A longtime Quincy Compressor client selects between two options
A Quincy Compressor customer, a leading aerospace engineering firm, sought a quote for a compressed air system for its new manufacturing plant. This firm, which already operates seven existing systems across its campus, was planning its eighth and turned to its longtime partner for a solution.
An in-house engineering team approached the company for a design and cost estimate for the new system, aiming to explore oil-free compressor technology.
Quincy Compressor’s manufacturing headquarters in Bay Minette, AL.
Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine spoke to Scott Stejskal, Regional Equipment Sales Manager – East, Quincy Compressor, about the project. The client’s existing seven plants use oil-flooded air compressors, but for this facility the engineering team thought oil-free was a better option. The company delivered a quote for three 400-horsepower (hp), 125 psi (8.6 bar), variable speed drive (VSD), water-cooled, oil-free air compressors, three 1,800 cfm, cycling, refrigerated, compressed air dryers, three 1,800 cfm particulate filters, a 1,060 gallon, interior/exterior galvanized wet tank, one 2,560 gallon interior/exterior galvanized vertical dry tank, drains for both tanks and an air compressor system networking kit. The quote amounted to over $1 million.
The company is factory direct in this area, so it works with this client directly. In other geographies, it sells through a network of compressed air distributors.
Before the quote could be approved and the job moved forward, the aeronautics firm switched to a new in-house engineering team, and this second team had other ideas about the compressed air system. It thought purchasing oil-free air compressors was an unnecessary expense, and believed the firm could get nearly the same quality at far less cost with oil-flooded air compressors and proper dryers and filtration.
The oil-free rotary screw air compressor option.
The oil-flooded rotary screw air compressor option.
Are Oil-Free Air Compressors Required for Oil-Free Air?
The first engineering team wanted oil-free air compressors in order to have oil-free compressed air. The new engineering team believed that with the proper dryers and filtration, oil-free compressed air was achievable with oil-flooded air compressors.
Other specifications changed, as well, as the second engineering team no longer wanted the same level of output. The quote for the oil-flooded system was for two 300-hp, 125 psi, oil-flooded, VSD air compressors, two 2,400 cfm, 1 micron and 0.1 ppm standard coalescing filters, two 2,100 cfm, variable speed refrigerated, compressed air dryers, two 2,400 cfm, polishing 0.01 micron and 0.01 ppm oil coalescing filters, two 5,300 cfm oil-water separators, a 1,060 gallon interior/exterior galvanized vertical wet tank, one 5,000 gallon interior/exterior galvanized vertical dry tank and drains for both tanks. This option was quoted at just over half a million dollars.
The selling price was only part of the aeronautic company’s consideration. It also needed to think about costs over the life of the two different air compressor technologies. Quincy offers a 10-year warranty for oil-flooded air compressors, and a market standard one-year warranty for oil-free air compressors. Costs for servicing are typically higher for oil-flooded air compressors, Stejskal said, since they include the cost of the oil, so while the purchase price for oil-free is higher, service costs should be lower. Importantly, oil-free compressors normally need to be rebuilt more often. Because the warranty for oil-free air compressors is shorter, there’s the potential for greater repair costs over time, but the actual costs experienced depend on the system’s environment.
“It comes down to the application,” Stejskal said. “From an equipment standpoint and upfront costs, oil-free is always going to be more expensive than oil-flooded. Then it comes down to, does the application really call for an oil-free air compressor or can you get similar results with oil-flooded air compressors and high-level drying and filtration? In some applications, some industries, the specifications simply dictate you must be oil-free. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.”
A variable speed refrigerated compressed air dryer.
Supporting a Long-Term Relationship
Stejskal is the Sales Manager for both the oil-free and oil-flooded sales engineers. He oversaw both quotes to make sure his company gave the aeronautics firm the best solutions possible. Stejskal is based in the Atlanta, GA, office, and reports to Michael Campbell, President and General Manager (see sidebar for more on Campbell).
“They were mirroring what they already do in an oil-free facility in another part of the country they were going to duplicate, but then after we presented them the second option of oil-flooded air compressors with high-quality dryers and filtration, they saw they didn’t necessarily have to go with the oil-free route to meet their air quality requirements,” Stejskal said.
After six months of discussions and evaluations, the aerospace company chose the oil-flooded system. The equipment has been ordered, delivered, and installed, though startup was delayed.
Once startup is complete, Quincy will provide maintenance for both the new system and the seven existing systems at the firm’s campus. Building long-term relationships and helping customers find the best solution for their needs is more important than pushing for the largest sale.
“Every sales engineer wants to sell their units, everybody wants to make the bigger sale, but in the end it’s what's best for the manufacturing plant and creating a dependable and trustworthy relationship,” Stejskal said. “We’re not here to tell people they should choose one option or the other. We’re here to meet the specs the customers provide. We can coach them and lead them in the direction we feel is right, but in the end, it’s the customer who makes the final decision.”
About Quincy Compressor
Founded in 1920, Quincy Compressor is a leading designer and manufacturer of reciprocating and rotary screw air compressors, vacuum pumps and a full line of air treatment components. Headquartered in Bay Minette, AL, the company has built its reputation on quality and rugged reliability, building tough air compressors for the most demanding applications. For more information, visit https://www.quincycompressor.com.
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