Brockhouse Group LTD

Established in 1885, Brockhouse Group supply closed die hammer and upset forgings up to 400kg for a range of industries. The primary site functions are drop hammer forgoing and upset forging.

Client Summary

The manufacturing operations at Brockhouse Group are energy intensive and therefore, provide significant opportunities for heat recovery and reducing energy consumption per tonne of metal forged. Furthermore, the current low energy unit rates for both gas and electricity are subject to possible increase in 2025. The management team are eager to reduce the potential risks and the impact of any future increase in energy costs.

How Rising Energy Costs Were Impacting Their Business

The nature of the business is energy-intensive with over 12,000,000 kWh of energy consumption, as steel is heated to 1300°C. Energy is the third highest cost to the business after steel and labour, meaning that the rise in energy prices have significantly affected the viability of the business.

Insights from the Energy Assessment

There are significant opportunities for the implementation of a waste heat recovery technologies. Compressed air leaks were audible from the pneumatic system and transmission pipework, causing a high utilisation factor on the compressors. Operation of the compressors is considered inefficient. The review also identified the need to extend the scope of the current energy monitoring and targeting system by adding in key pieces of equipment that are not currently monitored by their aM&T system.

Impact of Implementing the Recommendations

The projects included in the report that Brockhouse Group wish to proceed with include linking the two compressed air systems and optimisation of compressor operation, fixing compressed air leaks, extension of their energy monitoring and targeting system, and recovery of waste heat. These are expected to result in annual savings of 585,700 kWh of energy, 112 tonnes of CO2e and reduce annual energy costs by as much as £30,000.