Hidden Costs of Laser Equipment

When many factories use laser equipment, they often ignore the "hidden electricity bill" of being in standby mode.By analyzing the hidden costs of standby power consumption, and combining this analysis with energy-saving techniques used in factories, the company helps managers accurately control standby costs, avoid energy waste, and improve overall operational efficiency.

Why is standby consumption so easily overlooked?

Many factory owners think, "When the equipment isn't being used, it must be drawing very little power, right?" But the actual situation may surprise you. Laser equipment, although the screen displays "sleep" mode, the cooling system and control modules are still running. Some models even consume 30 % of the power they use while in normal operation.Like an air conditioner left on standby, it looks like it's not doing anything, but the electricity meter is spinning away.

Do you think that turning off the computer saves electricity?

Some employees are used to just pressing the "power off" button, but in some laser printers the power design has a flaw--even after pressing "power off" some circuits remain energized.Last month, a metal processing plant discovered that 10 of its laser cutting machines were wasting nearly 2,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month, which cost the company over NT $ 1,000 in electricity bills.

The cost of waiting.

Take, for example, a common 3000-watt laser.

- Uses 3 kilowatt-hours of electricity per hour of operation.

- Standby: about 0.8 ° C per hour.

If you leave your computer on standby for 10 hours a day, you'll use an extra 240 kilowatt hours a month.If the industrial electricity rate is NT $ 1 per kilowatt-hour, then each unit would cost an extra NT $ 3,000 per year.If 20 machines are needed, the boss will start to feel the pinch.

Three tips to catch the "electricity bill assassin.

1. Check the nameplate for the standby power rating.

2. Actual measurement: Measure the actual standby current with a clamp-on ammeter.

3. Check the indicator light: If there's a red light still glowing after you've turned off the power, there's an 80 % chance you're being robbed of electricity.

Recommendation for practical energy-saving measures.

A smart switch for equipment.

Install a timer to cut off power at non-working hours.One auto parts factory discovered that this one change reduced the electricity bill for the whole workshop by 5 %.

Establish a ledger for equipment use.

Operators are required to record the time they turn the machines on and off, and a system of rewards and punishments is put in place.After the system was installed at a metal processing plant in Foshan, the workers developed the good habit of turning off the power when they were finished using a piece of equipment, and the company saved NT $ 40,000 in electricity charges in six months.

Regularly clean the cooling system.

A dirty filter reduces the efficiency of heat dissipation. To maintain the required temperature, the fan has to run longer.It is suggested that the cooling system be cleaned every quarter. This not only saves electricity, it also extends the life of the equipment.

These misconceptions need to be avoided.

Mistake: Frequent on / off cycles consume more electricity.

Truth: Although laser equipment draws a lot of electricity when it is switched on, it is actually cheaper to keep it on for less than an hour than to turn it off and then turn it on again.

Wrong: New equipment is definitely more energy-efficient.

Reality: Some new models, in pursuit of faster response times, actually increase the power consumption in standby mode.

Mistake: In winter you don't have to worry about heat dissipation.

Fact: In temperatures below 10 ° C, the equipment may automatically heat the lubricating oil, which in turn increases electricity consumption.

After reading all of this, perhaps you should visit your workshop and see if there aren't 10 or 20 machines quietly eating into your profits.