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Industrial cooling improves productivity significantly
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Thursday, 09 January, 2014, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Achal Bakeri
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fiogf49gjkf0d I can still visualise the scene that my technical team had seen amid surprising smiles. It was a manufacturing unit of one of the leading food processing players from whom we had got an order to air cool their plant. After installation of industrial cooler there, when the team switched on the cooler, there was literally an explosion of joy and happiness from all the workers. Everyone was so happy that their work area was now air cooled. Now the days of working in hot and uncomfortable environment were part of history.
After few days of this installation of industrial cooler, our team talked to the company’s officials about their feedback on the new system, the answers were not just satisfactory and as per expectations but were with full of joy and happiness and worth to be taken into consideration, not just for us but for all the policy-makers and industry fraternity.
Working condition
Before air cooling the plant, the working condition there was very difficult for workers and supervisors. They were not feeling comfortable working there because of the heat generated. Someone suggested the top management of the company to go for central air conditioning the whole plant but for that many essential factors were needed to look after. The manufacturing facility of the company was spread in a huge area and it was not economically feasible to air condition such a vast area. Also, it would consume lot of electricity taking the cost of a production very high and was not the preferred choice. Apart from this, there were other issues like workers and other staff kept coming in and out from the facility due to which it was not worth to make the plant fully air conditioned. But working in a very hot and tedious place lessens the productivity and morale of workers. The company officials had observed that workers and staff prefer to go outside the premises for lunch and were taking long breaks as the ambiance outside the plant was refreshing and they could feel the comfort and peace of mind. Due to long breaks during the working hours, it was affecting production cycle and overall productivity.
However, after air cooling the manufacturing facility, the managers witnessed a considerable rise in working hours and productivity. Now the long hours of lunch shortened as the workers and other staff preferred to have lunch in the allocated space in the premises itself. Opting for industrial air cooling proved to be an economical option as well as the payback period for the same compared to central air conditioning was around one year only. Further, air cooling also led to 90% saving in power cost compared to air conditioning and air coolers draw, filter and deliver fresh air unlike air conditioners which circulate stale air.
Proven by studies
Scientific studies have also proved that the temperature in closed environments can have a significant impact on the productivity, and that the “comfort zone” is located between 22°C and 25°C. Research shows that productivity increases manifold in a comfortable working environment. A NASA report has stated that at 38 degrees temperature there is a 62% loss of work output and at 41 degrees it goes up to 79%.
India’s weather conditions are very different from other parts of the world. In most of India summer is very hot. It begins in April and continues till the beginning of October. Each summer industrial and manufacturing plants across the country find the temperatures in their facilities reach excessive levels. Large open workshops, factories, warehouses and packing sheds are difficult to keep cool in summer and the risk of heat stress is high. Heat can adversely affect employees' health noticeably reducing productivity, lowering morale and increasing staff turnover.
A number of recent studies have analysed different aspects of the effects of heat exposure on productivity. In indoor environments, increased heat exposure reduces performance and reducing humidity of office air in the tropics was shown to improve the perception of the work environment. Heat stress is likely to be common during hot seasons, but culturally accepted methods to reduce impact on health and work capacity are generally effective in avoiding serious health impacts. However, these culturally accepted methods will undoubtedly reduce the hourly productivity of the exposed workers.
Several studies have identified heat stress as an important health risk in agricultural and industrial sectors in India. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke may be of particular importance for the occupational health of working people. All this reduces the ‘work capacity’ (and daily work output) and productivity.
Emerging trends
Recent trend indicates that big businesses across various sectors are opting for industrial cooling for spaces which are difficult to centrally air condition. Air coolers are environment-friendly. Unlike air conditioners, which release CFC gas, air coolers do not emit hazardous greenhouse gases responsible for global warming and other environment-related problems.
The installation of air-conditioning system in these areas may not be feasible or is a huge capital and operational expense. By providing better working condition to employees one can create a safer and more productive working environment. Cooler staff is more alert, efficient and productive. Cooler machines last longer and can produce more.
Technology in industrial coolers: Evaporative cooling
Among all air cooling techniques evaporative cooling is most natural as well as environment- friendly. It constantly provides natural, cool, clean, fresh and filtered air. Uses 100% air from outside and provides a complete change of air every few minutes. Is kinder to sensitive noses, eyes, respiratory tracts and skin hence is considered healthy and safe. This technology maintains an ideal level of humidity & improves its performance as it gets hotter outdoors. Windows & doors can be left open however it ventilates - eliminates smoke, odour and stale air. Ideal choice where extreme heat is encountered.
Prospects for industrial cooling
The Indian air-cooler market carries vast growth potential and is all geared up to soar to new heights. Thanks to good demand from across the sector, the current global financial crisis has not much affected the air cooler market. Currently the industrial cooler segment is at a nascent stage in India, posting a single-digit growth in business.
