Technology roadmap points to energy efficiency

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 7, 2003

A "technology roadmap" for low-energy polymer processing aims to catalyse the plastics and rubber industry into measuring its energy-use performance and changing it for the better.

Faraday Plastics has produced a "technology roadmap" (TRM) for low-energy polymer processing that aims to catalyse the plastics and rubber industry into measuring its energy-use performance and changing it for the better.

Among the recommendations of the TRM report are: industry benchmarking and sectoral targets - a programme of market research is recommended to study how energy-efficient (or not) the polymer processing sector is in its current practices; heater insulation - a campaign to promote the use of insulation and to save energy wastage and cost in this area; a demonstration unit - establishing a "show and tell unit" to demonstrate to processors the benefits of energy efficiency; a cost of ownership model - establishing a financial model for typical paybacks to incentivise the industry to adopt energy saving measures; and training - to be provided in energy measurement and management.

Faraday Plastics Director, Richard Simpson notes: "This is the beginning - not the end - of a very important debate that needs to happen within the plastics and rubber sector on energy processing.

Not only does the practice make commercial and competitive sense - but energy efficiency is also desirable on environmental and health and safety grounds".

Simpson adds: "Issues such as the climate change levy have put polymer processors more into the 'front line', and have politicised these issues to some degree.

The good news is that moulders who save their own costs through lower energy bills are also making a positive contribution to the environmental health and credentials of their industry.

I urge all involved in processing to read our TRM report and to help us help the sector in implementing its findings".

The technology road map technique - used in this case by Faraday Plastics to create a future scenarios for lower energy technologies - is a high level business tool developed in industry, management and also politics to support planning and to help programmes such as national foresight schemes.

In its most basic form, it is a time-based futures chart that includes commercial, legislative and environmental perspectives.

Ideally, the TRM tools allow the user to more completely visualise the evolution of markets and technologies - the linkages and the consequences of certain factors and inputs.

The new Faraday Plastics business plan was agreed in spring this year, ensuring further DTI funding for the next three years.

The newly constituted Faraday Plastics gives companies in the UK plastics sector an opportunity to be able to continue to attract plastics technology development funding and access Faraday Plastics initiatives.

Faraday Plastics has also selected a number of priority areas for the next three years.

These are: energy; recycling and sustainability; nano and smart materials; healthcare and automotive applications.

Faraday Plastics has a new, independent and high profile Chairman in Professor Tony Ledwith, former chairman of the EPSRC.

Lord Sainsbury, Government Minister for Science and Innovation recently described Faraday Plastics as having added "coherence to the disparate and fragmented activities that are taking place in this sector".

"It has helped stimulate new products and processes, new patents, and new startup companies", said Sainsbury.

The new technology road map on low-energy polymer processing is available free of charge on application to Faraday Plastics.