Caterpillar - Mapleton Foundry
Mapleton, Illinois
Intern: Greg Evans
Bradley University, Peoria
Caterpillar's Mapleton Foundry is a gray iron foundry that casts engine blocks, engine heads and cylinder liners, with sizes ranging from 15,000-22,000 pounds. The facility occupies 440 acres and employs 800 people.
The intern worked on several projects, including external lighting, natural gas metering and reduction, container recycling and electricity usage.
Results:
The intern made the following recommendations:
- Update the external lighting fixtures, which could save up to $21,000 a year in electricity costs. This project would also save 72,182 kilowatts a year, while reducing CO2 emissions by 61 tons.
- Install sub-meters in three locations to better quantify natural gas usage at the facility.
- Invert the foundry ladles to keep heat from escaping when not in use. This project could save $1,150, while reducing gas usage by over 2,100 therms a year. CO2 emissions would be reduced by 12.5 tons per year.
- Reuse water from the induction furnace to preheat the air entering the building. This project could save $9,000 a year, while reducing natural gas use by over 15,000 therms. CO2 emissions would be reduced by 90 tons a year for each heating unit.
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