizers, electric actuators, fieldbus system and more.”
“The VBA series saves money and reduces energy consumption, while ensuring any equipment downstream of the unit is protected against pressure fluctuations. It also boosts local line pressure without requiring additional power, and the desired output pressure can be adjusted easily, giving the user more control,” says SMC.
Air management system (AMS)
The recently released, new-generation compressed air management system has been catching the market’s attention. The AMS series reduces CO2 emissions and energy consumption by up to 62%.
Research shows that many plants are still privy to air leakage rates of between 20 to 50%. Energy wastage at manufacturing and process plants is largely attributable to factors such as poor control of air consumption, undetected leaks and processes which are not optimised for standby and shutdown times.
Three key benefits of the AMS are Visualisation, CO2 emission reduction and scalability.
“The AMS series is also compatible with OPC UA, ProfiNet, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT. In addition, SMC offers a comprehensive range of automatic control equipment. These include chillers, pneumatic cylinders, dryers, ionizers, electric actuators, fieldbus system and more.”
