--- title: "Energy Management Systems – Injection Molding 1" id: "5491" type: "post" slug: "energy-management-systems-injection-molding-1" published_at: "2024-06-24T16:51:39+00:00" modified_at: "2024-06-25T21:31:41+00:00" url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2024/06/energy-management-systems-injection-molding-1-005491/" markdown_url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2024/06/energy-management-systems-injection-molding-1-005491.md" excerpt: "Injection molding machines have ‘base’ and ‘process’ loads and an idling machine is not ‘free’, it is costing large amounts of energy and money. " taxonomy_category: - "Business" - "Injection Molding" - "Process" - "Sustainability" - "Trending" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Energy" - "energy management" - "Injection Molding" - "Robin Kent" --- [Home](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/) » [News](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/news/) » [Trending](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/trending/) » [Sustainability](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/trending/sustainability/) » Energy Management Systems – Injection Molding 1 # Energy Management Systems – Injection Molding 1 ### Injection molding machines have both ‘base’ and ‘process’ loads, and an idling machine incurs substantial energy and monetary costs. Even when idle, injection molding machines consume energy. The base load for standard (older) machines can range from 52% to 97.5% of the full molding energy consumption. For idle periods exceeding 20 to 45 minutes, it may be more cost-effective to switch off and restart the machine. At the very least, unnecessary services and functions, such as the main hydraulic motor, should be turned off to save energy. ## **Action:** - Check that all jobs are on the smallest machine possible – small jobs on large machines waste energy. - Plan and control the start-up sequence to limit the Maximum Demand. - Fit a warning device to sound or flash when the Maximum Demand approaches the allowable limit. - Measure start-up energy use, idling energy use and operating energy use to find the relative costs. - Define an ‘idling’ mode for all machines – heaters reduced, hydraulics off, compressed air off and chilled water off. - Stop supplying services (compressed air and cooling water) to idle machines. - Switch off barrel heaters and cooling fans between runs or lower temperatures to ‘set-back’ ≈ 110°C. - Design handling systems to operate ‘on-demand’ only. *Dr. Robin Kent is the author of ‘[Energy Management in Plastics Processing](https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Management-Plastics-Processing-Strategies/dp/0081025076/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699448773&sr=1-1) ’, published by Elsevier and Managing Director of Tangram Technology Ltd. ([www.tangram.co.uk](http://www.tangram.co.uk/) ), consulting engineers for energy and sustainability management in plastics processing.* ***Also read:*** - *[Energy Management Systems – The Gas Bill](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2024/04/nergy-management-systems-the-gas-bill-004576/)* - *[Energy Management Systems – Assessing Performance](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2024/03/energy-management-systems-assessing-performance-004089/)* - *[Energy Management Systems – Electricity Bill](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2024/01/energy-management-systems-the-electricity-bill-003151/)* - *[Energy Management Systems – Getting Started](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2023/11/energy-management-systems-getting-started-002677/)* - *[Energy Management Systems – Site Surveys](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2024/01/energy-management-systems-site-surveys-002990/)* You can also learn more about energy management at Robin’s webinar, [Energy Management in Plastics Processing](https://www.4spe.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=8627) , that took place Thursday, April 18, 2024. By **[Robin Kent](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/dr-robin-kent/)** | June 24, 2024 [http://www.tangram.co.uk](http://www.tangram.co.uk) ##### [Robin Kent](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/dr-robin-kent/) [Website](http://www.tangram.co.uk) | [+ postsBio ⮌](#) ### Other posts you could read [April 22, 2026Beyond Flaps: How Composite Skins Enable Morphing Wing Design](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/beyond-flaps-how-composite-skins-enable-morphing-wing-design-010950/) [April 27, 2026Nanocomposite Films from Car Bumper Waste](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/nanocomposite-films-from-car-bumper-waste-011041/) [April 20, 2026Real-Time Melt Monitoring in Extrusion and Injection Molding](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/real-time-melt-monitoring-in-extrusion-and-injection-molding-011167/) [April 28, 2026IKV Colloquium 2026: The Journey of Research and Industry](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/ikv-colloquium-2026-the-journey-of-research-and-industry-010989/) [April 9, 2026FlexForum 2026 Brings Flexible Packaging Leaders to Fort Myers](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/flexforum-2026-brings-flexible-packaging-leaders-to-fort-myers-011346/) [April 14, 2026How to Test for Chemical Resistance in Plastic Components](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/how-to-test-for-chemical-resistance-in-plastic-components-010963/) [April 8, 2026Recycled Carbon Fiber from Automotive Waste](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/recycled-carbon-fiber-from-automotive-waste-010930/) [April 3, 2026Digitalization and Simulation: Redefining What is Possible](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/digitalization-and-simulation-redefining-what-is-possible-010981/) ## Share Your Thoughts [Cancel reply](/2024/06/energy-management-systems-injection-molding-1-005491/#respond) - [https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&text=Energy+Management+Systems+%E2%80%93+Injection+Molding+1&via=Plastics_Mag](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&text=Energy+Management+Systems+%E2%80%93+Injection+Molding+1&via=Plastics_Mag) - [https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&t=Energy+Management+Systems+%E2%80%93+Injection+Molding+1](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&t=Energy+Management+Systems+%E2%80%93+Injection+Molding+1) - [https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&title=Energy%20Management%20Systems%20%E2%80%93%20Injection%20Molding%201&summary=Injection+molding+machines+have+%E2%80%98base%E2%80%99+and+%E2%80%98process%E2%80%99+loads+and+an+idling+machine+is+not+%E2%80%98free%E2%80%99%2C+it+is+costing+large+amounts+of+energy+and+money.%C2%A0%C2%A0&source=Plastics+Engineering](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&title=Energy%20Management%20Systems%20%E2%80%93%20Injection%20Molding%201&summary=Injection+molding+machines+have+%E2%80%98base%E2%80%99+and+%E2%80%98process%E2%80%99+loads+and+an+idling+machine+is+not+%E2%80%98free%E2%80%99%2C+it+is+costing+large+amounts+of+energy+and+money.%C2%A0%C2%A0&source=Plastics+Engineering) - [https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&title=Energy+Management+Systems+%E2%80%93+Injection+Molding+1](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=5491&title=Energy+Management+Systems+%E2%80%93+Injection+Molding+1) - [/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#99a6eaecfbf3fcfaeda4c9f5f8eaedf0faeab9dcf7fef0f7fcfcebf0f7feb9b4b9dcf7fcebfee0b9d4f8f7f8fefcf4fcf7edb9cae0eaedfcf4eab97b190ab9d0f7f3fcfaedf0f6f7b9d4f6f5fdf0f7feb9a8bffbf6fde0a4f1edede9eaa3b6b6eeeeeeb7e9f5f8eaedf0faeafcf7fef0f7fcfcebf0f7feb7f6ebfeb6a6e9a4acada0a8](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#99a6eaecfbf3fcfaeda4c9f5f8eaedf0faeab9dcf7fef0f7fcfcebf0f7feb9b4b9dcf7fcebfee0b9d4f8f7f8fefcf4fcf7edb9cae0eaedfcf4eab97b190ab9d0f7f3fcfaedf0f6f7b9d4f6f5fdf0f7feb9a8bffbf6fde0a4f1edede9eaa3b6b6eeeeeeb7e9f5f8eaedf0faeafcf7fef0f7fcfcebf0f7feb7f6ebfeb6a6e9a4acada0a8) - [#comments](#comments)