Success Stories

MEP Member

Indiana MEP Purdue Technical Assistance Program

Story Title

Purdue MEP Provides Energy Efficiency Solutions for Drug Plastics & Glass Co.

Client Profile

Drug Plastics & Glass Co., Inc. has been a leading supplier of quality plastic bottles to the pharmaceutical, healthcare, health and beauty aids, chemical, and food industries since 1963. Its Oxford, Indiana manufacturing plant employs 80 people and is one of the company’s six manufacturing facilities nationwide.

Situation

With energy costs rising and legislation placing mandatory caps on emissions, Drug Plastics & Glass Co. sought out assistance to identify and prioritize energy cost reduction opportunities. At this time, the Indiana MEP Purdue Technical Assistance Program’s (TAP), a NIST MEP network affiliate, Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (EES) program was engaged in piloting a new workforce training program funded through a U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant. The Industrial Energy Efficiency Practitioner (IEEP) worker certificate program aimed to provide manufacturers in North Central Indiana with in-house, sustainable capability to identify opportunities to reduce energy use and effectively implement solutions.

Solution

Drug Plastics joined TAP’s EES IEEP which included an energy assessment conducted by TAP staff as well as on-site training and off-site efficiency workshops. During this program, Drug Plastics formed a cross functional, plant energy team that consisted of members from several departments, including production, maintenance and purchasing. Several of their team members attended U.S. Department of Energy BestPractices’ end-user workshops such as Fundamentals of Compressed Air and MotorMaster+. With the energy assessment and technical training provided, members of Drug Plastics’ energy team were able to identify opportunities for the plant to reduce its energy consumption and to make a business case for investments in energy efficiency solutions and equipment upgrades. As a result of TAP’s assistance, Drug Plastics was able to cut the energy cost in terms of KW-hr per pound of plastics by more than 10 percent. The company switched all HID lamps to more energy efficient T-5 lighting and reduced air compressor usage through leak reduction, compressor sequencing, sizing, and improved maintenance.

Results

• Realized more than $100,000 in cost savings.
• Reduced lighting by 50 percent.
• Reduced air compressor usage by 43 percent.

Testimonial

“With TAP help, we have been able to make major improvements in our energy cost savings.”
Hung Nguyen, Plant Manager