Monday 22 July 2013

Lifetime cost is more important than purchase cost


GAMBICA, the association for instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology, is set to present two seminars, on energy efficiency and electric motors respectively, at The Machine Building Show in Hall 3 of the NEC, Birmingham between September 25 and 26, 2013.  

Organised by trade show expert Trident Exhibitions, and backed by a wide range of industrial media organisations, this new event is co-located with a number of other industry leading trade exhibitions. GAMBICA is one of the supporting partners.

The first seminar has the title ‘Energy Efficiency – Investing in the machine to reduce the running cost’ and will address the benefit of investing in energy efficient systems to reduce energy costs.

It will focus on the difference between purchase price and lifetime cost for motor driven systems and show that the energy consumed costs significantly more than the capital purchase. The session will also discuss why this is an important factor for the end-user and how machine builders can provide this service, using their own expertise to add value.

“If you justify an investment purely on purchase cost, the “cheaper” option could turn out to be more expensive and the most energy efficient machine would be the most cost effective over its lifetime,” explains Steve Brambley, deputy director of GAMBICA and the speaker at both sessions.

“When buying a car like a BMW saloon, the purchase cost is more significant than the cost of fuel, whereas with an electric motor, the energy cost is far more significant than the purchase price. Nevertheless, car buyers do pay attention to fuel and economy.”

The second seminar has the title ‘Electric Motors – how control and automation is the key to energy saving’, building on the financial focus of the previous seminar.

This session will look in more detail at electric motors and the options for control and automation. It will demonstrate how the major gain in efficiency is at the system level rather than component level by looking at both theory and case studies.

It will explore the different forms of motor control, examining the advantages and typical uses of each. Finally, it will look at how best to make a decision on the appropriate form of control for the application, using tools to assist in the process.

“GAMBICA, and particularly its variable speed drives group, is constantly looking for ways to collaborate with communities that use automation technology. The Machine Building Show is a fantastic opportunity to meet with stakeholders who design, build and operate machines and understand their needs.


“The many benefits of automation can be discussed and new ways to bring value can be raised. As a speaker at the event, my goal is that participants will go away having learned something new that will be useful in their work,” concluded Brambley.

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