Everyone knows that, if left unsupervised or uncontrolled, any system will fall out of adjustment.Β Compressed air systems are no different, compressor pressure settings will drift, leaks will appear, and all manner of waste will be created by accident or design. Consider a plant that makes farm machinery, the subject of the graphic in this […]
Air Preparation
Why should you have your compressed air system audited?
If you have a look at your compressed air system, you will likely see a number of gauges telling you the pressure in the pipes β but rarely are there any instruments telling you how efficient your system is or how much compressed air is being consumed. These missing pieces mean you are operating your […]
How much money can I save by having my compressed air system audited?
Having a compressed air audit done can open your eyes to things that have gone on under your nose for a long time.Β Basic to a compressed air study is calculating the annual operating cost of the system by taking the measurements collected by system instrumentation (temporary or permanent) and the site utility costs and […]
Why should you use caution with emergency compressors?
In the heat of summer, it is common to have heat-related problems in an industrial facility.Β When these problems include the failure of the air compressor, the only option is often to bring in a motor driven portable rental compressor.Β The use of these gas or diesel units can cause huge problems in a plant […]
Why is proper installation of a piping bypass so important?
Bypass connections are required for pneumatic components that are in continuous use applications, so that the flow of air is not interrupted when the component is maintained or taken out of service.Β Typically, shut off valves are installed before and after the component and a piping loop with a shut-off valve routed around the component […]
What is causing your high pressure?
It is at times interesting to observe the variety of compressed air pressure levels one sees when visiting various industrial plants.Β Some plants operate successfully at pressures near 70 psi, yet others are running at near 200 psi.Β Often, the equipment in the facilities are doing the same function, and the reason for the boosted […]
What’s the wrong way to install a piping bypass?
Bypass connections are required for pneumatic components that are in continuous use applications, so that the flow of air is not interrupted when the component is maintained or taken out of service. Typically, shut-off valves are installed before and after the component and a piping loop with a shut-off valve routed around the component for […]
Do I want wet or dry compressed air storage?
The presence of storage receivers in a compressed air system has many benefits.Β The additional storage helps with compressor control, making the system pressure more stable and slowing down the compressor load/unload cycles β reducing compressor power consumption.Β But there is often confusion as to where to put the primary storage located near the compressors. Should the […]
Should you use utility incentives to buy new equipment?
The purchase of air compressors can be expensive. Sometimes the untimely death of your equipment can stretch the maintenance budget, and repairing it can leave you with the same old tired and inefficient equipment.Β If and when problems happen, you should consider looking for assistance through various available energy incentives. For example, a small metal […]
Compressed Air Fail: Compressor exhausted
By Ron Marshall An automotive parts manufacturer had expanded their production and were running out of compressed air capacity.Β The pressure was dropping so low that it was interrupting production activities and causing parts delays.Β Facing these problems, the maintenance foreman rented a small diesel compressor to supplement his other three electric compressors, putting it […]
