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wattXplorer Case Study
KUROSE CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT CO.,LTD.
Introduction of KUROSE CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT Co., Ltd.
Business Contents
Founded in August 1925,KUROSE CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT Co., Ltd., which will celebrate its
100th anniversary in August 2025, is a manufacturer of pressure vessels. Its main product
(70-80% of sales) is spiral heat exchangers, which are resistant to dirt and clogging and easy to
maintain, and boasts an overwhelming share of the market in sewage treatment plants, food companies,
etc. Under the philosophy of "supplying the best products to customers in a timely and conscientious
manner. Being a company that is trusted by customers and society in general," all employees are
working together to make proposals and shape changes to suit customers' applications and introduce
the latest technology so that the products they provide will be more needed by society.
This time.、We spoke with Mr. Kurose, President and CEO of KUROSE CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT Co., Ltd.
as well as Mr. Michii and Mr. Furuya from the Production Control Division.
Background of wattXplorer Introduction
Kurose Co., Ltd. had a strong motivation to obtain SBT (Science Based Targets) certification and successfully acquired SBT certification for small and medium-sized enterprises in October 2024. The company has set a target of reducing its GHG emissions by 46% by fiscal 2030, using fiscal 2019 as the baseline.
To achieve this target, they were particularly concerned about how to check the “invisible” electricity use of intermittently operated equipment such as overhead cranes and welding machines. After meeting our president, Mr. Wada, at an event hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), they decided to introduce wattXplorer.
Previously, a high-precision system that would measure the power consumption of the entire factory was also considered, but it was extremely expensive and had a major restriction in that "all electricity would have to be turned off during installation work."
In contrast, wattXplorer can be installed simply by plugging it into a standard 100 V outlet and offers a low initial cost. These points were decisive factors, and they introduced wattXplorer in mid-October 2024.
SBT Certification ※Has set a goal of reducing GHG emissions by 46% compared to FY2019 levels by FY2030.
wattXplorer Installation Locations
By installing it on the switchboard of multiple pieces of equipment such as compressors, the visualization of electricity has progressed dramatically.
Benefits Realized from Introducing wattXplorer
◆Accelerating Improvement Activities and Clarifying Their Effects
Because data can be checked in real time at any time from PCs or tablets, it has become easy to see at a glance which equipment has low power consumption and which has high power consumption, making it much easier to decide the priority of improvement activities.
Unlike other systems where they were concerned about the extra work of exporting CSV data, converting it in Excel, and then creating graphs, wattXplorer offers the convenience of “you just click and see,” which is a major advantage. We also heard that staff casually check the current status while using their PCs, thinking, “How are things looking today?”
What we noticed and learned after introducing wattXplorer
◆Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance
By being able to acquire power waveform data from the latest equipment, they can now determine the appropriate timing for maintenance and replacement, and more easily set priorities for their response.
In particular, in the maintenance department that manages the equipment, current data is used with such importance that it is no exaggeration to say that they only look at current rather than power values.
◆Predictive detection
Because they can see signs and trends that appear before equipment troubles occur, it has become possible to monitor conditions and make hypotheses such as, “The current is spiking, so the motor or bearings are probably starting to fail.”
◆Technical Advantages
While a typical ammeter can only see one layer of a 200V power supply, the wattXplorer can measure two layers, making it possible to detect early signs of problems such as power imbalances, which is extremely useful.
◆Visualization and Verification of Improvement Effects.
Since the effects of improvements can be confirmed immediately, they are able to move beyond mere theoretical discussions and carry out practical initiatives. In fact, wattXplorer is being actively used as a tool to verify the effectiveness of improvements.
◆Verifying Inverter Introduction
When they conducted a trial to convert the motor of a hydraulic pump to inverter (variable-frequency drive) control, they used wattXplorer to clearly compare and confirm the change in current values before and after the improvement (the reduction in current). This enabled them to verify, “We achieved this much effect.”
◆Energy Saving of Compressors
They are promoting energy saving for compressors, which account for the largest share of power consumption (22% of total). Because the compressor dedicated to resistance welding was continuously supplying air even while on standby, they installed a solenoid valve and improved the circuit so that air is not supplied to the machine during standby. As a result, the compressor is no longer running at full load all the time, and a reduction in power consumption is expected.
Interview with President Mr. Kurose (Future Outlook, etc.)
According to President and Representative Director Mr. Kurose, visualizing power consumption has made the effects of measures immediately apparent. For that reason, he would first like to advance energy-saving measures for compressors, which are the largest consumers of electricity among existing equipment.
He also mentioned that, in order to help address global warming–related disasters and reduce wasted energy, he intends to take the initiative himself, work together with the roughly 4,000 companies that have obtained SBT certification as small and medium-sized enterprises, and tackle these social issues—while also linking these efforts to recruitment activities.
Finally, as a new business going forward, he expressed his intention to leverage heat exchangers that already have a track record at sewage treatment plants and take on the challenge of applying them to various kinds of fluids.
