Energy represents more than 60% of the total costs of a thermal system over a period of 10 years, causing constantly increasing expenditure. Further, consideration also has to be given to the cost factor for discharging the cleaned / recycled exhaust air into the atmosphere.

To meet these challenging issues, Monforts has tried and tested solutions with highly effective equipment integrated systems.  With energy costs currently increasing month-on-month, Monforts offer continually updated economy calculations for payback periods of its equipment.

Today, for example, the benefits of heat recovery – fitted as standard on most Montex stenters – becomes even more attractive with further reduced payback due to the continually rising fuel costs.

The integrated heat recovery system features a number of innovative concepts for economy and ecology. Waste heat produced in the thermal process and contained in the exhaust air is discharged via integrated exhaust air ducts directly in the air/air heat exchanger.

The latest Monforts heat exchanger is integrated into the roof construction of the stenter for no heat loss. Exhaust air heat is converted in the heat exchanger to heat the fresh combustion air. Heated fresh air enters at the inlets of the stenter via integrated fresh air ducts.

Up to 60% of the fresh air required by the stenter can be preheated in the way providing an energy saving of between 10% and 30% depending on the production process.

A stand alone Energy Tower was introduced by Monforts for retrofitting to stenters or hotflues with restricted access above the units.

Designed to stand alongside the stenter or hotflue it features five integrated heat recovery modules. Capitalising on the high temperature of the exhaust air, savings of up to 30% in energy costs can be achieved.

Rising costs

As the price of heat energy rises, so too will the cost for electricity. It is therefore natural that the Montex stenter should feature frequency controlled exhaust air fans to avoid unnecessary for speeds.

Due to the resistance of the air, the current consumption increases disproportionately with the speed of a exhaust air fan motor. Therefore, the speed should always remain at the minimum sufficient for the process.

Most electric energy is consumed by the recirculation fans in the stenter.

To control and optimise these consumers, the engineers of A. Monforts Textilmaschinen developed the Monformatic. Monformatic is a controlling tool for continuous drying, fixing or condensation processes and has been well established in the market for many years. The unit ‘knows’ the zone in which the fabric has obtained the process temperature and automatically calculates the fabric transport speed so that a predefined time for fixing or condensation is maintained. If this so called residence time is shorter than defined, quality is poor, if it is longer, too much electricity is consumed and heat energy wasted.

The Monformatic Plus has another feature. When the fabric attains process temperature and the residence process (fixing, condensation) begins, the Monformatic Plus automatically reduces the speed of the stenter fans in the respective compartments.

This is possible because the residence processes need little energy; the fabric is dry and the process temperature only needs holding. For example, with 8-compartment stenters, the Monformatic Plus can save over 700,000 kWh a year which – depending on the electricity tariff – accounts to between 50,000 and 60, 000 € every year.

Other key product developments include a new tumble action with the DynAir relaxation dryer, new soft coating solution, doubled lubrication intervals with stentering chains having sealed bearings and a new Sanforisor.