A RANGE of “green” machines are arriving on UK factory floors which can be run on rape seed oil and switch themselves off after 25 seconds to save energy if the operator temporarily moves to another job.

The machines are used for crimping hose assemblies and manipulated tubes and are entering the UK from Finland, where they are made by Finn-Power.

Noel Chambers - Finn-Power Sales manager UK and Ireland for Birmingham-based hydraPower-dynamics - said: “It is essential that companies do not neglect their responsibilities for eco-friendly production and these machines are the start of a new responsibility on the shop floor.”

Mr Chambers said the machines - manufactured in Finland - were for use in hydraulic workshops and particularly for doing small assembly manufacturing and tube applications.

Many of the hoses and tubes manufactured by hydraPower-dynamics on Finn-Power machinery are used on Virgin’s Pendelino West Coast mainline trains and other essential forms of transport within the UK, and it is estimated that 70 per cent of companies in the UK use some type of Finn-Power machinery.

Mr Chambers said: “We had the machines on display at the IFPEX show at the NEC and they created a lot of interest because of their eco-friendly use; the result was more orders.”

Patrick Browne, managing director of hydraPower-dynamics, said: “We understand in today’s market energy-efficient machines are becoming more essential at every level. “Hydrapower Dynamics have spoken to a number of companies who are extremely interested in the manufacturing cost savings that these machines will create, and we are also working on a product that will enable us to fit energy-saving devices to machinery already in the field.

“Businesses possibly do not consider the cost of machines that are left on for even short periods, and I guarantee that I could walk into most factories and find machines that are left running burning energy and creating costs to the company.

“In the past on smaller machines we did not consider the energy efficiency but today it is a major concern and we are finding more companies ask about energy consumption along with manufacturing efficiency.

“We probably do not realise that old machines can use 50 per cent more energy than today’s models, but I believe with the ever-increasing cost of energy people will need to consider whether to replace old models on that basis alone.

“All businesses are looking at cost savings but how many consider the cost of keeping old machines?”