Crystal Doors latest installation of machinery is an upgrade to the existing dust extraction system. The new system is digitally connected to all ten machines and opens the extraction gates just when dust extraction is required.  On the CNC, this is when the spindle begins spinning at its 18 to 24,000 RPM.  The main fan then spins at the correct speed to compensate for each machine being used. This is from 9kw to a maximum 85kw.  Full power extraction being used continuously can cost three times what is required during a day.  At break time, the extraction system knows all ten machines are off and switches off, until the first machine is switched back on.  Controlling each machine’s extraction precisely has now allowed us to monitor real use of the machines, only as the cutting of board is done.  So production planning and unit costs can be controlled more efficiently.

Environmental issues have always been a focus for Crystal Doors and adding a diverter to our extraction system underpins our commitment to green issues.  This allows us to keep the burner we have to heat the factory during winter and divert all our excess waste we produce to be sold and used by other biomass burners.

We can burn a maximum 70kg of wood per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the winter months.  If we did not have the diverter in place, that amount of waste would be burnt during summer and sent into the atmosphere.  1900g of CO2 are present in 1kg of wood, which is seen as neutral if another tree is planted again.  However twenty warm weeks is 31kg per hour x 1.9 CO2 factor x 24 hours x 7days a week x 20 weeks  = 198 tonnes of co2 would have gone into the atmosphere without use. This is equivalent to 40 household’s CO2 each year.  On the other hand, we are saving 30 households CO2 emissions by burning waste for heat during the winter months rather than using heat generated using electricity, gas or oil.

The UK Government has only recently addressed the bad practice of biomass burners being used during summer months releasing heat to the atmosphere.  The Government only supports multi-burners producing measurable heat during winter months (water boilers), but the abuse of wasting wood to burn to the atmosphere are no longer being supported.

Industrial wood burns at a rate of 3,806 kwh / tonne.  This is nearly half compared to coal 7,500 kWh/tonne, and a third of oil/ petrol at 12,800kWh/ tonne.

The average house consumes 20,000kw or emits 5 tonnes of CO2 each year