The budding metal technicians Sengül Güleser and Gian Marco Caflisch (both 3rd year apprentices) carried out the necessary measurements using a special ultrasonic measuring device. This enabled the young people to get to know the technical processes in more detail and to calculate significant optimization and savings opportunities.

Compressed air is a significant energy source for the traditional company Getzner Textil - the demand is high. With an installed compressor capacity of around 1.65 MW, it is one of the major energy consumers in the company. The compressed air is needed, for example, for controls, control valves, brakes, and also for pneumatically operated tools in the finishing area. The largest consumers are, of course, the state-of-the-art compressed air looms located in the weaving mill, on which around 30,000 meters of fabric for high-quality African damasks, fashion fabrics and also technical textiles are produced every day at the site in Bludenz.

"One of the main optimization and savings opportunities in the field of compressed air is the consistent reduction of leakages in the network. In order to be able to find these during operation when the plant is running, various efficient methods and modern technologies are available - one of them is ultrasonic measurement technology," informs Markus Dietrich, Energy Officer at Getzner Textil AG. With this in mind, the apprentice project "Ultrasonic Measurement" was launched in order to detect possible leaks and to be able to document and evaluate the measured values obtained. Getzner Textil AG purchased a special ultrasonic measuring device so that the prospective specialists could be provided with the best possible conditions for the project. The trainees also underwent professional training by the measuring device manufacturer, who taught them the theoretical principles of this measuring technology using exciting examples and practical exercises.

The aim of the project was not just to optimize energy consumption - it was much more to raise the young people's awareness of compressed air as a valuable and cost-intensive energy source, with all its advantages and disadvantages in the various areas of application. To this end, the apprentices gained extensive knowledge of the machines, equipment, components and network structure used, in order to be able to identify weak points and optimize them independently. Furthermore, the apprentices gained access to a highly modern and interesting measuring technology, which can be used in various areas of preventive maintenance and troubleshooting and is not commonplace. "Our apprentices will also benefit from the knowledge they have acquired, for example in the areas of components, troubleshooting, but also energy management, in their later professional lives," says Perrine Getzner, Head of Apprentice Management at Getzner Textil AG.

Image source: GTAG