A global automotive major had recently collaborated with Thermax for energy-efficient cooling and heating solution for its painting booth. As part of the automobile company’s efforts towards energy optimisation, Thermax has commissioned two cooling and heating solutions at its plant in Karnataka.
Targeting paint booths to reduce energy
Paint booth is a significant component of automobile manufacturing. In order to deliver smoother finish and better user comfort, industries invest in efficient means of heating and cooling solutions for paint booths. The automobile plant in Karnataka was utilising steam from a propane-driven boiler to generate hot water, which in turn was used in the heating application for paint booth.
In view of the rising energy prices, the company aimed to reduce the energy (fuel and electricity) consumption in the paint booth. Hence, the company approached an operational excellence and energy conservation consultant to replace the existing electric solution with an alternative heating solution that could also relieve the boiler’s load.
Partnering with Thermax for a comprehensive solution
Thermax being an absorption technology leader and its history of delivering guaranteed results across industries led the energy conservation consultant to partner with Thermax for the heating solution. Upon detailed analysis of the available utilities and requirements, it was found that the plant in addition to the hot water, required chilled water, but without a cooling tower. Hence, experts from Thermax positioned Heat pump chiller as the perfect fit for the plant.
Meeting two demands with one solution
Two direct fired absorption heat pump chillers were commissioned at the automobile plant. The machines of capacity 560KW/36TR and 1050kW/69TR run on propane and deliver hot water at 90°C and chilled water at 7°C. The machines cater to processes such as paint shop primary heating and secondary cooling simultaneously while also offering comfort cooling in AHU (Air Handling Unit).
By doubling up as heating and cooling solutions, the heat pump chillers offer numerous energy and economic benefits to the automobile company
Grid Independence
Minimised electricity consumption
Decrease in operational expenditure
Reduced load for steam boiler
20% fuel savings
Much more than energy optimisation
Enhanced reliability
Low maintenance
Reduced CO2 footprint
Making paint booths more energy-efficient
The transition to absorption technology for cooling and heating presents various advantages for the automobile industry. As automobile industries move towards non-electric systems of manufacturing, Thermax’s heat pump chiller is a promising and comprehensive solution for paint booths. Also, by reducing load on the plant’s utilities and offering flexibility, absorption solutions are set to be the future of heating and cooling in paint booths.
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