Question: I need your advice about how to adjust the dew point for the dryers which are equipped with a dew point controller. Also, for those not having a controller, how can we determine which dew point is the best setting β -40 or -70? Answer: This is a complicated question. The method for adjusting […]
Air Preparation
Compressed air fail: Ventilation design
A plastics manufacturer was having constant trouble with his desiccant air dryers. No matter what he did, they would constantly set off dewpoint alarms, which was very annoying. He called in a compressed air auditor to have a look. The auditor shot temperatures and found that the discharge of the compressors was too hot. Outputs […]
Compressed air fail: A modulation nightmare
John, the maintenance manager of a wood products company, was very proud of his Number 3 compressor. It has been operating for years, racking up more than 200,000 run hours β and was so trouble free, it was almost scary. Of course, John kept it maintained, changing oil and filters on a regular basis, fixing […]
Compressed air fail: Fire system
A large industrial plant fell on hard times and had to reduce their production shifts to only 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. The compressed air system remained running full time 24 hours a day, including weekends, due to the need to supply the plantβs dry fire system with air pressure. The total […]
Should I repair or replace my aging air compressor?
What should you do when it comes time to decide if you should repair or replace your aging air compressor? There are a few things you should consider. Air compressors are like motor vehicles β if they are used continuously, hardly shutting down, they should not be expected to run for a long time without […]
Why are compressed air temperature ratings important?
Question: My compressed air dryer is rated at 100Β° F inlet air temperature. What will happen if the air temperature is lower than this? Answer: Having the air temperature lower than the dryer rating is a good thing. Actually, dryers are commonly rated at 100Β° F inlet temperature, 100 psi and 100Β° F ambient temperature. […]
Compressed air: A bike tire analogy
Running out of pressure? Think about storage volume. Consider this β remember when you had your 10-speed bike with those thin tires? You could ride quite fast, but when it came to filling up the tubes to the proper pressure, all it took was a small shot on the fill valve to change the pressure […]
Compressed air fail: Dusty filters
A sawmill ran a set of six large air-cooled compressors to feed their various processes. To cool the compressors, the air was drawn from outdoors and mixed with indoor air to keep temperatures from freezing the compressors in winter. This facility has a tough environment for cooling air because of the sawdust. To attempt to […]
Are two VSD compressors a problem?
Question: Iβm a compressor salesperson. Lately, the large building tenders weβve seen have been specβd for two variable speed screw compressors to run together sharing the load. This would make sense to me if one was a 100% backup and they never ran together, but that does not seem to be the case. Everything Iβve […]
ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟ system upgrade preserves collegiate tradition
SMC recently updated the pneumatic system on the Boilermaker Special VII, the official mascot of Purdue University. According to the Reamer Club that cares for the train, the Boilermaker Special is the worldβs largest, fastest, heaviest, and loudest collegiate mascot. Some of these accolades can be attributed to the trainβs extensive pneumatic system, which controls […]









