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Garlock – High-Performance Fluid Sealing Manufacturer

inside-garlock-facility

Industry

Industrial

Challenge

After investing in numerous energy improvements across their facilities, Garlock decided to take their energy efficiency to the next level by adopting a SEM plan.

Results

By syncing new energy project opportunities with their business goals, Garlock can tackle energy improvements in a more strategic way, without seeing any decrease in production or quality of their product.

SEM Partner

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

nyserda.ny.gov/
27/480
Uncovered bad steam traps
SCADA
Installed monitoring system

The takeaway is that we are looking at energy differently and seeing new perspectives to connect with more people. Now people are understanding the importance of energy and feeling empowered to help control costs.

Andy Geoghan

Engineer @ Garlock

Industrial-blue-square

About Garlock

Garlock is a global manufacturer of high-performance sealing solutions with an emphasis on safety, longevity, and productivity. With a history dating back over 135 years, Garlock today maintains a global presence of manufacturing and distribution facilities. Garlock is focused on the creation of a more environmentally sustainable workplace. Since 2005, Garlock has invested over $70 million in these initiatives.

The Challenge

When NYSERDA approached Andy Geoghan about taking part in its Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program to reduce overall energy use at industrial facilities, he was skeptical of whether the time investment was worth the reward. After all, he had already made significant energy reductions in both natural gas and electrical usage. But because he’d worked with NYSERDA on a boiler project, a chiller project, a lighting project, a compressed air project, and a site energy opportunity review project and seen great results, he agreed to give SEM a try.

The Solution

For Andy, the most important way the SEM program is improving Garlock’s energy management capabilities is through the structure it provides. The company can now identify and assess a range of project opportunities, prioritize them in sync with business goals, and then tackle improvements in a more measured, strategic way. And the process certainly hasn’t slowed them down.

In just the first six months of the pilot, Garlock has:

  • Retrofitted lake water pumps with variable frequency drives.
  • Installed a SCADA utility monitoring system to track the efficiency and performance of the main utilities across the campus.
  • Upgraded controls on a large steam press to automatically shut it down when not in use.
  • Surveyed its steam traps, uncovering 27 bad traps out of 480. Repairs are complete and a sustainable inspection & repair program is in place.

The Results

Garlock has also gained tools and resources to help employees understand and engage with the impact of energy on the company’s bottom line. Andy credits the modeling tools, in particular, with increased staff awareness and interaction.

“A lot of people were blown away by the modeling and predicting tools,” he says. “For other people, the map is more important. The significant takeaway is that we are looking at energy differently and finding new perspectives to connect with more people. Now people are finally understanding the importance of energy and feeling empowered to help control costs.”

Not only is Garlock management pleased with the results, its parent company is now considering launching similar programs at facilities across North America.

Visit NYSERDA's Full Case Study >>