HCL FASTENERS STRENGTHENS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AT SOURCE

Bath-based strap, clip and clamp manufacturer HCL Fasteners continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to the sustainability agenda. With three of their injection moulding machines now all-electric IntElect’s, powered by 500 roof top solar panels, the company’s deliberate environmental stewardship is a shining example of the role SMEs can play in attaining carbon neutrality.    

Despite having fewer resources to throw at the sustainability mission than larger corporates, the family-owned business, who have also expanded into the US opening a Houston distribution hub for its patented products, is fostering  a ‘can do’ sustainability culture with its latest technology investments. A long-term Demag advocate, this year the manufacturer of high strength hose clamps, non-corrosive offshore strapping, and renewable energy farm bandings, upgraded its production line installing two 75 ton and one 50 ton IntElect machines from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag. Another 75 ton machine is being delivered in the first quarter of 2022.

Saying farewell to three Systec 50 ton hydraulic legacy systems was a bittersweet moment. Having produced tens of millions of Herbie Clips and other patented components since the company’s inception, Managing Director David Coles cites the reliability of the 25 year old machines as the key rationale for the micro-enterprise transitioning to Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s all-electric series.

Manufacturing up to 30 million components annually, David expands on why reliability is so fundamental to the company’s sustainability missive: “As a worldwide supplier of robust polymer clamping solutions and tension tools and serving such a diverse international client base, we need to balance resilience and agility alongside constantly innovating ways in which we can lessen our environmental impact. This is especially important given the collective action being taken and the pressures being placed on supply chain transparency. Consequently, we are always seeking more ways to address the climate crisis and accelerate our decarbonisation efforts.”  

Producing more … using less

With energy consumption responsible for approximately two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions, the precision and energy efficient IntElect’s are predominately powered by a 130kW solar-panel system located on HCL Fastener’s roof top. Any additional energy generated is fed back into the grid.

Comparative tests performed by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag on the new 75 ton IntElect’s has resulted in a minimum 42 percent energy saving. Even with a bigger machine and the addition of robotics.

In addition to improving HCL’s energy consumption metrics, the three machines have collectively boosted productivity by up to 30 percent. For an SME and ‘climate positive’ business like HCL, this helps to tackle the misnomer that all-electric efficiency is purely linked to reducing your emissions.

David explains: “Processing predominantly exotic, non-corrosive and high tensile polymers used in marine, oil & gas, renewable energy and automotive applications, cycle time, machine uptime and reliability almost supersede the energy saving stakes. Equipped with robotic sprue separators, our new IntElect’s have proven that it is possible to significantly optimise our resources and increase commercial productivity without having a detrimental environmental impact.”

Precision moulding is equally critical for safety, with HCL manufacturing tensioning tools to install high strength cable clamps and sea straps in extreme conditions, including submerged marine environments, offshore oil and gas rigs, windfarms and underground mines. “Guaranteed fit and fast tension fitting are paramount. We have developed a number of systems manufactured in-house to minimise the time that engineering specialists, for example divers, would need to spend exposing themselves to the ocean depths,” notes David.

Maintaining an incredibly consistent melt cushion and stable process has noticeably improved moulding accuracy reports David, aided by the in-built hot runner and non-return activeLock valve. The addition of cartesian robots on all three IntElect machines supports HCL’s self-sustaining manufacturing approach and eliminates parts getting stuck at source.

“Production consistency for a lights out operation like ours is critical to operational efficiency. I’m now confident that I won’t come into the factory the next day to encounter 12 hours of lost production time,” he states.

As well as being markedly more hygienic and easier to maintain, David claims that the automatic resetting of clamp forces  and intuitive control panel made the transition to the IntElect machines seamless. “Switching from the NC4 to the NC5+ control panel could not have been easier. Even the page numbers on the control system are the same. From everyone’s perspective, our new IntElect’s are even easier to use.