Did you know that garbage bags have a use in the compressed air industry? The use of garbage bags to determine compressed air leakage, is described in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (USDOE) MEASUR tool and is a straightforward and cost-effective method for roughly estimating air leaks in a compressed air system. This technique is […]
Components
New pneumatic robotic tool changers from SMW Autoblok
SMW Autoblok just launched a new line of quick-change, pneumatic robotic tool changers that can be combined with various pneumatic grippers and C40 inductive couplers for contactless, wear-free energy and signal transmission. With these new products, grippers, tools, and other end effectors can be changed quickly to increase cycle time and productivity and are effectively […]
Pre-configured and assembled air preparation units for safe food use
Festo introduces a line of pre-configured, assembled, and tested compressed air preparation units that not only makes specification and ordering faster and easier, but also ensures clean air in food and beverage production. Right out of the box, the new units meet the Safe Quality Food (SQF) guidelines of final filtration stage 0.01 micron (Β΅m) […]
Compressed air fail: Pipe and tank corrosion
Corrosion in steel pipes and storage receivers within compressed air systems is a common issue that can significantly impact system efficiency, safety, and longevity. This process is primarily driven by the presence of water and acid condensate, both of which are common byproducts in compressed air environments. Understanding how corrosion occurs can help in implementing […]
NITRA CPS9E series dovetail cylinder position switches from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has added NITRA CPS9E series cylinder position switches which are compact general-purpose switches designed to detect the position of a pneumatic cylinder’s magnetic piston. This feedback can be used by a control system to determine cylinder position, cycle count, and to confirm operation. These switches are manufactured specifically to fit into extruded or […]
Compressed air fail: Dust collectors
Dust collector reverse pulse cleaning is commonly deployed in any industry that creates powdered dust. Through the years, it is common to see expensive failures of these devices that consume excessive amounts of compressed air. Often times, these failures go undetected. Dust collector reverse pulse cleaning is a highly efficient method for removing accumulated dust […]
Compressed air fair: Keep it cool, not cooked
Air-cooled air compressors are crucial to keeping the production process running in many industries; they work by turning power into usable energy. Their performance, however, depends heavily on their ability to stay cool. If dust and debris clog up a compressor, it can overheat, work less efficiently, and cost more to operate. Fig. 1 and […]
ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟ valves provide greater automation flexibility, optimized flow
Emerson has launched its Aventics series XV pneumatic valves. Series XV valves are designed with interoperability in mind to provide machine builders across multiple industries and factory automation applications with a flexible and cost-effective valve platform. The new valves are ideal for machine buildersΒ and end users that operate across the globe, with universal threads […]
Compressed air fail: Happy ending
Tom, a diligent plant engineer at a mid-sized manufacturing facility, faced persistent problems with his compressed air system powering his crucial production lines. Despite repeated attempts to fix various symptoms β frequent drops in pressure, excessive energy consumption, and sporadic equipment failures β the problems persisted, causing costly downtime and frustration on the factory floor. […]
Compressed air fail: Bad KPIs
Compressed air systems classed as βbest practicesβ have permanent monitoring systems installed that can automatically track the performance of the system. In this way, problems can be easily detected and dealt with quickly. Important variables like pressure, power, flow, temperature, and dew point are measured and sent to a central database, to be stored for […]
