2010 - Embraco

Interview Profile ManagementdifferentialsSustainaBIlityEnergyEffICIencyvalueChaINSoCIalinvestmentInternalPublICMATERIalItyGRIContent22We have built knowledgepartnering with universities indifferent parts of the worldPartnership workWe innovate very much, but not alone. Inorder to develop high energy efficiency,sustainable products which meet needsand expectations we maintain partnershipswith universities in several countries,in projects that mobilize hundredsof people in knowledge production andsharing. The Federal University of SantaCatarina has a special role in this jointconstruction, with the POLO Laboratory,from the same university, dedicated torefrigeration and concentrates many ofthe development initiatives.The union between academia and Embracois also reflected in the labor market,with benefits for both parties. About40% of the professionals working in thecompany’s Research & Development(R&D) area had their potential identifiedwhile carrying out projects together withuniversities.Portable coldCan you imagine a portable compressor,the size of a permanent marker, able tomaintain a comfortable temperatureinside the uniforms of those working inextreme conditions such as firefighters,miners or military? Or cooling electronicdevices that do not permit the use offans? We can.We started imagining, believing, andfor six years of work we invested time,staff and resources to make the microcompressorproject, a reality. The firstsamples went into tests in customers atthe end of 2010, and the pilot productionline begins operating in the secondhalf of 2011.The productTwo versions:2.7cm diameter X 11 cm (the sizeof a permanent marker) and5.0 cm diameter X 14 cm long(smaller than a can of soda)applications: personal cooling, electronics,medical equipment, automotiveareasThe microcompressor has the potentialto revolutionize diverse segments of thecooling market and offer an option thatis more practical, easy to use and withbetter results. The new equipment istwo to three times more efficient (consumesless energy for the same thermalresult) than the thermoelectric technology,currently used in most applicationsintended for the microcompressor.Uses battery: portableOil free: application flexibility, reducedconsumption of a non-renewablematerial, reduced environmentalimpacts at the end ofuseful life.