Sustainability and climate protection are no longer future issues for responsible industrial companies: sustainable, competitive and efficient production strategies must not be planned and implemented at some point in the future, but should at best be actively in use today. In line with this premise, MackSmaTec has been working intensively for years on the development of innovative machine and production adaptations that effectively reduce the CO2 footprint of our company and the users of our solutions.
Initiative for more sustainability - The first step starts with ourselves
As an industrial company, MackSmaTec is aware of its ecological and social responsibility. That is why our efforts to improve sustainability have always focused on more than just developing sustainable solutions for users. We have also always focused on our own company. Because we are certain that anyone who wants to establish new standards and bring about change must first take the initiative themselves. With this conviction, MackSmaTec took the first step towards the energy transition back in 1999 and installed its own wind turbine. To date, this covers around 45% of the family company's total electricity requirements.
In addition, photovoltaic systems were installed on the roofs of our production and assembly halls years ago. These cover 35 - 40 % of our electricity requirements. As a result, we only have to buy in a small proportion of our electricity requirements. We feed any surplus electricity that we produce using renewable energies but cannot use ourselves into the public grid. This is another way in which we make a valuable contribution to the energy transition.
As part of our ongoing expansion, we plan all expansions with a view to sustainability. In 2008, for example, we built an office building with 2,500 square meters of office space as a passive house. Photovoltaic systems have been installed on the roof and heating energy is generated using a modern heat pump. When the canteen was converted in 2017, the focus was not only on comfort and physical well-being: the cold store was coupled with a heat recovery system. This allows energy to be used twice - for effectively chilled food and hot water in the canteen.
The extension for our assembly hall 3, which was completed in 2019, is heated by a heat pump, just like our office building. This was supplemented by the installation of efficient underfloor heating. To further reduce energy costs, we also replaced all fluorescent tubes in our production and assembly halls with energy-efficient LED lights in 2015/2016. Although we had already opted for daylight-dependent control in advance, the change of light source enabled us to make additional energy savings. In addition, the light yield and ergonomic working conditions improved significantly.
By generating its own electricity and heat, MackSmaTec saves an average of 300 tons of CO2 every year. We pass these savings on to our customers. After all, they indirectly contribute to reducing the CO2 footprint of the machines and production systems we develop.
Energy efficiency requires a rethink - solutions and projects that we have already implemented
Energy efficiency is a topic that we at MackSmaTec not only want to address in-house, but also pass on to our customers and partners. That is why we are not only striving to reduce our own CO2 footprint, but also to support our customers in this challenge. We have already developed a wide range of strategies and implemented effective solutions in recent years. These include, among others:
Air conditioning units for efficient enclosure cooling
Temperature switches for controlling the ventilation of enclosures and devices
Recuperation (recovery of electrical energy from kinetic energy)
Power consumption recording of machines, machine sections and devices>
LED technology for lighting and signaling devices
Many of these measures are designed to save energy directly. Recording electricity consumption, on the other hand, helps to identify further potential savings and thus forms the basis for future developments.
In addition to the solutions described above, we also develop comprehensive energy management concepts at the customer's request. These are tailored to individual requirements and thus make it possible to exploit enormous savings potential in some cases. For example, the following ideas were implemented in a current project:
Use of intelligent gripper systems - replaces energy-intensive compressed air/vacuum technology
Energy recovery systems in tempering processes - for the best possible utilization of the energy used
Comprehensive evaluation of consumption data and energy monitoring - reveals existing savings potential
Innovating towards a green future - strategic ideas for greater sustainability
The transition to a sustainable industry does not happen overnight. However, with the help of machine and production adjustments, we have already found easy-to-implement and measurable solutions for many of our customers to improve their carbon footprint. In the long term, however, the results achieved so far will not be enough. That is why we are already working on new ideas that can further reduce CO2 consumption in production in the long term. Our experts are currently working hard on innovative solutions in the following areas:
energy-efficient machine architecture
consumption-optimized compressed air systems
Demand-oriented drive technology
economical and demand-oriented lighting concepts
energy-saving control cabinet architecture
Demand-dependent shutdown of machine parts
systems for fault/failure prevention
Interfaces for EnMS energy management
Conclusion: Sustainability and CO2 reduction must be implemented at all levels
When it comes to sustainability and CO2 reduction, no one can shirk their responsibility. This applies to private individuals just as much as it does to us as manufacturers of machines and production systems and their users. This makes it all the more important that we take a close look at the entire production and supply chain and constantly question it in terms of resource conservation, CO2 reduction and energy efficiency. At MackSmaTec, we focus on our internal actions as well as on the machinery and production systems that we design for our customers. After all, positive changes can only be achieved if we make optimum use of existing potential at all levels.