Increased focus on strengthening product awareness and the corporate brand in domestic and international markets for this product are expected to generate sizeable volumes over the medium-term. As the name suggests, industrial coolers are comprehensive cooling solutions, addressing the cooling needs for large enclosed areas and opportunities in this segment are immense. Potential for industrial cooling is immense as every corporate office, plants - factory, airports, malls, retail chains, and warehouses can be air cooled.
Growth drivers of industrial cooling
Industrial cooling is slowly gaining increasing importance as corporates are looking to create a congenial working environment for their shop floor teams. Large and small factories are the most pertinent examples as corporates can ill-afford centralised air conditioning due to open-air areas as well as prohibitive capital and operating costs.
Firstly, it is proven that better work conditions have helped increase productivity considerably.
Further shifting to air cooling for commercial and offices, retail and hospitality industry over air conditioning has helped big time in saving costs to the companies as air coolers use 90% less energy than an air conditioner does.
Industrial cooling also provides solutions to air cool segments such as airports, malls, retail chains, factories, banquet halls, that are difficult and very expensive to air condition. For certain factories, centralised cooling becomes mandatory due to operational process or product characteristics like textile applications, certain dyes and intermediates and certain chemicals, industrial coolers emerge as the most cost-effective solution.
In factories that house large boilers, large furnaces and other equipments, that generate lot of heat, air cooling emerges as the only cooling solution in these areas. Air coolers also find application in warehouses that need to store material at controlled temperatures. In large commercial space and retail malls which have expansive open areas, industrial air coolers are the only workable cooling solution. Interestingly, wherever centralised air conditioning is used, there is potential even of using centralised air cooling or ducted air coolers.
Affordability and low maintainenance cost of industrial air coolers are also likely to play a big role in coming years – industrial air coolers are attractively priced, for a large residential house (approximately 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft) investment for cooler ranges between Rs 1 and Rs 2.5 lakh -- about one-third, or 40% of investment required for centralised air conditioning. Electric consumption of industrial air cooler is only about 10% of the consumption of centralised air conditioning. In other words, payback period from centralised air cooling is less than one year, just from saving of electricity of air cooler vis-a-vis air conditioner.
Market size for industrial cooling segment
As far as the market share is concerned currently the market is predominantly by local fabricators and local players. So there is nothing like an organised industrial air cooler market even though it has great potential. The market for industrial coolers in India is estimated at around Rs 2,000 – Rs 3,000 crore and estimated to grow at strong 25-30% in coming years.
Retail is one big potential industry for industrial cooling solutions in India. The country is at the threshold of a retail revolution and a preferred destination for global retailers. The Indian retail industry has expanded by 10.6% between 2010 and 2012 and is expected to increase to US$750-850 billion by 2015, according to another report by Deloitte, hence it offers tremendous growth opportunity for industrial cooling in years to come.
Other industries such as paint industry, logistics, moulding industry, auto industry, carpet industry, religious sector, bakery, FMCG companies, food industry, educational institutes, auditorium, and bottling plant too are big markets for the industrial cooling.
Symphony: Leading organised player in industrial cooling
Symphony Ltd is the largest player in Indian air cooler industry with 50% market share among the organised players. At Symphony, the strategy has been ‘one product many markets.’ Over the years, this strategy has paid off well and the company today is world’s largest air cooler company and truly Indian multinational, selling its air coolers under its own brand name in over 60 countries.
In the year 2008, Symphony Ltd acquired Mexico-based Impco Air Coolers World’s first cooler manufacturing company that patented the cooling technology called ‘Evaporative Cooling.’ It is one of the largest global manufacturers of industrial and commercial air coolers.
Expanding its presence in the Indian industrial and commercial cooling market, the company has completed over 100 installations of industrial and ducted air coolers in last 12 months. During FY 2012-13, Symphony Ltd completed installation of industrial and ducted air coolers for renowned clients, namely Asian Paints, DHL, Dixon Technologies, Swaminarayan Temple, ISKCON Temple and Marico, among others. The company’s clientele includes leading textile, auto, FMCG, healthcare, retail, hospitality, engineering, logistics & warehousing, chemical, and consumer durable companies among many others. Recently the company also received orders from Indian Railways for providing cooling solutions at some of its railway stations.
Globally, the company’s products have been endorsed by a number of corporate giants, General Electric (Illinois, USA), Wal-Mart stores and so on. In the year 2000, Symphony was awarded the Guinness World Record for creating the world's largest functioning air cooler.
The company possesses largest number of trademarks and registered designs in the international air cooler industry with 108 trademarks, 49 registered designs, 7 copyrights and 8 patents. The company has been awarded Guinness World Record for creating the world’s largest functioning air coolers. Recently, Symphony Ltd’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Impco, has commissioned a pilot project of central air-cooling, the first of several locations of the Dutch-owned ‘Makro’ chain of supermarkets in Colombia, South America. During the current FY, the company also entered into tie-up with retail giant Carrefour in Indonesia. Globally, the company’s products have been endorsed by a number of corporate giants such as General Electric (Illinois, USA) and Wal-Mart Stores.
(The author is CMD, Symphony Ltd)
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