December 12, 2013, Mumbai: As per the estimates of the All India Plastic Manufacturer's Association (AIPMA), the Indian plastic industry, with a turnover little above Rs 90,000 crore and providing employment to close to 3.5 million people, the industry is poised for a surging growth with the increasing use of plastics is various other industries. However, as the sector grows, the need for energy intensive machinery will also increase.

Danfoss, a global leader in energy and climate solutions, has been serving various sectors to help address their energy conservation needs to improve operational outcomes and subsequently increase profit margins. When it comes to the Plastic Industry, Danfoss offers a pool of technology, with a special focus on pressure and temperature monitoring and control, electrical power and fluid control. Typical products include solenoid valves, sensors, transmitters and switches for pressure or temperature, contactors and motor starters and VLT Drives. Each of these applications can help address various requirements towards energy conservation across manufacturing, processing, Injection moulding and packaging functions.

"Industries across India, both small scale and large scale, have been making a conscientious effort towards energy conservation in order to make their business both sustainable and viable. However, if one has to make an entire manufacturing process, or processing unit energy efficient, it requires one to in still applications along all functions where energy use can be controlled and expended as required. While in some industries where just replacing the drive in a motor by a VLT drive can bring over 40 per cent savings in energy consumption, in other process heavy industries like the plastics, there are various applications that can be identified, customised and applied to bring down the overall power expenditure," said Kamal K Singh, Director, Power Electronics Division at Danfoss India participating at the 9th edition of Plastvision India 2013 organised by AIPMA.

One of the most extensively adopted technologies by Danfoss is the FC 360 VLT Automation Drive. Designed to work in harsh and humid environments, the drive provides reliable operation in the plastic industry among various others. The drive enables precise and efficient motor control of a wide range of industrial applications such as extruders, winders, conveyors, drawing benches, ring frame, texturizing, air compressors, mixer coolers, cranes, escalators, pumps and fans. The efficient cooling concept ensures there is no forced air over the printed circuit board, which improves reliability. Also, a removable fan makes it possible to clean the inside of the drive quickly and easily, thereby reducing the risk of downtime. Special coated PPCBs used in the drive are standard to handle aggressive environment and reliable performance.

In fact, all Danfoss products can be tailored for any industry with different body and seal materials depending on the media in the system.