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Description
Intercompact manufactures metal parts and carries out metal engineering services for automotive manufacturers and other industrial companies. We specialize in metal laser machining, welding and light steel construction. Our project objective is to increase the efficiency of the thin plate cutting process and create new machining capacities by introducing an improved process of cutting metal sheets up to 10 mm thick, which will be carried out using the latest generation fibre laser cutting machine. Also, the plant operation costs will be reduced by the use of renewable energy sources, i.e. photovoltaic installation with a capacity of 192 kW. These measures address the problems identified at our plant, i.e. excessively long lead times for orders concerning thin metal sheets (87% of all orders), and the accumulation of production backlogs due to outdated machinery and high electricity costs.
Under the project Intercompact will purchase a 6 kW fibre laser cutting machine to replace the worn-out, energy-consuming machine, and have a photovoltaic system installed on the premises. We will also collaborate with a research unit to optimize the sheet cutting process by maximizing the use of power from PV installations. The electricity generated will be measured in varied seasons and weather conditions, which will allow us to organize the production process so as to correlate the maximum energy demand with the peak availability of power from the PV panels (midday, summer, cloudless weather), and to plan the operation with a lower load for periods of limited plant capacity (night, morning and evening hours, winter, cloudy weather).
The environmental impact of our project translates into a reduction of CO2 emissions by 226.01 tons per year, and a reduction of annual electricity consumption by 0.11 GWh. The energy efficiency of the Intercompact plant will increase by 35.58%.
Summary of project results
The implementation is available from the analysis of the needs and technical problems of Intercompact in Łebcz, which constitute a barrier to the company''s development, as well as the needs and problems related to the project stakeholders.
Identified problems mainly:
1) high electricity fees;
2) extension of the implementation time of the action for services and structures made of sheet metal up to 10 mm thick in the Beneficiary''s company in transferring a low-efficiency place for cutting sheet metal to Mazak NTX 1.3 kW devices - low functional devices that result from exceeding the deadlines for which the companies operate for contractual penalties, accumulation of generators, overtime, lack of power supplies, distribution of work on the existing laser generators and suboptimal use of devices in terms of power;
3) dependence of the operation of the Intercompact installation on the electricity supplier and increases in energy prices. The problem of interruptions in energy supplies exposing the company to downtime that causes material losses as a result of temporary exposure that affects production and service activities.
As a result of the project implementation, the competitiveness of Intercompact Sp. increased. z o. o. by implementing innovative and energy-saving technological solutions and increasing the use of renewable energy sources in the company.
The project included:
1) implementation of a significantly improved process for cutting sheet metal up to 10 mm thick, which will be performed using the latest generation of a 6kW fiber laser cutting machine - an innovative process on a national scale
2) increasing the cost efficiency of operations through the use of renewable energy sources - thanks to the construction of a photovoltaic installation to produce electricity to power the Intercompact plant in Łebcz.
As a result of the investment, the business activity of Intercompact increased by increasing sales revenues and profits with a simultaneous increase in employment. The implemented new technological solutions contribute to improving the energy efficiency of the sheet metal cutting process and reducing air pollution emissions resulting from reduced demand for electricity. Moreover, the use of renewable energy sources contributes to increasing the company''s cost efficiency, which translates into the development and increase of the company''s competitiveness on the market.