Car mirror maker cracks noise and energy

Plant modification at automotive mirror maker Flabeg in Birmingham to reduce noise has also lead to a 65 percent reduction in energy consumption.

A plant modification at automotive mirror maker Flabeg in Birmingham to reduce noise has also lead to a 65 percent reduction in energy consumption, which will recoup the capital outlay in 12-14 months.

Flabeg, whose mirrors are fitted to most of the leading makes of car including BMW, Ford, Porsche, Toyota, VW, Jaguar, Nissan, and Audi, was a management buy out from Pilkington three years ago.

Its buys in plain flat glass and its process is, in short: chrome coating to create the reflective surface, bending to create the curved surface that provides a wide field of vision, cutting to shape, linishing the edges, thoroughly washing away the abrasive residue and finally drying with an air knife.

The air knife was incredibly noisy.

Some years ago it was enclosed to reduce the noise but it was still emitting 91DB(A), loud enough to make ear defenders obligatory.

"We wanted to get this down considerably and asked Mitsubishi Electric for ideas on how best achieves this," says Robert Leek of Flabeg.

"Their suggestion was to fit an inverter to slow down the fan, which would reduce the noise and had the attractive extra benefit of reducing power consumption".

The inverter chosen was Mitsubishi's brand new model the F700, launched literally weeks beforehand.

This has been developed specifically to improve energy saving performance compared to other inverters and is aimed primarily at pump and fan drives, where most energy saving potential is found, For Flabeg the F700's optimum excitation control provides improved motor efficiency during constant speed operations.

Ease of commissioning and tripless reliability were immediately attractive to Leek, while its predictive maintenance monitor means there is one less long term worry.

"With the F700 fitted there was an immediate cut in noise, down to 81DB(A)," says Leeks.

"This is a substantial reduction, best illustrated by the fact that operatives can now talk casually to each other rather that having to shout".

"We've still got them wearing ear defenders, but after a comprehensive acoustic survey expect to be able to dispense with them all together." Initially Leek thought that the reduced air flow would mean he may have to increase the temperature of the air in order to maintain the drying effect.

However this did not prove to be the case, so none of the energy saving has to be diverted for heating.

Flabeg has at least three other air knifes on site where it will be replicating the success, and its sister plant in Germany also plans to follow the lead.

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