Cadbury Factory Cuts Energy 60%, Costs 50% With Dehumidifier

April 5, 2011

Cadbury Factory Cuts Energy 60%, Costs 50% With Dehumidifier

A Cadbury chewing gum factory in Thailand reduced its energy use by 60 percent and operating expenses by 50 percent with a new dehumidifying system, the company reports.

The Cadbury Adams (Thailand) Co. facility replaced a solid desiccant wheel dehumidifier with an Advantix Systems DuCool liquid desiccant unit. This not only lowered costs, but reduced maintenance requirements, Advantix said.

Chewing gum manufacture requires tight control over moisture and temperature conditions. Stages of chewing gum production include manufacture, rolling, stripping, breaking and wrapping – each of which requires a different temperature and humidity level.

Initially, Cadbury Adams attempted to maintain these conditions using a desiccant wheel, but these tend to emit heat to the process and therefore necessitate additional cooling, Advantix said. Desiccant wheels must also be replaced every three to five years.

By adopting the Advantix System, Cadbury was able to reduce its air conditioning usage. The plant cuts its energy use by 300,000 kW a year, or 60 percent. Installation costs of the system were 11 percent lower than for a desiccant wheel, with a return on investment of 2.3 years, and Cadbury cut its operating expenses in half. The company also reduced maintenance costs and is producing less defective product, Advantix said.

Advantix Systems, which was founded in Israel and has operations in Miami, said that its liquid-based dehumidification system is based on the physics of the Dead Sea. The system uses a non-toxic salt water solution to dehumidify and clean the air.

When the liquid is heated, it releases moisture back outside in the form of vapor. The liquid is also a natural disinfectant that eliminates bacteria, microorganisms, and odor, Advantix says.

U.S. food giant Kraft, which bought Cadbury last year, recently announced it is rolling out EPS Corp energy and carbon management software to all manufacturing facilities in the company’s grocery unit.

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