Title
Electronic Control for Gas Boilers-Heaters
ASIC technology improves performance and reduces pollutants
Technologies used

Mixed Signal ASIC

Industrial sector (PRODCOM code)
    29 Domestic Appliances
Abstract
Puzol Industrial, S.A. is a 228-employees Spanish company, belonging to the group Cointra, which designs and manufactures gas heaters and boilers and only gas heaters and boilers since 1992, using as control elements electronic boards designed in house using standard components, based on microprocessor technology. The yearly company turnaround is about 17 MEUR. The company belongs to the industrial sector of Domestic Appliances (NACE 2971 according to the EU standard classification) and sells its products to retailers through the commercial branch of the group with the trademark Cointra. Gas heaters/boilers are used to produce warm water for domestic uses, i.e. sanitary water for bathing, washing, etc. and also for heating the house using a system of pipes and heat radiators that transfer the heat from the water to the rooms (the hot water is then moved through the piping system with a pump).

The company needed to improve their current range of gas heaters to remain competitive in a market that is always requesting more functionality. The improvement consisted on adding new functionality like controlled ventilation and improvement of fault detection capabilities. They reached this goal performing this Application Experiment, which consisted on the design and development of a control board unit to improve the features and functionality, without increasing costs, of a new model of gas boiler heater.

This was attained using mixed-signal ASIC technology for the first time, integrating a high number of elements in one chip. The resulting product is a very advanced system that allows a big number of features with better interface with the user and better energetic efficiency, reducing pollution, and at the same time reducing size and cost. With the new, more competitive system the company expects increasing in 4% the current sales revenues in Spain.

The new ASIC-based PCB is not only much more powerful than the old one. It has also much less components (22 vs. 68), its size is less than 20%, and it is 6% cheaper.

The project duration was 18 months. The overall project costs were 105 KEUR until ASIC prototypes, (204 KEUR including the industrialisation costs). The company expects to recover the total investment in 20 months, as pay back period. The return of investment is estimated to be 400% after three years of product's life.

Now the company is able to make similar projects to improve its Sanitary Water Heater product thanks to the acquired knowledge on ASIC technology, transferred during the AE.
Company
PUZOL INDUSTRIAL, S.A.
FELIPE SEBASTIA, 7.
PUZOL ( VALENCIA, SPAIN )
Detailed information
You can also benefit from microelectronics

Mixed Signal ASIC technology provided PUZOL INDUSTRIAL, S.A.with the means of improving its products and enhancing its market position. You can also achieve significant benefits by acquiring the right microelectronics technology and utilising it in your product or manufacturing process. You can get help from FUSE to realise this.

FUSE is a technology transfer programme, funded by the European Commission to stimulate the wider use of microelectronics technologies by European enterprises to increase their competitiveness and enhance their economic growth. The demonstrator described here is one of many examples in the public FUSE portfolio covering the whole spectrum of microelectronics technologies and spanning a wide range of applications and industry sectors.

FUSE provides you with:

  • Best practice in acquiring specific microelectronics technologies and conducting full development projects through the FUSE portfolio of real life demonstrator documents.
  • Local training and expert support to plan your innovation realistically and help you conduct your project successfully.

Further information and support relating to this and other demonstrators can be obtained from the addresses below.
Further information   Guiding Technology Transfer Node
For further information and support regarding this case study, please contact a Technology Transfer Node (TTN) in your region.
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