Weaver’s Custom Woodworking Reduces Electricity Use with Ecogate
About Weaver's Custom Woodworking
Weaver’s Custom Woodworking, a family-owned company founded by Mark Weaver in 2008, specializes in building custom kitchen and bathroom cabinets, as well as custom built-ins for offices, libraries, and more. Located in New Holland, Pennsylvania, Weaver's offers high-quality products at reasonable and affordable prices.
The Growing Company's Challenge
As the company grew, Weaver's moved into a new shop in 2017 and purchased a large dust collector at an auction to meet their increasing dust collection needs. However, the dust collector was larger than required, leading to excessive operational costs if run at 100% capacity during working hours.
Ecogate Solution
Owner Mark Weaver realized that Ecogate could help by controlling the dust collection system fan speed in real-time based on machine demand, significantly reducing electricity consumption.
Ecogate monitors workstation activity using machine activity sensors. These sensors provide input for the greenBOX control unit, which automatically opens electric blast gates to machines generating dust and closes blast gates to inactive machines. The Ecogate Power Master variable frequency drive adjusts the dust collection fan speed to match total air volume requirements.
Mark, with the help of an electrician and local repairman, installed the Ecogate system himself, citing the process as straightforward. The fully automated, highly-efficient Ecogate system delivers dust collection only when and where needed, using about 30% of the power previously consumed.
Benefits of Ecogate Installation
Mark appreciates the electricity savings and noise reduction resulting from the Ecogate installation. The greenBOX controller also eliminates the need to manually turn the dust collector on and off.
Weaver's Custom Woodworking now saves approximately 70% of the electricity that their new dust collector would have consumed at full capacity. The company also received an incentive from PPL's Electric Utilities Business Rebate Program due to the substantial energy savings.
The Ecogate project has been a success, saving Weaver's money on electricity bills and allowing the company to focus on delivering high-quality products and ensuring customer satisfaction.
