Compressed Air Technologies

A press operation used a pulse of compressed air for cleaning operations for 10 seconds, once every 10 minutes.  The compressed air flow to the press during the cleaning was 400 cfm, a quite significant flow, and data logger measurements of the air compressors found that each time the blow happened, a 150-hp compressor would […]

Contributed by Mike Kreklau, Technical Sales at Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions Downtime and inefficiency don’t have to be your production line’s worst enemy. You want shop equipment that comes with no strings attached — no downtime and no maintenance. Maybe that’s a pipe dream, but there are ways to fix many air-related symptoms of an inefficient […]

The operators at a lumber mill were having production problems in two of their machines.  Annoyingly, critical sensing eyes were getting blocked by occasional pieces of bark as the logs went by.  After enduring this for quite a while the maintenance department finally took matters into their own hands. The plant had a welding department, […]

Are you still using open ended compressed air blowing?  Are these blowers simply controlled by a ball valve?  Did you know these tools can turn into dangerous uncontrolled projectiles if accidently dropped when the valve is wide open? They cause noise pollution and present a risk of eye injury when chips of debris are sent […]

Many industrial sites measure their compressed air quality, or think they do.  When asked to show the dew point of a system with refrigerated air dryers, the compressor operators will typically point to the air dryer display, not knowing that the reading is not really dew point, but the temperature within the air dryer itself.  […]

A large foundry had four large 200-hp air compressors that were water-cooled and were having overheating problems.  The units were capable of inlet modulation control,  where the inlet valve of the compressor closes off the intake to control the output flow.  Use of this control mode reduces the flow output of the compressors and the […]

A building products company purchased a compressor with 1,520 cfm capacity to help with the increased load after a plant expansion. Various dryer sizes were available, but one sized at 1,600 cfm was selected, rather than choosing the next size up, to save purchase costs. Shortly after installation, the production machine operators started complaining about […]

During a compressed air assessment, a service provider was reviewing the total capacity of the storage receivers for his report.  Having adequate capacity helps make the compressors run more efficiently and saves energy.  During his checks, he spotted a strange color on one receiver safety valve.  On closer inspection, he noticed that the pressure relief […]

A facilities manager at a building products plant attended a compressed air efficiency seminar sponsored by his local utility. He learned about optimizing air compressors, filters, dryers, and piping. He discovered how to arrange to have a baseline taken of his compressed air system to assess its efficiency. He discovered the excellent savings he could […]

A building products company was having problems with pressure loss across its main dryers and filters.  Data monitoring showed differential pressure reached as high as 18 psi, causing a large sag in plant pressure, which during peak times caused production outages.  An investigation revealed that the dryer was low on refrigerant, causing the unit to […]

By Ron Marshall What is my compressed air’s electric bill percentage? This is a difficult question to answer, because rarely are there any energy meters installed on typical compressed air systems. But there are some hints if we do some research. Years ago, the USDOE did a detailed study of motor systems and found that […]

A pump manufacturer implemented a new compressor control strategy that was intended to save energy.  The c0mpany had three compressors running — one fixed speed unit and two VSD style units — and found after studying the system they only needed two compressors to feed the load.  Savings could be gained by automatically turning a […]

A common question posed to compressed air experts is “What component should I adjust to get my compressed air system running more efficiently”? The common answer is, “You should adjust that thing located between your ears.” Compressed air professionals commonly find poorly maintained and incorrectly adjusted equipment when they visit their customers’ compressor rooms.  And […]

An industrial component manufacturer had a system of five compressors located in an interconnected system spread between two buildings. The system pressure of the system was constantly running near 120 psi because of some critical high-pressure applications. Most of the production machinery was rated at 90 psi pressure. The facility manager was sure something could […]

A seed cleaning company was looking to expand its operations by purchasing  new compressed air using equipment. Plant people spoke with the sales engineer — who informed them that each proposed cleaning machine required a minimum of 50 cfm of compressed air.  Doing quick addition in his head, the engineer calculated they would need a […]

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies are placing compressed air systems front and center, despite usually being in the shadows. Contributed by Graham Coats, Sales Director at CMC Until very recently, the air compressor has been nothing but a workhorse; a key tool in the manufacturer’s toolbox, certainly, but one that’s kept away in the […]

Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions has four new products ready to order for the new year – adding more capacity and customization to its product line. Tsunami’s new products include: an 80 cfm Pure Series Dryer, an 800 cfm Oil Coalescing Filter, a 120 cfm Activated Carbon Filter, and a pneumatic drain option for the Tsunami […]

A large industrial user installed a pressure/flow controller in its system to regulate the plant pressure to a constant level.  The lower plant pressure reduces the extra flow (called artificial demand) that is caused by running production machinery at a higher pressure than is needed.  The lower the flow, the lower the electricity bill.  Flow […]

A sawmill purchased a VSD compressor to renew its compressed air system and gain savings.  The equipment was installed, commissioned and was running for a number of weeks before a compressed air expert visited the site. The first thing he did was go to the compressors and read the load and operating hours.  Compressor controllers […]

Sometimes in compressed air systems there will be “high flow, short duration demands” consuming large gulps of compressed air for short periods of time.  This could be a dust collector, a drain, a compressed air blowing device, a large cylinder, or a material transport system — just about anything can happen. When high flow demands […]

When it comes to compressed air, the word “lower” is often used in describing actions to take in implementing energy savings measures.  The key is to do certain actions that will lower the electrical bill and the resulting operating and maintenance costs.  Here are some common actions: Pressure — Every 2 psi in lower compressed […]

When connecting and piping in air compressors, it pays to be careful with piping arrangement to ensure there are no areas of restriction.  The pictured piping element is just one example.  The installer did a good job in installing a 45° angle entry to the header, which is a great idea for any entry into […]

There are certain things out in the plant that can rob you blind, sucking up money through the electrical bill.  One of these things is a compressed air crime we jokingly call a stickup. Often vents and ducts on process machinery become clogged with debris over time.  Sometimes personnel, not knowing the high cost of […]

In dirty and hot environments, if you want a clean and reliable compressed air flow you need to heed these suggestions.  You need to keep your equipment clean, cool, and dry through regular maintenance. Allowing debris to build up on system components is a recipe for disaster, especially if the equipment is air cooled and […]

I get it — you and your staff are busy and being asked to do more with less.  When this happens, things will start to slide.  One of the first items on the list is maintenance, and often you can get away with this for a period of time … but eventually a critical failure […]