Manufacturing

After installing a permanent magnetic stirrer in their gas-fired furnace, the aluminium extrusion and fabrication manufacturer, MCK Metals is saving 6.8 per cent in gas energy consumption.

The permanent magnetic stirrer not only reduces the melting time required, it also increases the amount of aluminium melted per hour.

In addition to the energy savings, the stirrer delivers other benefits: its maintenance free, easy to operate, and has a large circulation capacity. It also reduces wastage and improves product quality.

St Helena Winery has installed a chilled water plant complete with two heat exchangers. The new equipment is making efficiency gains by reusing the waste energy generated by the refrigeration system, and it also provides improved temperature control during the fermentation process.

This project supports St Helena's desire to align their business with sustainable practises.

Christchurch specialty meats producer Verkerks is paying for a lot less energy after taking a fresh look at how it generates heat and processes waste.

By converting the boiler to burn tallow, a meat processing byproduct, Verkerks will likely cut their energy costs by $150,000 a year.

The boiler at the company's processing plant produces steam for heating the smoke houses and fermenting rooms, and water heating.

Until recently the boiler operated only on diesel, consuming around 7,000 litres - and thousands of dollars - every week.