Annual Report 2006 - Munters

“In many instances, Munters has the mostenergy-efficient products on the marketand, as the technology leader, it continuouslystrives to improve the environmentalsustainability features of all its products.”Munters is one of very few in a fragmented industry. Thecompetition primarily consists of small companies that operatein their own local market or in specific customer segments.Customers include global companies such as Pfizer, Nestléand General Electric.Operations at Industrial Dehumidification during the yearfocused on further developing the modular product platformsthat serve as the foundation of the Munters dehumidifierrange. Based on these platforms, cost-efficient products aredeveloped, providing economies of scale and the ability toadapt to the particular requirements of customers. The mostimportant modular products are the Integrated CustomAirhandler (ICA) platform, which consists of large industrialsystems, and which accounts for one-third of the sales volumeamong industrial customers in the American market.Commercial Dehumidification specializes in humidity andtemperature controls for commercial spaces such as supermarkets,schools, restaurants and hospitals. Supermarkets are the singlelargest segment, of which Wal-Mart is the largest customer.Traditional air-conditioning systems do not reduce the relativehumidity of the supplied air. On the contrary: when the air iscooled, the relative humidity increases. This results in a humidindoor climate, which in turn leads to mold and bacteria growth.As in Industrial’s operations, customers in this segmentfocus increasingly on energy conservation and life cycle costs.Traditional HVAC suppliers compete primarily on low initialinvestment costs, but with higher operating cost solutions thanMunters’ systems. The new third generation Munters HumidityControl Unit (HCU) allows for separate controls of temperatureand humidity, with market-leading energy efficiency.CUSTOMER CASECleaner environment and reduced energyconsumption with PowerPurgeTownsends, Inc. is one of the largest producers of chickenmeat in the United States. The requirement for a dry,bacteria-free work environment is very important, withfrequent inspections by regulatory agencies. The companyhad been experiencing problems with condensationbuildup in their facilities. The condensation was formed byexcess fluids from the daily disinfections as well as moistair from air intakes and vents. Up to 20 employees spentevery night drying down ceilings, walls and equipment.The solution was to install Munters CondensationControl System (CCS). The system was equipped withMunters latest innovation, PowerPurge, which recoverswaste heat from dehumidification. Using PowerPurge,energy consumption is reduced by as much as 40 percent,while retaining the same efficiency.For Townsends, Inc. the plant’s condensation problemhas been significantly reduced. Ceilings stay dry and the littlecondensation that needs to be dried off manually is handledby just a few employees. As a result, the work environmentis cleaner, productivity has improved, and energy costs arelower.M U N T E R S A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 6 15