New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc. (NHBB) is a leading manufacturer of precision bearings and assemblies for the aerospace, defense, dental, medical and high technology markets. Quality, integrity, partnership, social responsibility and education are NHBB’s shared values and practices. These guide the Company’s efforts to overcome challenges which include energy usage and the cost associated with it.
NHBB comprises three manufacturing facilities – one in California and two in New Hampshire. Over the past six years NHBB’s Astro Division (Laconia, NH) and its HiTech Division (Peterborough, NH) have worked in partnership with Public Service of New Hampshire to identify and implement energy savings measures in both facilities. NHBB has an aggressive environmental stewardship policy that emphasizes energy efficiency, pollution prevention, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement; the significant measures implemented in both facilities reflect this policy.
Over the past five years the Astro Division focused on demand-side improvements including:
- Replacement of aging motor-drives on eight swage-presses with variable speed drives allowing for decreased energy usage depending upon the machine’s workload.
- Installation of a new make-up air system above the liner production room.
- Major lighting retrofit on manufacturing floor from metal halide fixtures to high-efficiency fluorescent fixtures.
- Utilization of night setback controls on the facility’s HVAC system.
The HiTech division also upgraded its manufacturing floor’s lighting system when it replaced its 600 metal halide fixtures with the same number of high-efficiency fluorescent fixtures containing relays that can be operationally programmed and controlled remotely. Additionally, the facility converted its heating fuel source from Number 2 fuel oil to carbon neutral wood pellets.
Going forward NHBB recognizes that increased production often results in increased energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; both business units will continue to implement energy saving measures with the goal of reducing GHGs by five percent from 2006 levels.