Excellent customer relationship

​As markets globalize and our customers are consolidating to bigger and more complex entities, an effective Key Account Management becomes more and more crucial for Siemens to stay competitive. SEAT is part of the Key Account Management approach for the entire Volkswagen Group. A competent local account management team takes care of the customer SEAT in Spain, collaborating with the Corporate Account Management in Germany. Their focus is on understanding the specific customers’ requirements and generating solutions from different Siemens business areas that meet those requirements.

As a team, they managed to find answers to the challenges of energy efficiency at SEAT. Siemens was able to leverage the Siemens Environmental Portfolio in order to introduce innovative solutions at the customer. Furthermore the number, breadth and depth of relationships between the entire Siemens Key Account Team and SEAT had influence on the decision.

Saving energy as a corporate objective

​Car manufacturers around the world have set ambitious goals for their factories for the coming years. They have realized that the environmental impact of a car does not start on the street but already during production. One example of an automaker with an environmental focus is SEAT, which is part of the Volkswagen Group. The SEAT parent company is located in Martorell, only a few kilometers West of Barcelona. It is one of the largest factories in Spain. About 14,000 employees produce more than 350,000 vehicles here every year.

In Martorell, the personnel are especially proud of the fact that they managed to bring the production of the Audi Q3 to their factory. One important criterion in this decision was the success of the factory in the area of energy efficiency. Today, energy consumption during the production of a vehicle is considered to play an important role, much like the number of man hours per unit did a few years ago. In practice, this means that the employees at SEAT, for example, are measured not only based on their economic success when comparing key indicators over the long term, but also on whether they manage to lower energy consumption per vehicle during production with a 25% decrease in the main environmental prompts until 2018 in reference to 2010, in line with Volkswagen Group.

Before optimization comes identification

​In order to introduce transparency with regard to where exactly energy is needed, at what times, and what it costs, SEAT decided to implement an energy management system from Siemens. The B.Data energy management software makes it possible to continuously and reliably record the current status of all energy and material flows – for example, water, electricity, pressure, and steam – required in production and utilities. Using the Siemens software, users can create detailed reports that are tailored to their specific requirements. One great advantage: energy consumption can be allocated to the appropriate cost centers even in complex analytical models. An application that allows for such detailed analysis is essential when it comes to the sustainable realization of energy goals, because in the next step, B.Data uses specific key performance indicators (KPIs) to provide a sound and reliable basis for decisions regarding energy optimization measures and the required investments.

Financially, the use of the energy management system pays off immediately. Many times the analysis provides information on optimizations that can be realized through simple measures, such as detecting leakages or allocating loads more evenly. Without the need for additional investments, these measures result in energy cost savings of between 5% and 10%. The effect can then be increased several times by, for example, using modern drive and automation technologies.

These technologies were also able to improve the energy balance in the paint shop in Martorell. Painting is one of the most energy-intensive processes in automobile production. About 45% of overall energy consumption occurs here, so the savings potential is accordingly great. In order to lower consumption in the paint booths at SEAT, the electric drives of the fans were retrofitted, in cooperation with Siemens, with modern Sinamics G120D frequency converters with servo drives. The converters continually adapt the power intake of the electric motors operating at partial load to the current demand. This efficient and flexible retrofit measure results in potential savings of up to 60% compared to conventional mechanical controls. In addition, B.Data allows the savings to be documented and traced in black and white – an important factor for the implementation of the ISO 50001 standard in the company.

Partnership for green production

​The factory management in Martorell has been collaborating closely with Siemens for years. After all, the technology group is a partner that not only offers a complete portfolio for energy efficient drive and automation technologies but also has a high level of industry expertise. “It always makes sense for us to turn to Siemens for new ideas about optimizing energy efficiency in production,” says one SEAT employee. And this applies not only to retrofit concepts but also to new installations. For example, energy efficiency measures were already consistently implemented during construction of the high-tech production facility for the Audi Q3. The car bodies of the compact all-terrain vehicle are automatically controlled, moving on their own from one position to the next over two levels.

Efficient electric motors drive the conveyor belts and elevators. Soft starters are used to bring the motors up to their target speed, saving energy and resources, and frequency converters are used during braking to recapture some of the energy expended for the conveyor belts and feed it back into the grid. Siemens in Spain was not only the supplier for the single automation components but acted also as a general contractor, providing a turnkey conveyor solution. Siemens Spain deployed an expert team at the SEAT factory to ensure a smooth start-up and immediate on-site support by Spanish speaking experts.

Energy consumption takes a break

​Another issue currently under discussion is the question of how to reduce unnecessary energy consumption during production breaks. One solution for this is Profienergy. Profienergy is a data interface that uses the existing services and mechanisms of the Profinet international communication standard. With Profienergy, individual loads or entire production sections can be turned off from a central control point in a coordinated manner during break times. Peak loads, too, are absorbed in this way by turning off machines or devices that are currently not needed or by putting them into sleep mode. Siemens has already developed a number of innovative products that support the Profienergy protocol. These include, for example, PLCs and motor starters. They significantly reduce energy use and CO₂ emissions.

In general, the coordinated turning off of electrical loads that are not needed during longer breaks – for example, during company holidays – reduces energy consumption by up to 80%. During shorter breaks – for example, at lunchtime – savings of up to 40% are possible. Profienergy can be easily integrated into existing machines and installations using Profinet. This way, drives and sensors can be turned off in a coordinated manner, or even just individual components, such as control units or in the simplest case the background lighting of the control unit.

Integrated approach

​Many car manufacturers do not want to adjust only a couple of screws in their production process in order to save a few kilowatt-hours of electricity. Concepts looking at the entire process and value chain are gaining ground. For Siemens, the integral approach is essential: Only if all technical and financial company processes are included along with all management processes and organizational and operational procedures, it is possible to sustainably and efficiently reduce energy costs. For this purpose, Siemens created a consultant team covering three qualifications: competence in energy-related questions, automation know-how, and technological expertise. After talking with management, performing a thorough technical analysis on-site, and drawing up initial estimates of possible energy savings and the necessary investments, the consultants select measures together with the customer and examine them with regard to their financial and technical feasibility.

The implementation concept contains detailed calculations and specific offers from suppliers. The measures eventually implemented can be diverse: the use of an energy management system, the installation of a heat recovery plant, or the modernization of facilities. The consultants also help with the optimization of energy purchases by analyzing existing supply contracts, selecting the best tariff models for the customer, and making recommendations. Siemens accompanies the customer in every phase, providing technological expertise but also our many years of industry experience.