Technology

When users consider adding an oil free air compressor to their facility, there are several factors that should go into the decision to ensure it is the right equipment for the user’s operation. Some considerations and factors can include why to choose oil free to begin with; how to properly select and size the compressor; how to adjust sizing for different cooling water conditions or different ambient temperatures; and what it will take to maintain the compressor throughout its lifespan. To lay a foundation, it is important to first understand why oil free air is important, how compressed air is used and what options are on the market.

For decades, a major meat processor and packaging operation in Northern England did what many growing companies do when more compressed air is needed to meet demand: added another air compressor and then another air compressor and so on. Yet the company decided the strategy of adding equipment had run its course, especially given a positive outlook for continued growth and the need to resolve nagging issues with system downtime and compressed air quality.

This article is for you if your company is purchasing nitrogen gas at 99.999% purity and you’re not sure why.  While there are many applications which do require nitrogen gas concentrated to 99.999%, they are significantly outweighed by the applications that don’t. Rather than relying on a delivery of bulk liquid or pressurized cylinders, many nitrogen users are choosing to produce a custom supply of nitrogen within their facility, and they are doing it at a fraction of the cost. Over the past decade we’ve seen a mass industry shift from delivered nitrogen supply, to nitrogen generation.

Industrial operations and manufacturers using pneumatics have access to more Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology than ever before, from position sensors on cylinders to system flow sensors and edge gateways that operate independently from the machine controller with globally accepted communication protocols.

One of the most satisfying parts of being a compressed air system auditor is resolving compressed air system reliability issues. This article exposes a seldom, if ever, mentioned problem that can occur when air dryers are dedicated to air compressors. It examines a real-world application and discusses the action taken to remedy the situation.

There are many critical components involved in rotary screw air compressors, and the lubricant we use is of vital importance in the process.  Screw machines rely heavily on these fluids for bearing lubrication, system cleanliness, water removal, sealing, as well as heat transfer. These fluids work in a very unforgiving environment and must function well in circumstances that would normally be deemed torturous in other lubricant applications. We run it at high velocities, through scorching temperatures, while we blast it with water.

Moisture in compressed air is almost never a good thing. It can damage a compressed air system by causing corrosion, rust and scale buildup. It can damage downstream equipment with these moisture byproducts or with the moisture itself. It can negatively affect processes and products that require dry compressed air.

The AZEK Company is a producer of durable and low maintenance building materials, and like many manufacturers, it found its compressed air system to be time consuming and expensive to keep maintained. But that changed after the company replaced its outdated and faulty compressed air system with a new design that includes technically advanced air compressors, dryers, receiver tanks – as well as controls to provide better control of the entire system and achieve optimal performance.

When an automotive company added a new 200-horsepower (hp) rotary screw air compressor and accompanying dryer to a satellite building at its Chicago-area assembly plant, it needed a cost-effective way to integrate the equipment into its existing compressed air network. Doing so would allow plant personnel to easily monitor the air compressor’s performance and ensure it operates in harmony with the plant’s centrifugal air compressors. Importantly, it would contribute to efficient and reliable air compressor operation at all times.

A major automotive company needed a newer and more efficient compressed air system at one of its manufacturing plants. The original system had been operating inefficiently with old equipment and controls. Faced with a major capital investment, the plant switched to a performance contracting model.