Case Study: Heat Problems in Air-Conditioned Rooms of an Electronics Manufacturing Plant

Problem and Impact

An electronic component manufacturing plant faced the following issues:

• Room temperature exceeded the standard set for air-conditioned rooms in the factory
• Air conditioning units were working hard but couldn’t efficiently reduce room temperature
• Employees felt uncomfortable
• High electricity costs led to increased production costs

Causes

• Heat radiation from electric baking ovens: Multiple large ovens operating in air-conditioned areas
• Heat radiation through metal oven covers surrounding the ovens

Improvements

• Install removable insulation on all sides of the ovens
• Install removable insulation on all oven covers

Results of Improvements

1. Temperature:
   • Room temperature decreased by about 3°C
   • Oven surface temperature decreased by about 60-80°C
   • Oven cover temperature decreased by about 15°C
2. Energy:
   • Electricity costs decreased by about 20%

Lessons Learned

• Managing heat at the source (ovens) can solve the problem more effectively than trying to reduce room temperature with air conditioning alone
• Using removable insulation is an efficient method to reduce heat radiation from high-temperature equipment
• Solving heat-related problems can positively impact the work environment, employee health, and energy savings
• Investing in energy efficiency improvements can help reduce long-term production costs

Additional Recommendations

• Consider separating areas with high heat-emitting equipment from normal work areas
• Regularly inspect and maintain the air conditioning system to maintain efficiency
• Study the feasibility of using excess heat from the production process for other purposes, such as water heating or electricity generation
• Train employees on efficient energy use and the importance of maintaining appropriate room temperatures.