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Cost of energy for heat treating?Question: How much does it cost to heat treat pallets in energy.Short answer: During one of our heat treatment cycles in one of our turn-key pallet kilns in North Carolina. We normally say between 5 to 15 cents per pallets. These pallets weight about 60 lbs and started at 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celcius). The kiln used 22 gallons of LP Gas at 80 cents per gallon (volume purchase price). The kiln was loaded with 600 pallets and the gas cost was exactly 2.93 cents per pallet. Detailed answer: Of cause saying 3 cents per pallet is easy and only a general rule of thumb. Based on our customer experience we have seen costs as low as 2 cents during the summer using natural gas and up to 6-7 cents in the winter (in Indiana) using LP gas. We have also heard claims that some kilns only use 1 cent per pallet, which is possible on pallets that weight 20-30 lbs, 1" stringers, and with a starting temperature of 90 F; however, this is not your typical run. Basicly, all systems uses about the same amount of energy to heat the pallets plus a waste factor. The energy waste factor will depend on the chamber insulation (more is better and no thermal conductors), heat system efficiency (direct heat is higher/better), adequate and even air flow (too little will extent the process), and length of treatment period (shorter is better). So when comparing the hype from different kiln manufactures look at the building and design facts to make an educated choice. Major factors influencing energy usage:
We believe it is important for you to realize that the energy cost is only a small portion of the total cost of heat treating pallets. Learn more about total heat treating cost and potential profit with pallet heat treating. We hope above information has been useful and helped shed a little light on the subject. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. |
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