Modernization of Simoldes Plasticos plant – comprehensive improvement of energy efficiency

The Simoldes Plasticos plant is one of the key component manufacturers for the automotive industry, where technological processes require significant electricity consumption. The most energy-intensive areas are compressed air, cooling, and ventilation. The existing technical infrastructure operated inefficiently, leading to excessive operating costs and increased CO₂ emissions.

The main challenge was to identify the areas with the highest energy losses, develop a coherent modernization concept, and propose investment actions that simultaneously improve efficiency, ensure production process stability, and are economically justified.

Company Energy Audit

Representatives of Simoldes Plasticos, in cooperation with DB Energy, decided to identify key savings that would give them a competitive advantage in the industry. An important element of Simoldes Plasticos' development strategy is continuous optimization of the production process, including the use of new technologies and innovative materials, identification of non-profitable products, production efficiency management, and introduction of material savings.

The Enterprise Energy Audit conducted in 2015 identified 24 actions that could improve the plant's energy efficiency. Based on this, our audit team recommended a series of solutions with the highest potential to reduce energy consumption. We selected modernization of the cooling installation, lighting, and production machines as actions providing the best financial and reduction results for the client.

Lighting modernization

The first action implemented at the Simoldes Plasticos factory was lighting modernization. Thanks to the use of LED lighting fixtures and the DALI control system, annual energy savings amount to about 60%. The entire modernization was carried out without stopping the production process. Special sensors allow adjustment of artificial lighting intensity – when natural daylight is sufficient, the LED fixtures dim to the appropriate level, and vice versa.

Compressed air system

The next, more complex investment project was modernization of the compressed air system, where we implemented a master control system. Additionally, we reduced compressed air losses by identifying and eliminating leaks in the installation. Annual savings from air loss reduction alone exceed PLN 135,000.

Cooling installation and freecooling

Our engineers also recommended modernizing the cooling installation as one of the most effective reduction actions – this system consumed significant amounts of electricity. Cooling is key in injection molding processes. Two circuits are used – mold cooling and oil cooling in machines. First, liquid plastic is injected into the mold and pressed or compacted, then the material is solidified with ice water. The temperature of cold and ice water must remain constant for a smooth process.

As part of the cooling system modernization, we implemented a so-called freecooling system, using ambient temperature to pre-cool the medium and integrated a master controller. It reads temperature parameters from machines and rooms and regulates the pump system and cooling devices – chillers and dry coolers. This control system allows switching individual cooling installation elements on and off depending on ambient temperature. Additional measurement devices and tailored programs based on our proprietary algorithms optimize device operation and reduce energy consumption.

Heat recovery

An important energy-saving project was heat recovery at Simoldes Plasticos. We implemented a waste heat recovery system from air compressors using an oil-to-water heat exchanger. The exchanger is integrated in the compressor oil cooling circuit, transferring heat from hot oil to water used for CO or DHW. Using waste heat for water heating reduced gas consumption. Savings are significant enough that additional heating is not needed from June to September, allowing the boiler system to be turned off during this period.

Injection molding machines

The last implemented action was a pilot project optimizing the operation of plastic injection molding machines. By intervening in the production technology, we integrated a frequency converter into the hydraulic drive power circuit. The idea is to control oil flow and system engagement, adapting pressure to different molds. The modernization does not affect other machine parameters. This enables production of parts with different weights at maximum energy efficiency. This solution achieves 20% to 60% electricity savings depending on the mold used.

Simoldes Plasticos in Jelcz-Laskowice decided to finance part of the investment projects under the ESCO model, allowing them not to use their own funds for energy-saving initiatives. Their value is approximately PLN 2.7 million.

The modernization of the Simoldes Plasticos plant demonstrates that an integrated approach to energy efficiency – simultaneously addressing compressed air, cooling, and ventilation systems – allows significant energy savings and operating cost reduction.

The key success factor was accurate diagnostics based on real-time measurements, which enabled identification of the most energy-intensive areas and tailored solutions to production process specifics.

This example confirms that investments in energy efficiency are not only technically justified but also economically profitable, providing real support in building a competitive advantage for industrial plants.

The Simoldes Plasticos group is one of the leading manufacturers of plastic components for the automotive industry in Europe. It operates plants in Brazil, Portugal, France, Czech Republic, and Poland, where it has been present since 2003.