System Assessments

Thought Leaders on System Optimization Past & Future

Edited by Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

We asked a hand-selected list of original equipment manufacturers, independent compressed air system sales and service companies, manufacturing plants and independent system auditors to share their thoughts, highlighting the changes they’ve seen over the past 20 years, then predicting what the next 20 years will bring.

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Compressed Air Auditing 101

By Bob Baker, Sales & Marketing Training Manager, Atlas Copco Compressors

Since the cost of energy has dramatically increased during the past few years, it seems that energy audit companies have opened shop on more city street corners than coffee shops in Seattle. In addition to the mass numbers and abundant varieties of these energy savings promoters, there have been an equal number of energy audit articles written for the engineering magazines.

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Pneumatic System Assessments Save Energy

By Jon Jensen, Energy Conservation Manager, SMC Corporation of America

When it comes to conserving energy in compressed air nothing is sexier than a big, old, oil-free 300 horsepower variable speed drive air compressor coupled with a heat of compression dryer tied to an energy management system with all the trimmings. If you’re like me, it’s hard not to let out a manly grunt after reading that sentence.

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Soft Drink Bottler Saves Energy With Blowers

By Beth Tompkins, JetAir Technologies

A leading soft drink bottling manufacturer’s compressed air needs were threatening to exceed its Michigan plant’s compressed air capacity. Faced with the cost of buying a new compressor, the soft drink bottling manufacturer re-assessed their compressed air use to identify compressor and energy savings opportunities. In the audit, the soft drink bottling manufacturer identified the use of compressed air in a gap transfer as a source of compressed air and energy inefficiency.

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Compressed Air Auditing - What You Should Expect!

By: Scot Foss, Air's a Gas.

With energy cost increasing at 7.5% per annum for the past few years, most facilities managers and maintenance professionals are looking for the best opportunities for excellent return on investment projects, which can drive their operating costs in the opposite direction. Compressed air is an area where significant improvements are readily available.

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Hospital Air System Savings

By Ron Marshall CET, CIM, for the Compressed Air Challenge®. Edited by Jan Zuercher and David Booth

Large hospitals often use compressed air for important operational related end uses. The systems that produce this air need to supply clean and dry compressed air with a high level of reliability. These systems are not immune to efficiency problems as is the case for any compressed air system.

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Profile Dekker Vacuum

Compressed Air Best Practices interviewed Rick Dekker (President & CEO) of Dekker Vacuum Technologies.

The roots of our company start with my father, Jan Dekker, who was heavily involved with oil-sealed liquid ring vacuum systems used in the gold mines of South Africa. This was in the mid-1970’s when gold prices were going up. Vacuum systems (in the mines) were optimized by improving vacuum levels using oil instead of water and by adding vacuum boosters.

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The Ins and Outs of Vacuum Generators

"Dr. Vacuum" with "Dan Bott"

There is an enormous population of vacuum generators being used successfully by industry. Applications range from pick & place to vapor extraction to bulk material handling and the number of installations is growing. Before proceeding with an installation utilizing these devices, there are two general issues to consider: efficiency and appropriateness.

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Air Storage Receiver Helps Dense-Phase System

By Brent Ehrlich

Sitting on his desk the day Brian began his new job as Plant Engineer for Carbo Ceramics’ McIntyre, GA facility was a proposal to purchase a new 150 HP air compressor as a backup machine. The facility already had six of these machines and, yes, all six ran almost continuously.

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Reducing Packaging Cycle Times

By Phil O’Neill, Standard Products Manager, Bosch Rexroth Pneumatics

Swiss brush company Ebnat-Kappel uses non contact transfer technology from Bosch Rexroth to automate a problematic section of its packaging production process.

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Finding and Fixing Leaks

By Ron Marshall, PDC Committee Member, Compressed Air Challenge®

Understanding the supply side of the system is important, but more important is first looking at compressed air demand. One demand that is consistently in need of attention in industrial facilities is the air flow caused by leaks.

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