27/09/2016
The new certification is an international stamp of approval for the energy consumption efficiency of the Sidel equipment. It provides objective validation of the blower's performance by an independent organisation and demonstrates that the Sidel Matrix blower complies with very high standards, is safe and sustainable - and has minimal impact on the environment.
An energy standard gaining worldwide recognition
Efficiency of equipment and the reduction of any environmental impact is fundamental to Sidel's technical innovations and the company's commitment to sustainable practices. Within any PET bottling line, it is the blowing machine that uses the most energy. This is why Sidel applied for the certification for the first time on its latest generation of Sidel Matrix blowers. "We wanted to demonstrate how the energy consumption performance of our Sidel Matrix blowers is optimised, based on objective validation from a third party body," said Mathieu Druon, Sidel Product Manager. "We considered the TÜV SÜD energy efficiency certificate because it is becoming more widely known and consequently more popular with beverage producers all over the world," explained Druon. "At first, it was mainly recognised in Germany and subsequently in Austria and Eastern Europe. However, the reputation of TÜV SÜD's standard for machines and plants has spread quickly and is now well known throughout all of Europe and even beyond."
Sidel Matrix passes whole certification
process
The TÜV SÜD certification process is extensive. Experts initiate
with an audit, then assess the energy efficiency of the complete
machine, its design and all its components, inspecting all relevant
documentation and engineering procedures. They look at how
developments to improve energy efficiency of the equipment can be
demonstrated, also comparing the machine with the best available
technology in the market using benchmark data. Once the
requirements of the TÜV SÜD certification have been met, the
certificate is valid for three years, with an annual audit to
ensure continued compliance.
The TÜV SÜD team started by visiting Sidel's production site, speaking to the Sidel Sustainability Officer and Blowing experts alongside the machine being assessed. All were interviewed concerning their knowledge of and commitment towards saving energy and the equipment was examined to determine its efficiency. The given results of the blower's energy use proved precise and reproducible. Finally, further tests were performed on equipment in action on a production line. "Lastly we visited a Sidel customer in Germany to perform a technical analysis and carry out measurements on a working Sidel Matrix blower equipped with 10 blowing stations (SBO 10). We calculated airflow, electricity consumption and the water needed for the production process of the PET bottles. The results were competitive with the best within the industry," stated Druon.
The Sidel Matrix blower passed all four stages of the certification process. "The independent TÜV SÜD team appreciated that, as a company, we are paying close attention to energy consumption. This is particularly true of our last generation of blowers. We benefitted from our latest innovations, cutting electricity use by up to 45% with the Sidel Matrix Ecoven as it requires fewer heating modules and lamps. Additionally, we can reduce the blowing pressure with the improved pneumatic architecture combined with packaging developments, as recently demonstrated with the Sidel Rightweight™ bottle. Our thorough approach has resulted in optimum energy efficiency of the Sidel Matrix blowers range without compromising the process window to achieve top bottle quality. With its high oven efficiency, it lowers the environmental footprint and this, combined with the greatest uptime on the market, offers customers the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) possible".
Benefitting other blowing solutions in the Sidel range
The Sidel Matrix blower is the only piece of equipment for which Sidel applied for TÜV SÜD certification. Although this certification only applies to regular blowing machines, the recognition is of indirect benefit to other blowing solutions within the Sidel range (electrical Heat Resistant blower, Preferential Heating blower, blower equipped with Predis™ dry preform decontamination module), as they share most of the energy-saving technologies.