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 […]
Air Preparation
How much of my electric bill is consumed by air compressors?
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 […]
Where are electropneumatic flow controllers used?
By Justin Fluegel, Contributor Flow in a fluid power system is synonymous with the velocity of an actuator. Electro-pneumatic flow control valves are used in applications where it is important to control the revolutions per minute of a pneumatic motor or speed of the linear actuator in machinery, such as this plastic roll machine. Both […]
Compressed air fail: Don’t forget the dryer!
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 […]
What is the best compressed air adjustment location?
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 […]
Compressed air fail: Regulator size
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 […]
Compressed air fail: Sizing bigger
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 […]
Where are electropneumatic pressure regulators/controllers used?
By Justin Fluegel, Contributor Electropneumatic pressure regulators are commonly used to control the force, tension or torque output of an actuator in a machine. These are found in a wide range of applications from custom machinery, food processing, semiconductors, cyclic testing machinery, and welding applications. The breadth of opportunities is vast for this technology, given […]
Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions announces four new products for 2022
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 […]
Compressed air fail: Placebo effect
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 […]
