Active Power, Inc (ACPW), a leading manufacturer of energy efficient critical power systems, announced that the company has begun construction of their CleanSource system at a new corporate facility in Oklahoma. This facility, run by Alcan Packaging, recognized the need for increased productivity and less downtime. By implementing the CleanSource system, the facility will be protected from power disturbances and loss of production during downtime.
The CleanSource system operates at 98% efficiency, reducing power losses and delivering savings to Alcan’s bottom line. Since CleanSource was first implemented, this system has saved customers more than $40 million in energy costs. The company has also shipped more than 1,700 flywheels for these systems, generating 37 million hours of runtime.
Frank Genay, project engineer of Alcan Packaging, stated, “We produce approximately one million plastic bags a week using extremely sensitive manufacturing equipment. Power sags, fluctuations and outages can wreak havoc on our extrusion lines bringing them to a halt. In 2006, the facility experienced approximately 30 micro outages, lasting only a few seconds; however, a majority of these caused our extrusion lines to go completely offline. Within the first 30 days of deploying CleanSource, the system recorded approximately 36 events, but with no interruption to the lines. We haven’t needed to replace any of our variable frequency drives. The system is a virtual workhorse taking hit after hit while providing seamless and continuous power.”
Gary Rackow, Vice President of sales for Active Power, stated, “Active Power’s system is extremely power dense, consuming less than half the space of a conventional battery-based UPS system. Because the CleanSource system is so compact, Alcan is able to dedicate more space to revenue-generating manufacturing equipment. This benefit along with the system’s high efficiency rating and economically green aspect make it an attractive option for critical manufacturing processes where downtime is not an option.”
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