Industrial Utility Efficiency

Pneumatics

Improving the Efficiency of Pumping Systems through Pump System Optimization

By Matthew Derner, Manager, Business Development, Pump System Programs, The Hydraulic Institute

The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2002 Motor Market Assessment established that pumping systems offer the greatest optimization potential of all types of fluid systems, with potential savings up to 75% and an average net savings of 20.1%. In this article, The Hydraulic Institute defines the steps for a pump system optimization.

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Cardinal Glass Increases Throughput with Dry Compressed Air

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

With over 49 locations and 10,000 employees, the company’s Casa Grande, AZ, plant specializes in tempering, taking annealed or raw glass, cutting it to size, running it through a 1,250°F (677°C) oven and then using a pressurized air system to quench the glass and turn it into safety glass. Compressed air powers the plant’s belt systems that transfer materials, the seaming system that rounds the corners and the washer system that cleans particulates off glass before it goes into the furnace.
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Pneumatics and Vacuum Generators Power Robotics at Automate 2025

By Troy Dreier, Senior Editor, Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine

Automate 2025, showed attendees how to make their industrial plants more efficient with robotics. Throughout the conference, robotic arms shuttled packages, burgers and even macarons with speed and accuracy. Driving this new technology was a complex network of pneumatic cylinders and pick-and-place automation powered by pneumatic vacuum generation. Innovation makes these proven technologies more efficient than ever.
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Sizing Air Compressors for Spray Finishing

By Shane Vrankin, Service Consultant, C.H. Reed

Achieving a high-quality finish on a coated product, whether it’s painted or powder coated, is dependent on a variety of variables that impact coating quality before material ever comes out of a spray gun. For example, it’s essential to have the proper paint agitators, paint pumps, spray guns, hoses, line sizes and pump cycle rates. But an even bigger requirement is a properly sized compressed air system to effectively operate the pneumatic painting and powder coating equipment. 
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Achieving Precise Powder Coating Control and Greater Productivity

By Sumit Kapde, Global Business Development Manager, Robotics and Proportional Valves, Emerson

When building powder coating solutions, it can be a challenge to optimize compressed airflow with minimum reaction time. Without this level of control, the coating thickness may not be uniform and transfer efficiency – the amount of powder adhering to the object being sprayed – may be low. The resulting overspray can waste powder material. The control of a powder coating machine — and the quality and efficiency of the application — depends on the performance of the valve block.
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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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Improve Process Efficiency and Reduce Energy Use with Compressed Air Monitoring

By Hendrik Priemer, Product Manager IIoT Applications, Machine Automation, Emerson 

Without compressed air monitoring, up to 30% of the compressed air generated goes to waste. This waste occurs for several reasons, including leaks caused by failures at joints and tubes, exposure to vibration and normal component wear, and the suboptimization of machines and devices. Continuous monitoring capabilities allow operators to detect leaks and other anomalies in their early stages. By addressing pneumatic issues before they can grow, companies can reduce compressed air use by 20% to 30%.  
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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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Smart Pneumatics Play Big Role in Meeting Industrial Sustainability Goals

By Robert Brezni, Global Account Management, EMERSON Discrete Automation

Pneumatics and the generation of compressed air accounts for about 10% of a typical facility's energy consumption. That number could be much lower, but because of leaks and poor air pressure regulation, a surprising amount of energy is wasted in the process. Yet, most manufacturers are not taking full advantage of smart pneumatic technologies or data analytics to improve energy efficiency. By installing connected pneumatic solutions in their plants, manufacturers can continuously collect critical data to understand where energy is being wasted and make informed decisions to optimize energy consumption. 
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Improving Sustainability Through Compressed Air and Utilities Monitoring


By Dr. Michael Britzger, Senior Manager, IIoT Engineering & Innovation, and Nils Beckmann, Global Director Engineering Intelligent Automation & Solutions for EMERSON Machine Automation 

Utilities monitoring paired with machine learning models can reliably predict anomalies, prompting action that can prevent waste and optimize resource use. 
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