By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge An automotive parts manufacturer had an audit done on their compressed air system. The auditor placed data loggers on their system and did careful site observations of conditions in the compressor room and the plant. The processing equipment in the plant created a very dusty environment, so […]
Air Preparation
Longer static eliminator neutralizes and cleans wide surfaces
EXAIR has expanded Long Super Ion Air Knives to a range from 60β³ (1524mm) through a maximum length of 108″ (2743mm). All knives 60″ (1524mm) and longer are now made in a one piece construction. New one piece construction ensures seamless airflow and eliminates coupling multiple short length air knives together. One piece construction decreases […]
Compressed air fail: Compressor not contributing due to piping challenge
By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge A spring water bottling plant had a compressor room filled with a complicated piping to connect their four compressors to the two main areas of their plant. The plant personnel had learned a long time ago that supplying the main plant with excessive pressure increased the power […]
Compressed air fail: Unexpected operation of VSD compressor
By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge A metal foundry had a compressed air audit done thatΒ showed their three load/unload compressors were running inefficiently. Even though the units were controlled by a sequencerβwhich was supposed to coordinate the compressors according to the plant flowβthe compressors were running inefficiently. Data logging showed significant pressure differential […]
Guest blog: Saving energy with compressed air systems
Compressed air is often assumed to be a cheap or even free source of power. Yet, a typical 1,000-cfm installation consumes about $65,000 of electricity each year. In fact, energy represents about 75% of the total cost of buying and operating a compressor over its lifetime. To make matters worse, numerous independent studies confirm that […]
Compressed air fail: Negative artificial demand
By Ron Marshall for the Compressed Air Challenge A rice, grain and oil seed processor was having pressure problems in the various facilities at their manufacturing complex. The site had a central compressed air system that fed air through a network of pipes supplying six separate buildings. As the complex expanded, the compressed air load […]
Compressed air fail: Donβt shoot yourself in the foot with air guns
A cabinet manufacturer was concerned about the efficiency of the many hundreds of compressed air guns used on the production line to clean sawdust and debris from cabinet pieces before they are sent for further processing and assembly. A sales representative had sent him some free samples of some optimized compressed air guns that used […]
Compressed Air Fail: Look beyond the symptom for the cure
[A special Guest ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟ from Van Air Systems.] It was the only time a customer has threatened to sue me. His expensive new compressed air dryer wasnβt working correctly. βGet out here now and fix the problem or I call in the lawyers,β he said. Several days later, I sat in his office at the […]
Compressed air fail: Can the compressor βsee?β
A seed cleaning and distribution center had installed a small 20-hp lubricated screw compressor, a desiccant dryer and a large 1060-gal storage receiver installed in their facility. Even though the storage receiver was more than sufficient to reduce the compressor load/unload cycles down to a low frequency, the compressors continued to load and unload rapidly, […]
Compressed air fail: Using high pressure for low pressure applications
A newspaper printing plant had several printing presses that used low pressure air to help direct and manipulate the web of paper being printed. After years of operation, the small vane blowers that generated the low pressure air wore out. To save money on maintenance, rather than repairing the vane pumps, the maintenance personnel simply […]
