Wavin are the UK's leading supplier of plumbing, heating and drainage systems to the construction and utilities markets, with a number of manufacturing locations in both the UK and Ireland.
The company's manufacturing processes include plastic extrusion, clay firing and other energy-intensive operations, and although it has invested heavily in new plant and equipment, it goes without saying that effective energy and carbon management are also key factors in its continued success. Good management requires good information however, and in this instance detailed energy and water consumption data are provided by extensive site-based automatic sub-metering systems supplied and installed by Elcomponent.
Elcomponent have delivered systems into four Wavin sites, comprising a total of over 140 meters which provide half hour readings in realtime to a central database. Data are managed and presented via Elcomponent's 'MeterRing MM' software and Wavin's own process-specific energy management routines. Installation involved meters for all three utilities and was achieved jointly between Elcomponent's installers and Wavin's in-house teams. The use of multiple networking options included VHF radio and the existing LAN, and utilised MODBUS connected meters where possible. This ensured that accuracy and reliability were combined with a cost-effective and efficient installation process, which was achieved with the minimum of disruption to the sites manufacturing processes.
Rai Gaidys, Elcomponent Lead Installer comments...
"Wavin run a very tight ship and we were working to a demanding timetable, but thanks to the professionalism of the client's engineering staff, and our new voltage output CT meters which speed up installation considerably, we were able to get the job done on schedule and with an absolute minimum of downtime"