By Ron Marshall Compressed air is one of the most expensive ways to supply energy to facility tools and equipment. This is due to the inherent inefficiencies in the process of compressing air — the biggest product is heat and the secondary output is compressed air. While this is disappointing, there are still things that […]

When controlling screw compressors, the goal is to try to keep all the running compressors fully loaded except one. And the one running partly loaded (called trim) is selected as the one having best part load efficiency characteristics. When there are only two or three compressors in a group, it is quite easy to set […]

Question: I need your advice about how to adjust the dew point for the dryers which are equipped with a dew point controller. Also, for those not having a controller, how can we determine which dew point is the best setting — -40 or -70? Answer: This is a complicated question. The method for adjusting […]

A plastics manufacturer was having constant trouble with his desiccant air dryers. No matter what he did, they would constantly set off dewpoint alarms, which was very annoying. He called in a compressed air auditor to have a look. The auditor shot temperatures and found that the discharge of the compressors was too hot. Outputs […]

In May, Piab acquired Joulin, a global leader of vacuum gripping solutions. Now, the company has integrated three of Joulin’s gripper ranges into its existing Kenos portfolio. However, solutions for heavy-duty industries will continue to be marketed under the Joulin brand. As the market for material handling solutions is growing rapidly, Joulin has been a […]

John, the maintenance manager of a wood products company, was very proud of his Number 3 compressor. It has been operating for years, racking up more than 200,000 run hours — and was so trouble free, it was almost scary. Of course, John kept it maintained, changing oil and filters on a regular basis, fixing […]

Registration is now open for NAHAD’s 39th Annual Meeting & Convention, which will take place from April 29 to May 3, 2023, at the beautiful Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas. Much is in store next year with top business speakers, speed networking, first timers/emerging leaders roundtables, industry workshops, networking, and the always-popular showcase of hose […]

A lot has changed in the Nevada desert since the last show took place in March 2020 — here’s what to expect for 2023 show attendees The last incarnation of IFPE was certainly a weird one; I was one of the few who made it to the triennial fluid power event, just ahead of the…

ELGi Compressors USA Inc. (ELGi), a subsidiary of ELGi Equipments Limited, a compressor manufacturer, announced the strategic rebranding of its portable air compressor line in North America, previously branded as Rotair. ELGi acquired the Italian-based portable air compressor manufacturer, Rotair, in 2012. Rebranding “Rotair” to “ELGi” will strengthen the company’s presence in the North American […]

The piCOMPACT 10X SMART is a compact, efficient, and intelligent ejector that enables you to take the next step in production control and ease of use. Based on COAX technology and integrated IO-Link technology, piCOMPACT 10X SMART offers enhanced flexibility, quicker installation, and improved customization. Building on the air-driven, multistage ejector piCOMPACT 10X, this product comes […]

Denios has introduced the SpillGuard leak recognition system, which instantly alerts users when a leak is detected. This unique, FM-approved technology is placed within the sump of a spill containment device, or near the equipment to be monitored, and alerts users with an audible and visual alarm for a minimum of 24 hours when contact…

A large industrial plant fell on hard times and had to reduce their production shifts to only 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. The compressed air system remained running full time 24 hours a day, including weekends, due to the need to supply the plant’s dry fire system with air pressure. The total […]

Danfoss Power Solutions and Iowa State University have announced the completion of the Off-Highway Vehicle Chassis Dynamometer Laboratory. The facility, developed and administered by Iowa State — with technical and financial support from Danfoss — enables controlled, dynamic testing of construction, agriculture, material handling, mining, and other machinery. It is the only facility of its […]

What should you do when it comes time to decide if you should repair or replace your aging air compressor? There are a few things you should consider. Air compressors are like motor vehicles — if they are used continuously, hardly shutting down, they should not be expected to run for a long time without […]

Question: My compressed air dryer is rated at 100° F inlet air temperature. What will happen if the air temperature is lower than this? Answer: Having the air temperature lower than the dryer rating is a good thing. Actually, dryers are commonly rated at 100° F inlet temperature, 100 psi and 100° F ambient temperature. […]

Running out of pressure? Think about storage volume. Consider this — remember when you had your 10-speed bike with those thin tires? You could ride quite fast, but when it came to filling up the tubes to the proper pressure. all it took was a small shot on the fill valve to change the pressure […]

Pack Expo Southeast will debut spring 2025 in Atlanta (March 10-12 at the Georgia World Congress Center), bringing packaging and processing machinery, materials, and technology all under one roof to a growing manufacturing corridor. The newest show in the Pack Expo portfolio, produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, will offer solutions…

After 10 years of a successful collaboration producing co-located shows at IMTS, both AMT and Hannover Fairs USA have mutually agreed to move in new directions. The move gives Hannover Fairs USA the ability to expand — and both trade shows the flexibility to look into new sectors and initiatives. AMT owns and produces IMTS,…

A sawmill ran a set of six large air-cooled compressors to feed their various processes. To cool the compressors, the air was drawn from outdoors and mixed with indoor air to keep temperatures from freezing the compressors in winter. This facility has a tough environment for cooling air because of the sawdust. To attempt to […]

Danfoss Power Solutions has appointed Ines E. Sira as the new President of its Fluid Conveyance division, effective immediately. Based at the company’s campus in Eden Prairie, Minn., Sira will be a key member of the Power Solutions leadership team and will report directly to Eric Alström, President of Danfoss Power Solutions. Sira has a […]

Question: I’m a compressor salesperson. Lately, the large building tenders we’ve seen have been spec’d for two variable speed screw compressors to run together sharing the load. This would make sense to me if one was a 100% backup and they never ran together, but that does not seem to be the case. Everything I’ve […]

At the recent Danfoss Distributor Meeting in Orlando, Fluid Power World’s VP, Editorial Director, Paul J. Heney, caught up with the company’s President. They discussed the merging in of Eaton’s hydraulics business, the return of beloved fluid power industry names, how the company is changing, and more. FPW: It’s been a bit more than a…

Linde Hydraulics GmbH & Co. KG has relocated its After Sales Center (consisting of repair and spare parts warehouse) from Alzenau to Schweinheim (Aschaffenburg). Amongst other things, the “AB-GUSStech” foundry — a wholly owned subsidiary — and Linde Hydraulics’ Special Construction are already located on this site.  For the relocation of the spare parts business, […]

A large industrial company was having problems with its air quality.  Water was appearing as if at random at one of its most critical processes, causing instrumentation failures and contamination of the product.  This issue was difficult to understand because it looked like the refrigerated air dryer was working fine — and dewpoint looked good […]