C.B.C. Group wins award for energy efficiency

On 23 June, C.B.C. Group of Fiorano (MO) won first place in the Energy Saving Award 2015, the annual event organised by Omron to reward the most interesting energy management application in Italy using its technology.

The Japanese multinational takes four factors into account in selecting the winner: overall improvement in efficiency, energy saving percentage, cost savings and payback period.

C.B.C. Group, specialists in the production of raw materials and bodies for the ceramic industry, was granted the award for an energy saving project that involved the total revamping (automation, field buses and drives) of raw materials dry milling plants for the production of fast double fired and porcelain tiles.

By coupling inverters and a PLC with the electric motors present in the factories, it was possible to improve the flexibility of the plants in terms of speed control, load management and lower electrical and mechanical stress, as well as allowing for a significant reduction in energy consumption.

At the event the project was presented by C.B.C. and REM Automazioni, the company specialising in ceramic sector automation which installed Omron technology in two raw material milling and treatment plants.

Tests have shown that the first plant achieved annual savings of 745,000 kWh, equivalent to 89,400 euros for an investment of 27,000 euros, while for the second plant the saving was 835,000 kWh, equivalent to around 100,000 euros for an investment of 37,000 euros. The payback time for the revamping project investment was around three months.