09.09.22
Aluminium is an extraordinary material. With sustainability now taking centre stage, manufacturers across many sectors find the fact that it’s 100% recyclable very attractive – especially as recycled aluminium uses 95% less energy to produce than primary aluminium, reducing the environmental impact even more.
As one of the UK’s leading aluminium recyclers, we’ve long been aware that variabilities in the remelting process, together with relying on the operator’s skill and experience, can lead to longer cycle times, reduced energy efficiency and increased aluminium losses.
The project – a first for this industry – has created a blueprint to benefit the wider aluminium recycling sector, while Air Products are also using it as a model to improve the efficiency and carbon footprint of other major industries, such as the food sector. So in 2020, we began working with world-leading gas suppliers Air Products, to see how we could use smart technology – such as equipment sensors and analytics – to boost productivity, improve yield and, ultimately, reduce carbon emissions.
The study took 10 months in total, working around the disruption of the pandemic, and the findings have now been collated. It’s been an excellent example of collaboration between industry and specialist third parties, and brought together advanced data collection with Industry 4.0 technology to create significant results.
“We were really pleased. It not only improved our yield, but also reduced carbon emissions by 15 per cent and achieved the same amount in energy savings.”
Mike Dines, Director of Tandom
For the full details and results of this ground-breaking study.
