Delivering Energy Efficiency with Commercial Vehicles

In 2017, the vehicle plant achieved World Class Manufacturing Gold Level for its integrated management of production systems and processes. These have helped to drive a drop of 53% in CO2 emissions for every single vehicle produced, alongside an increase in recycling rates at the plant, which now stand at up to 99% of all waste materials the facility generates.

However IVECO are not content to cruise along in fourth gear. In the latest move towards accelerating their energy efficiency during the production process, the company has introduced a Festo energy efficiency solution for compressed air. 

A mixture of benefits

The IVECO plant includes a mixing chamber where automotive coatings are mixed before being sprayed onto the vehicles. There are both manual and robot paint booths at the plant, and both are supplied with coatings from the same mixing chamber. 

It’s in the chamber that compressed air is used in the mixing process.

Before the Festo solution was introduced, the compressed air supply had a number of deficiencies. One was a constant pressure build-up whether the system was operating or not, which was highly inefficient in terms of energy use, and the other was maintenance. Leakages were costly both in terms of lost production and because they necessitated having a team of engineers permanently dedicated to maintenance. 

Now the customised solution resolves those issues for IVECO. Closely based on the standard Festo MS9 series service units, the module functions in the same way as the energy efficiency module MSE6-E2M, but with higher flow rates to suit the application.

Automatically intelligent

As Plant Maintenance Manager Miguel Ángel Daganzo explains: “The module automatically controls and regulates the compressed air supply. We save energy because the intelligent device permanently monitors the amount of air consumed, and automatically shuts off the air supply when the system is in stand-by mode.”

That’s not the only benefit.

“As soon as the system detects a drop in pressure,” says Miguel, “it sends a notification.” This enables engineers to react quickly to a leak as soon as they’re required, without having to wait around until they are. 

Industry 4.0-ready

For IVECO, as for many other manufacturers, the future of energy- and cost-efficient production lies in adopting Industry 4.0 strategies and techniques, based on gathering, analysing and utilising as much production data as possible. 

Miguel considers the Festo energy efficiency module to be “condition monitoring with a view to Industry 4.0”, since it enables continuous monitoring of relevant process data. Access to this data, not previously available, has helped to produce a noticeable increase in the energy efficiency of the plant’s pneumatic components.

The data collected by the module can be delivered to smartphone or tablet for quick and easy access, which enables similarly quick and easy identification of any faults. This shortens engineers’ response times, reduces downtime, maximises uptime and optimises efficiency and productivity.

Safer savings

Control of the energy efficiency module is managed in the plant itself, using a CPX terminal with a touchscreen. 

The compact size of the module has allowed it to be installed in an ATEX cabinet – as is the terminal. The mixing chamber has a potentially explosive atmosphere, so this double safety precaution is important in complying with the EU ATEX directive.

The plant is already realising sustainable energy savings from the module. Now, with the Madrid plant representing IVECO’s benchmark for energy efficiency, the company is considering introducing the Festo solution in other facilities. 

All vehicle manufacturers are, quite rightly, striving to reduce the on-the-road emissions of their products. But with Festo’s help, IVECO have gone further. By ensuring their vehicles have a reduced environmental impact and create energy savings and efficiencies even before they leave the production line, they have moved energy efficiency in automotive production into the fast lane.