By Ron Marshall One of the most common ways to waste compressed air is to use it for blowing dust or debris. Compressed air is often directed at equipment to clean the dust that has settled on the surfaces. But when you think about it, reintroducing this dust into the atmosphere, only to settle on […]
Air Preparation
Compressed Air Fail: VSD replacement
A rail yard purchased and installed a 100-hp variable speed drive compressor for supply of maintenance activities in their repair shop — and to supply air to the yard to charge train braking systems. They did everything right, purchasing a large storage receiver, desiccant dryer with dew point control, oversized filters, and a pressure/flow controller […]
Should you believe what your air dryer tells you?
Dry compressed air is so very important to the operation of a compressed air system. Having free water in your pipes causes rust to form in the internal surfaces of iron piping — which mixes with dirt, water and lubricant to form a black sticky mess that can travel down steam and contaminate your tools […]
How is compressed air different in cold weather?
When cold weather hits, it can cause havoc with outdoor compressed air lines if the dew point of the air not adequate. Moisture will form if pipes are exposed to cold temperatures, and if conditions are below freezing ice will form and cause line blockages, restricting the compressed air flow and causing low pressure. Often […]
The basics on designing with FRLs
FRLs are key in treating and conditioning downstream components to ensure high air quality in most pneumatic machinery. By Josh Cosford, Contributing Editor Often forsaken, the FRL appears in the bills of materials for commissioned pneumatic machinery, only to never be touched again or considered by the end-user. Even when penciled into the design of […]
How can you get instant morning air with your compressed air system?
Many people realize that turning off their compressed air at night and on weekends saves energy and operating costs, especially if the system has a significant number of leaks. While you should try to minimize the leaks to less than 10% of your average flow, hitting the stop button when you go home can save […]
Knowledge is power in compressed air
A little bit of knowledge is said to be a dangerous thing, so the key to success is to get a lot of knowledge. Knowledge = Power when it comes to your compressed air system, or should we say it may lead to a “reduction in power.” A very big driver in causing companies to […]
Compressed air fail: Check valves
A food processor increased its production capacity and installed a rental compressor to feed the new load. Previous compressors were lubricated type with refrigerated dryers. The new compressor was a 200-hp oil-free variety with heatless desiccant dryer. A 1,060-gal storage tank was installed to work with the compressor, which operated in load/unload mode. A compressed air […]
Why is hot compressed air bad?
One of the byproducts of creating compressed air is heat, and lots of it. This heat is emitted by the compressors and air dryers, and must be removed from the compressor room or unpleasant consequences will result. A very common problem with air cooled compressors is making the assumption that the hot air exhausted from the […]
5 habits that make you a smooth compressed air system operator
There are some useful habits that always keep compressed air systems running smoothly. It pays to develop these and exercise them on a regular basis to avoid problems that may cause unplanned shutdowns, lost production and other challenges: Keep it clean — Compressor rooms are like vacuum cleaners, the flow of air into the compressor cooling systems […]