The end of the highly planned 10-week project not only provides Xaar with the latest smart factory manufacturing for its inkjet printheads but delivers significant sustainability benefits to the Group, with a rapid payback on the investment expected.
Through setting up a digital twin of its cleanroom, workflows have been dramatically improved, reducing waste and inefficiencies. In addition, by installing smart meters, Xaar is also able to track energy usage every five minutes enabling the business to identify and eliminate any areas of energy wastage with analysis of this data.
Maintaining the temperature and air handling in cleanroom areas is extremely energy intensive and by reorganising the space from four cleanroom-controlled areas to three, and separating off part of its footprint, Xaar expects to reduce energy usage by up to 40 per cent, while gaining 18 per cent extra space for future developments.
Environment is one of four key pillars within Xaar’s Sustainability Roadmap, which launched in 2022, and the improvements made during the cleanroom shut down, has also seen the fitting of efficient LED lighting and new production machines.
With the recent launch of the Aquinox, Xaar’s water-based printhead in November last year, the company has been keen to increase its production yields to fulfil the increased demand, and the streamlined manufacturing flow now provides this.
Paul Shepherd, Head of Engineering at Xaar said: “This project has major outcomes from a sustainability and manufacturing perspective, through enabling us to intelligently manage our production.
“Our flexible cleanroom and upgraded equipment and services, will save significantly on our energy consumption at Huntingdon, while continuing to ensure we provide the industrial inkjet printheads our growing global customer base demands.”
