By Ron Marshall, Contributing Editor Fred had been the plant engineer at the packaging facility for nearly ten years, and he thought he understood his compressed air system well. The compressors ran, the machines worked most of the time, and whenever there was a moisture problem someone usually changed a filter or drained a receiver […]
Air Compressors
Compressed air fail: The water problem that started at the cooling air intake
By Ron Marshall When Sarahβs phone rang for the third time that week about water in the compressed air system, she assumed she already knew where the problem was. The maintenance supervisor reported water collecting in filter bowls, operators complained that pneumatic cylinders were becoming sluggish, and one production line had experienced quality problems because […]
Every compressed air audit should start with a block diagram
By Ron Marshall When engineers begin a compressed air audit, there is often a strong temptation to install instruments immediately. Pressure loggers are connected, power meters are hooked up, flowmeters are positioned, and data begins accumulating. It feels productive, but there is a risk: if you do not first understand how the compressed air system […]
Compressed air fail: Look for your numbers
By Ron Marshall Mike had walked past his compressors thousands of times. Two rotary screw compressors were installed in the corner of the plant, humming away just as they always had. He knew how to start them, how to stop them, and who to call when something didn’t sound right. Beyond that, the control panel […]
Your compressor may not be the problem β but your data might be!
By Ron Marshall When a compressed air system struggles, the compressor usually gets blamed first. Pressure is dropping at the far end of the plant. Production tools are slowing down. Another compressor is running more often than expected. The energy bill is climbing. The first reaction of management is often predictable: βWe need a bigger […]
When a remote compressed air audit reveals big savings
By Ron Marshall When the phone rang in the summer a few years ago, Ron knew the project would be unusual. A sawmill nearly 1,000 miles away needed a compressed air assessment, but an injured knee made flying impossible. Normally, a project like this would require airports, hotels, and days spent carrying instruments through the […]
Is your compressor room like a sauna?
Contributed by Ron Marshall Richard, the maintenance manager at a plant that manufactures powdered coatings, was used to dealing with heat. The curing ovens in the facility ran hot, and summer months always made the production floor uncomfortable. But one area of the plant seemed especially unbearable β the compressor room. Every time Richard stepped […]
Compressed air fail: The 40-kW wake-up call
By Ron Marshall George ran the compressed air system at his plant for eleven years. If you would have asked him last spring how it was doing, heβd have shrugged and said, βFine.β Two screw compressors, sharing the load, humming along the way they always had. Nobody calls a meeting about compressed air until something […]
Is your air dryer quietly wasting energy?
Mark had always considered himself a capable plant manager. He knew his way around the facility, understood the production demands, and trusted his maintenance team to keep things running. As far as he was concerned, the compressed air system was doing its job. The air was dry, production wasnβt complaining, and the compressors were humming […]
Stop the silent thief: Save money with compressed air efficiency
Walk through almost any manufacturing plant and youβll hear it, the steady hum of compressors, the hiss of air tools, the pulse of production. To many, it sounds like business as usual. But to someone who understands compressed air systems, that same sound can also mean one thing: Money leaking away! Compressed air is often […]
