Vacuum technology is essential for safely handling food products without damage or waste. Justin Katz • Manager, Vacuum Automation Components Group • Schmalz Inc. • Raleigh, N.C. The world wastes about 1.4 billion tons of food every year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The United States alone annually discards nearly 40 […]
How do you control pressure in a pneumatic circuit?
Pressure regulators, as the name indicates, control the pressure in a pneumatic circuit. Setting and maintaining pressure in a system is important for safety and energy efficiency of individual actuators, tools and instruments as well as for the complete circuit. A typical manufacturing facility has plant air pressure from the compressor set to around 110 […]
New drive series for compressors and fans
Siemens has announced the availability of a new enclosed drive system, the SINAMICS G120XE, designed specifically for demanding compressor, fan and industrial pump applications operating in rugged conditions. Built around the popular SINAMICS G120X infrastructure drive, this new enclosed system is suited for fast design and commissioning in industries such as oil-and-gas, mining, petrochemical, refrigeration […]
Pulsed air boosts pneumatic efficiency
The AirFlowSaver supplies energy- and cost-optimized compressed air based on unique SmartValve technology. Contributed by Wolfgang Teichmann, CEO and Markus Koenig, CSO, KTW Technology, Wehr, Germany nad Andy Pott, Vice President, PHIR Technologies, Hartland, Wisconsin For well over a century, compressed air has been commonly used across many industries because it is a simple, flexible and […]
High productivity blow-off with less compressed air
The AirFlowSaver from KTW Technology, Wehr, Germany, is an integrated system that reduces compressed air consumption while improving productivity in many industrial applications, including blow-off, drying, degreasing, cleaning, material handling and certain pneumatic control tasks. It works by converting continuous air flows into sharp and powerful pulses that increase output force. Thus, it cuts air […]
How to improve compressed air systems
Here are some tips to reduce losses, right-size components and streamline circuits, all of which can lead to sizable cost savings. Phil McElroy, Product Sales Manager and IFPS-Certified Fluid Power Pneumatic Specialist, Norgren Most industrial facilities depend on compressed air for a range of operations, performed by everything from simple air tools to far-more-complicated pneumatic […]
Festo sees tremendous future for pneumatics
The 2020 financial year proved to be a challenging one for Festo, but it also offered a year full of opportunities. According to Dr. Oliver Jung, chairman of the management board, the company proved to be economically stable and has weathered the pandemic well. The Festo Group had to cope with a 7.5% decline in […]
Smart leak-detection system
FDX Fluid Dynamix, located in Berlin, Germany, has developed the OsciLeak compressed air leak-detection system. It’s based on the company’s proprietary next-generation nozzle technology. Compressed air is commonly used as an energy source, especially in industrial plants. According to FDX officials, it is estimated that 30% of the electricity generated in the U.S. is used […]
Atlas Copco develops solid desiccant block
Atlas Copco has developed what they call the world’s first completely solid desiccant for air dryers. The material, termed Cerades, will be initially used in its CD 20⁺-335⁺ series of dryers. Company officials said the new product will revolutionize compressed air drying. Adsorption dryers have previously used containers filled with thousands of tiny desiccant beads […]
Cutting compressed-air costs at the point of use
Energy efficiency has become a hot topic. There are worldwide initiatives to rein in CO2 emissions and limit climate change. Consumers are becoming critical and demand products that are produced in a sustainable way. Furthermore, many production plants are more aware of the huge cost reductions involved with energy savings. As a result, firms are […]