A good check to determine if your oil injected rotary screw compressor is running efficiently is to do a timer test of the load/unload cycles. A rapidly cycling compressor — one that loads and unloads in a cycle that last less than a minute — is inefficient. A best case compressor would be one that […]
Air Preparation
Compressed air fail: Check your data
A compressed air expert was asked to help with some calculations of a base case for a potential project. The compressor supplier provided a free compressed air assessment where the inlet flow of the compressor was logged with an anemometer, rather than measuring the output of the compressor discharge. The data showed fairly low flow […]
Compressed air fail: Air mixer
A metal products manufacturer was using a water-based paint to provide a corrosion-proof coating on their products. The paint was previously solvent based, so the plant staff decided to install a compressed air mixer to prevent any risk of explosion. But air mixers were expensive, so the maintenance personnel simply installed a compressed air powered […]
Compressed air fail: Heed the warning
A wire manufacturer used a refrigerated air dryer to condition the air from their three compressors. The dew point required in the plant was near 35° F, and the maintenance staff were confident of the proper operation of the dryer — because the onboard dew point reading on the dryer control panel said that the readings […]
How do you measure compressed air systems?
There is a great entertainment value in watching the many movies or reading magazines about superheroes who possess amazing powers, and more than a few of us have wished we could be granted such skills — so we too could save humanity from evil. But this is not far from reality. In the world of […]
What happens when you don’t check your air timer drains?
Many air compressor operators choose to use timer drains to remove liquid that is captured in separators, traps, receivers and filters in a system. Rather than using gravity feed or a float system, these drains open and expel the liquid, and an amount of compressed air, from the system after a set number of minutes. […]
How do you avoid dust collector maintenance problems?
Dust collectors using reverse pulse compressed air cleaning are often a problem in industrial plants. These dust collectors are usually located on the top of bins that collect dust and debris from industrial processes. A fan blows the contaminated air through a set of filters, in the form of bags or cartridges. The flow of […]
How do you control compressed air flows?
The load on any compressed air system — and the flow that must be produced to maintain pressure — contributes to the cost of operation. A good strategy to follow in trying to reduce compressed air costs is to examine the end users of the system and determine if they are classed as “appropriate” or […]
New precision vacuum regulator provides precise control up to full vacuum
ControlAir Inc. today announced the introduction of the new Type 480V precision vacuum regulator. It is the first vacuum regulator offering from ControlAir and provides precise control up to full vacuum. The unit is designed with a push type locking knob which allows for smooth output adjustment and the ability to lock in your setpoint […]
Redesigned Wilkerson modular air preparation units from Parker Hannifin
Parker Hannifin’s Pneumatic Division – North America is pleased to announce a new design for the Wilkerson 08/18/28 series of modular air preparation products effective June 1. The Wilkerson Series is Parker’s line of compressed air treatment products including filters, regulators, lubricators and accessories. The Revision B updates to these products refresh the design for […]