Industrial Utility Efficiency

Industries

Four Compressed Air Demand Reduction Projects

By Don Van Ormer, Senior Auditor, APenergy

A large food manufacturing operation in the U.S. Midwest spends $529,000 annually on energy to operate the compressed air system.  The plant currently has two supply-side systems that operate and feed two different distribution networks at two different pressures. One compressed air system is at 115 psig (medium pressure system) and the low-pressure system is at 30 psig. The compressed air equipment for both systems is located in four areas throughout the facility.  
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Food Packaging OEMs, Vacuum and Air Quality at IPPE

By Roderick M. Smith, Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

We visited the 2024 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) with the objective being to discuss hygienic vacuum and compressed air system designs within thermoforming and other meat/poultry/cheese packaging systems. We were able to discuss the sanitary designs they deploy and some protective measures they have in place, should the manufacturing plant provide compressed air which is not clean and dry and therefore conducive to hygienic manufacturing. 
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Air Cannon Innovations in Preheater Towers

By Brad Pronschinske, Director of Air Cannons Business Group, Martin Engineering

An essential part of the cement production process is the consistent flow of bulk materials, as poor material flow can put a stranglehold on a plant’s profitability. Accumulations in storage systems and process vessels can choke material movement, causing bottlenecks that create expensive obstacles to equipment performance and process efficiency. Poor material flow also raises maintenance expenses, diverting manpower from core activities. If they become severe enough, flow problems can bring production to a complete stop. 
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Defining the Purity of Facility Generated Nitrogen Gas

By the Compressed Air & Gas Institute

While oxygen is unquestionably the most important gas in our atmosphere, as it is essential for most animals and human life, nitrogen is the most widely used atmospheric gas.  Nitrogen is the go-to gas for countless industrial, medical, and scientific applications. This is because nitrogen is in vast supply, inert, and possesses the desirable characteristics of being colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The purity of nitrogen significantly affects the outcome of the application for which it is used and how the industry measures the purity of nitrogen gas is the focus of this article.       
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DENSO Compressed Air Leak Detection Program Drives CO2 Reduction Results

By Mike Grennier, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

Given that compressed air leak management programs are meant to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions, and generate ROI, DENSO’s Maryville, Tennessee, manufacturing facility can definitively say it has scored a trifecta when it comes to results – and reaped benefits beyond hard numbers alone.
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Compressed Air, Nitrogen Generation and Chiller Systems at Fabtech 2023

By Roderick M. Smith, Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

FABTECH 2023, a leading event for metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing, successfully wrapped up its four-day run at Chicago's McCormick Place, achieving significant milestones for attendance, exhibitors, and show floor size. The 2023 show floor, spanning an impressive 825,325 square feet across three exhibit halls, featured an extensive showcase of over 1,500 world-class suppliers. 
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In the Spirit of Improvement - Nation’s oldest distiller takes practical approach to compressed air system upgrade

By Brian Keelen, Vice President, Air & Gas Technologies and Brian Sorbello, Northeast Region Manager, Rogers Machinery

Laird & Company has been pioneering and perfecting Applejack brandy for 325 years. In 1698, William Laird immigrated from County Fyfe, Scotland to Monmouth County, New Jersey, bringing nothing but the distillation skills of his homeland with him. Keen to experiment with the ingredients of the New World, William began to dabble in the distillation of the most abundant crop in the area – apples. 
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Food Safety Design Tips for Pneumatic Systems

By Steve Bain, Industry Segment Manager Food & Beverage, Festo US

Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) under FSMA CFR Title 21 117.40 is the cornerstone of this food safety effort. Title 21 details the cleanability and cross contamination standards that plants must meet so that food is deemed safe. The following are tips for updating existing pneumatic systems in food and packaging and what to look for when purchasing new systems. 
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Choosing the Best Wastewater Mixing System - How Compressed Gas Mixing Overcomes Daunting Challenges

By Sarah Elger, P.E., Director of Strategy and Marketing and John Koch, P.E., Vice President of Technology, EnviroMix Inc.

When selecting a mixing technology, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their consultant engineers must consider numerous factors, balancing specific treatment demands with plant priorities and ultimately choosing the technology that best suits their needs and specifications. Compressed gas mixing (CGM) is often the best solution, allowing designers to circumvent many challenges that alternative technologies either create or cannot overcome. 
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CheeseCon 2023 Show Report

By Roderick M. Smith, Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices Magazine

The 2023 CheeseCon event was held April 4-6, 2023 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Co-produced by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research, this event brings together more than 3,000 dairy industry leaders, suppliers, and marketers together to share information about the latest in cheese manufacturing technology, workforce, whey opportunities, product safety, marketing, and dairy exports. 
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Auto

Hyster-Yale Sustainability Recognized by North Carolina DEQ
Hyster-Yale’s Greenville, North Carolina, plant reduced compressed air waste through employee-driven
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Bulk

Compressed Air at a West Texas Silica Mine
Compressed air system reliability relies on engineering expertise, environmental management and
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Food

Leland Brewing Adopts Modular Nitrogen Generation
A modular nitrogen generation system integrated with compressed air infrastructure enabled on-site
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Medical

An Overview of Medical Air Packages
The air is delivered through a distribution piping system that ends with a medical air outlet within
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Metals

IPS Advises Midwest Industry on Compressed Air Efficiency
IPS supplies compressed air to a lot of machinery running outdoors, such as dust collectors and feed
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Paper

Best Practices for Acoustic Inspections in the Pulp and Paper Industry
Detecting Compressed Air Leaks Can Lead to Reduced Energy Waste, Boosted Productivity, and Improved
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Pharmaceutical

GMP Compliant Monitoring of Pharmaceutical Plant Compressed Air Systems
This article is intended to show the relationships between risks and specifications, opportunities
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Plastics

Rotary Screw Booster Advances for Blow Molding
Compressed air boosters are engineered to amplify medium-pressure air (90–150 psig) to high-pressure
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Power

Air Compressor Control Gap Issues Solved at an Ethanol Plant
A newly constructed ethanol plant experienced control gap issues shortly after comissioning. 
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Printing

Blue Mountain Reins in a Sprawling Compressed Air System
The plant was intermittently operating a staggering 11 air compressors scattered across its facility
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Transit

Renew Energy Partners Fixes Variable Demand on a Large Campus
An aerospace manufacturer worked with Renew Energy Partners to address energy waste caused by
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Wastewater

Air Compressor Design Considerations for a Successful Compressed Gas Mixing Project
Compressed Gas Mixing provides uniform mixing of water or wastewater tank contents by firing
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