After the successful realization of the new RTO at Amcor (read here ...more about this project), CERVITECH BV has once again carried out a sustainability project at the same production site. While the previous collaboration focused on optimizing the production process and reducing VOC emissions, the focus of this project is on recovering and reusing waste heat.

Amcor has acquired a new flexographic printing press in which the drying air is no longer heated by gas burners. Instead, the required heat is supplied via hot-water-fed heat exchangers. CERVITECH developed a custom solution for this, utilizing available waste heat from the existing RTO as the energy source for the drying process.

Optimal use of residual heat from the RTO

Heat is released during the thermal oxidation process in the RTO. Whereas this heat was previously largely lost, it is now recovered and reused within the production process.

To this end, CERVITECH has integrated a 700 kW heat exchanger into the RTO. This heat exchanger transfers the available residual heat to a water circuit. A pump then transports the heated water to a 5,000-liter buffer tank positioned next to the new flexo printing press.

From this buffer tank, the hot water is pumped to the printing press's heat exchanger. There, the heat from the water is used to bring the drying air for the printing process up to the required temperature.

This creates a closed and efficient energy system:

RTO → heat exchanger → hot water → buffer tank → printing press heat exchanger → hot drying air

With this, the heat available within the RTO is no longer vented but is put to a useful purpose within the production process.

Full technical integration

For the project, CERVITECH handled not only the design of the hot water system but also the complete technical integration of the new installation.

The new flexo printing press is connected to the existing RTO system in terms of both air and electrical systems.

As a result, the new installation forms a single integrated system in which production, RTO, and heat recovery are optimally aligned.

The project was carried out in collaboration with RELOX, a supplier of RTOs, heat exchangers, and pumps.

From waste heat to reusable energy

With this solution, Amcor takes a significant step towards making the production process more sustainable. Traditionally, the drying air for a flexographic printing press is heated using gas burners. In the new setup, heat that is already available within the production process is used for this purpose.

This offers several advantages:

• Reduced natural gas consumption due to the replacement of gas burners with hot water for the drying process.
• Lower energy costs by utilizing readily available waste heat.
• Reduced energy loss through the reuse of heat from the RTO.
• Further increasing the sustainability of the production process by reducing the use of fossil energy.
• A more efficient energy system in which heat is reused within the production site.

Basis for further expansion

The current installation represents the first step towards a larger heat network within the production site. In a subsequent phase, other printing presses and the building heating system can also be connected to the hot water system.

This creates the opportunity to make productive use of an increasing amount of available waste heat within the plant. Heat that was previously lost as excess can now be utilized as an energy source for multiple processes.

The collaboration between Amcor and CERVITECH demonstrates how existing installations can serve as the foundation for new sustainability solutions. The previously implemented RTO not only provides a solution for emission reduction but also becomes part of a broader energy system in which heat is recovered, stored, and reused.

This creates a future-oriented production facility where emission reduction and energy savings go hand in hand.

Could this work for your company too?

Do you have heat that is currently going to waste? CERVITECH helps you recover and reuse this heat. Discover what CERVITECH can do for your company and contact us!