Compared to building technology insulation, industrial insulation is in a completely different league. Both the disadvantages of not insulating and the benefits that can be achieved by insulating are many times greater.
If there was no insulation in industry...
Let's start with a little exercise in imagination:
You arrive at work at the factory in the morning. The hot equipment and pipes are emitting so much heat that you're sweating like you're on a beach holiday, even before you've started work. Sure, the wet patches on your armpits are already a familiar sight. Even more disturbing is the noise coming from the equipment, which flows from one wall of the factory hall to the other. It goes on all day, and the echoes stay in your head even after the working day is over.
And that's not all. In fact, you're a factory manager and you know that during this day alone, huge amounts of energy will be wasted for no reason. The pressure on your shoulders is enormous due to both rising energy prices and stricter environmental requirements. On top of that, you're haunted by the risk of an accident. It's always present when working in hot temperatures and noisy environments. What will happen today?
This would be the case in industry if there was no insulation at all.
Fortunately, the situation is rarely that bad today. Nevertheless, the motivation of those responsible in many industrial plants is limited to meeting the mandatory requirements and keeping conditions at a sufficiently good level.
Cost-effectiveness under the microscope!
The principles of industrial insulation and the rationale for insulation are basically the same as for insulation in building technology. However, industrial insulation differs from building technology insulation because the temperature range is significantly wider. Some processes require very high temperatures, while others go far below freezing.
Maintaining high temperatures requires a lot of energy. As common sense tells us, heat losses are also high in that case, unless insulation is taken care of. In industry, insulation is crucial for energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Motiva, a company that works with sustainable development, calculated how much heat loss a pipe with a diameter of 100 mm causes for each metre:
When the pipe temperature is below 150°C, the heat loss is 6.1 MWh/year (€180).
When the temperature is 350-500°C, the heat loss is already tenfold, 60 MWh/year (€1,800).
In this calculation, 8,000 operating hours t/a and an energy price of €30/MWh have been assumed.
In this example, we are talking about a one-metre pipe. The figures quickly multiply to completely different heights when calculating the heat loss of, for example, tens or hundreds of metres of pipeline.
Good technical insulation in industry
- reduces energy and operating costs
- maintains the required temperatures and thus ensures process stability
- prevents condensation and helps prevent corrosion
- reduces the thermal stresses of objects
- reduces noise emissions
- increases work and health safety
- improves working comfort
In addition to the insulation, a sheathing (protection) is needed and sometimes also support structures for the sheathing
When using an insulation mat, the sheathing is supported by foundation structures, if necessary, so that the insulation does not sink and thus weaken the insulation capacity. The base structure is installed before the insulation is installed. Insulation plugs can be used to fasten the insulation and are also installed before the insulation is laid.
After the insulation layer has been installed, the sheathing is fitted to protect the insulation. The sheathing can be made from many different materials, either manufactured from scratch at the construction site or by using industrially produced parts. Finished parts naturally make the work much more efficient.
The three stages of performing insulation work in industrial insulation:
- Installing possible base structures and CLIM glue sticks or welding rods
- Installing the insulation
- Installing the sheathing
But would it be better this way:
An insulation project has just been completed at your factory, and it went surprisingly well with a product supplier and contractor specialising in industrial insulation. Both thermal insulation and sound insulation were taken care of in one go.
You dared to give the project the green light because you were given accurate calculations in advance of the payback time on an investment in insulation and how much annual savings the insulation will provide after that. So it's not just that it's easy, but it's definitely a rational decision. Within a few years, the entire investment will be paid off, generating annual savings and peace of mind.
That's something to think about - see you again in the next instalment of the article series!
Check out Armacell's ArmaSound products, which combine sound and thermal insulation.
This article was originally published by our Finnish sister company, Kespet Oy in co-operation with Armacell, and has been translated into Norwegian. Original title: Back to basics: Industrial insulation
Read part 1 of the article series here: The ABCs of insulation - Do you remember the basics of technical insulation?
Read part 2 in the article series here: The ABCs of insulation - Technical building equipment also needs care and insulation