Toolmaker Siegfried Hofmann GmbH also provides impulses in hall air conditioning
“Hofman - Ihr Impulsgeber” is an innovative German company in the toolmaking and mechanical engineering sector and is on course for success. The production hall, which was newly built a few years ago, was a hotbed of activity - with each new machine, the exposure to high temperatures and aerosols in the air increased. The management and the experts from Kappa kept a cool head. Thanks to an overall solution for the separation of waste heat and emissions and the intelligent use of thermal energy, the employees enjoy pleasant temperatures and clean air all year round.
New hall and massive heat development
The German mechanical engineering and toolmaking company “Hofman - Ihr Impulsgeber” built a new production hall a few years ago. The machining centers were installed one by one. The oil and emulsion emissions were initially tackled with top-mounted filters on the machines. After a short time, however, the decision was made to opt for a holistic solution: in order to achieve optimum flexibility, the temperature, air supply and emission removal were to be controlled independently of the machines used in the hall.
A holistic solution
The system solution required by Kappa was to ensure pleasant temperatures all year round and efficient separation of emissions.
The emissions (oil mist and emulsion mist) from the machining centers are already highly filtered at the Kappa AirdryTM high performance separator, without polluting the hall air. The waste heat in the hall and the diffuse residual emissions are captured and discharged at the top of the hall via adjustable Kappa COCTM extraction plates. The fugitive emissions and the exhaust air are cleaned by high-performance separators in the Kappa MTATM exhaust air purification- and treatment center. Due to the high separation capacity, the entrained waste heat can be recovered with a very high degree of efficiency.
The fresh air for the hall is cooled in summer and heated in winter with the recovered waste heat. The fresh air, which is kept at a pleasant temperature all year round, is introduced into the hall over a large area. This is ensured by Kappa DiffusorsTM, which are positioned on the hall floor. They ensure that the fresh air diffuses across the floor. This has several advantages: the fresh air is distributed throughout the entire hall without any annoying draughts and it does not mix with the contaminated hall air. The air flows around all obstacles, the employees are constantly supplied with fresh air and a stable lake of fresh air is created at the workstations after a short time, which actively displaces waste heat and released fugitive emissions upwards to the hall ceiling.
Intelligent automation increases function and efficiency
Hofmann is considered a pioneer in the industry when it comes to automation. The machining centers are networked with each other, production is highly flexible and can run fully automatically or be loaded manually, depending on requirements.
The air technology solution from Kappa optimally supports Hofmann's automation. Hundreds of sensors determine all operating statuses and send the statuses to the higher-level automation solution Kappa Zeromatic®. It combines all components in a central unit, controls, regulates, monitors and optimizes - this means that not only the individual function of all components can be taken into account, but also the overall function, taking into account all mutual interactions.
Complete and convenient access to the entire system and all individual components and parts is therefore possible at the central control station. The system is operated and monitored via a high-quality industrial panel. Sequences, processes and alarms in the event of faults are controlled via the central industrial control panel: the Kappa Zeromatic® is therefore the key component of Kappa system automation. It ensures the integration of all ventilation systems and components in one unit - exhaust air technology, ventilation, heating, cooling, heat recovery as well as further energy efficiency, comfort and safety. The Kappa Zeromatic® is networked with several Hofmann operating stations based on a client-server architecture.
What does the customer say?
Automation and integrated production is a feature of the factory of the future. With the solution from Kappa, we are also relying on an intelligent and future-proof solution for exhaust air, energy and room ventilation technology. The high degree of automation of the system ensures optimum function and significantly increases comfort." Stefan Hofmann, Managing Director
The Kappa solution brings
- constant temperature throughout the hall, all year round
- the air temperature in the hall is automatically regulated based on the defined setpoints, which maximizes energy efficiency
- fresh and clean air at all workstations
- active displacement of emissions from the work area
- removal of emissions from the hall - no concentration of emissions
- o overheating due to removal of waste heat from the hall
- low heating costs thanks to recovery of existing waste heat
- FreeCooling with fresh evening and night air
- maintenance mode ensures optimum temperature conditions and minimizes air flow and fresh air share during non-production times
