Ferrum stainless steel hardening shop: 40 % less peak power thanks to intelligent energy optimization
1. initial situation: energy demand as an economic bottleneck
Ferrum Edelstahlhärterei GmbH is an established family business from Augustdorf in North Rhine-Westphalia that has specialized in the heat and surface treatment of industrial tools since 1975. Production is characterized by high thermal requirements, which entails a correspondingly high energy demand. The continuously rising energy costs and the necessary security of supply became a strategic challenge for the company. Managing Director Klaus-Peter Wied recognized early on that intelligent control of energy flows was necessary in order to remain economically competitive. As a result, a concept for peak load reduction and energy optimization was developed together with dibalog, which takes into account both the smallest consumers and large systems.
2nd system solution: Customized energy management from dibalog
Ferrum has been relying on the tried-and-tested EOS system from dibalog since 1993, which has been continuously developed since then. Originally, 62 consumers were integrated into the system - today there are over 180. Particularly noteworthy: smaller consumers have also been systematically integrated, as their large number has a measurable impact on the overall energy balance. EOS analyses, controls and optimizes all electrothermal processes - from vacuum treatment to nitriding and oxidation processes through to deep-freezing. Thanks to the system's self-learning algorithms, the optimization continuously adapts to the production reality and thus ensures maximum cost efficiency.
3rd results: 40% less peak output with consistent quality
The integration of the EOS system into the production processes quickly paid off for Ferrum. Within a short space of time, the performance peaks were reduced by around 40%. Production quality was not only maintained, but also improved thanks to more stable processes and higher capacity utilization. Savings potential was also realized outside of production times: Night and weekend consumption was significantly reduced through targeted analysis and control. The transparent visualization of all energy flows in the system also helped to leverage unrecognized optimization potential. Ferrum was even awarded the NRW Innovation Prize for this exemplary approach to energy efficiency.
4. Future prospects: economic advantage through continuous optimization
With the successful implementation of the energy management system, Ferrum has taken an important step towards sustainable production and competitiveness. The company impressively demonstrates that energy efficiency and industrial hardening processes are not mutually exclusive - on the contrary: the integration of intelligent technologies not only makes production more economical, but also more resilient to market and energy price fluctuations. The close cooperation with dibalog, the modular expansion of the system and the company's ongoing in-house analysis ensure continuous improvement in the future. Ferrum thus remains an innovation leader in the field of energy-efficient contract hardening.