By Ron Marshall Youβve sealed leaks, upgraded nozzles, optimized piping, and trained your team on compressed air efficiency β yet all your compressors are still running. Sound familiar? Youβre not alone. Many facilities invest heavily in improving the demand side of their compressed air system, only to see little or no reduction in compressor usage. […]
Air Compressors
Why your compressed air system may be costing more than you think
By Ron Marshall If youβve ever heard that it takes between 7 and 8 hp of input energy to get just 1 hp of work from a compressed air system, you might already suspect that these systems arenβt the most efficient. But the reality is even worse. In real-world industrial settings, compressed air systems often […]
Simple design changes can reduce packaging machine air consumption
Total savings over the lifecycle of the packaging machine can surpass 30%, outweighing the incremental cost of enabling components. By Steve Bain, Industry Segment Manager,Β Food and Packaging, Festo Original equipment manufacturers reduce packaging machine air consumption by more than 30% while increasing the speed of their packaging machines by designing those machines with valve terminals […]
Premium refrigerated compressed air dryers manage industrial plant air
Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions has expanded its product offering with the launch of its premium refrigerated compressed air dryers. This addition rounds out Tsunamiβs line of compressed air solutions and offers customers a reliable, cost-effective option for managing moisture in compressed air systems. With dew points between 38 and 50Β° F and flow capacities from […]
Compressed air fail: Summer compressor problems
At a large machine shop in the Midwest, everything ran smoothly most of the year. The plant used a big, air-cooled screw compressor and a refrigerated air dryer to power tools, paint booths, and machines. During the cooler months, the system performed great. There were no complaints, and the maintenance crew didnβt pay much attention […]
Compressed air fail: Not set and forget
Joe was the plant manager at a busy manufacturing facility. He had been in the job for a few years and thought he had a good handle on everything. One of the systems he never really worried about was the big industrial screw air compressor out in the utility room. It had always worked just […]
Compressed air fail: Blowdown broken
A compressed air auditor was surprised to see an air compressor under test was consuming excess power when unloaded. A check of the sump pressure (Fig. 1) showed the sump was not blowing down during unload cycles. And the installed flow meter showed the compressor was producing a small amount of air, even in the […]
Compressed air fail: Big/small comparison
During an audit, a compressed air professional noticed an interesting characteristic. While a 300-hp compressor was used to supply an average of 800 cfm during production activity, he noticed the compressed air flow to the plant fell to about 130 cfm during non-production times on weekends. He also noticed that the plant had a 75-hp […]
Save costs by managing βenergy gobblersβ
The Energy Services Act is a key piece of legislation in Germany that aligns with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. It mandates that large enterprises conduct regular audits to improve energy efficiency and reduce overall consumption or potentially face fines up to β¬50,000. Such legislation drives technology innovation and increases the adoption of efficient machinery, […]
Compressor troubles? RFM is the answer!
Often during audits of compressed air system, we find that operating staff have no clue as to how their equipment works. This causes so much trouble regarding operation and maintenance. Many people who work with compressed air systems know how to turn the equipment on and off. But when it comes to really understanding how […]
