Reducing energy use through compressed air monitoring and management allows you to speed up production and fine-tune efficiency.
Energy is expensive, especially compressed air which can be eight times more expensive than electricity, with up to 50% of it being wasted through leaks. Pneumatic machines wear. Systems are often oversized, taking more energy than required.
Research has shown that successful energy management programs start with measurement. Discover large consumers, leakages, incompetent use, and overdue maintenance. Use actual data to justify improvement investments and maintenance management.
One of the best ways to grow as an industrial manufacturing company is to save energy. Reducing consumption is best done through through compressed air and industrial gases monitoring.
“If you do this now, you will soon get it back as extra capacity,” said Pascal van Putten, director/founder of Delft-based VPInstruments. Measuring is knowing is admittedly a cliché, van Putten acknowledges, but in terms of content it is still extremely topical. “Nowadays there is no more room on the electricity grid for many manufacturing companies. It is therefore important to work collectively on energy savings,” he said. “We must do everything we can to ensure that companies can continue to grow in the future. I know examples of production companies that have hit a wall in this regard.” VPInstruments offers flow measurement systems for compressed air and industrial gases. The company develops and assembles in Delft and exports to approximately 70 countries worldwide.
Speed up production
VPInstruments’ customers can be found in various sectors, such as the food, glass, steel, automotive, high-tech, electronics, and chemical sectors. “Every manufacturing company has a compressed air component. Think of controlling valves on the assembly line, machines that make packaging, or blowing granules in light chemicals,” van Putten said.
For example, at a chocolate factory, targeted energy management could achieve annual savings of 125,000 euros. Van Putten noted that assembly and packing machines producing the chocolate had a great deal of leakage. A partner of VPInstruments used one insertion type flow meter and measured in several places in the factory, both supply and demand side. “During breaks the machines were on standby, but the consumption was still 50% compared to nominal,” he said. “We were able to trace where it leaked. You can walk through the factory with a leak gun — that’s nice but expensive equipment — but it takes a lot of time if you must do this in several buildings.”
The ultrasonic leak gun revealed leakages throughout the entire factory. However, the biggest find was the leaks in the cacao presses. Once they fixed those, the pneumatic press opened and closed faster.
Machine cycles also had slowed down in this chocolate factory. After VPInstruments’ technology was installed, the pneumatic press opens and closes faster again, resulting in significantly higher production and fewer malfunctions. The latter has a positive effect on the atmosphere in the workplace.
Less is more
Companies can also fine-tune the efficiency of compressed air systems by combining the right types of compressors. This can make a difference of tens of percent, Van Putten continued. The payback period for the investment in one or more flow sensors is generally less than a year, he said. “’Less is more’ is the trick with sensors. We use the art of omission and are not in favor of filling a factory with sensors. We work top-down: first we do the main line and then we roll it out like a pyramid. That is by far the smartest and most effective approach.”
For industrial gasses, the payback time of a flow sensor is even shorter. While compressed air costs a few cents per cubic meter, gases such as argon, nitrogen or oxygen cost a few euros per cubic meter. “For example, welding uses argon and CO2. Hoses connected to the welding torch often leak,” he said. “You can’t smell that, and I know a factory in the United States where the leaks were in the barrels. We are helping more and more companies with managing these industrial gasses.”
total flow simultaneously.
Using flow meters for leak management
Flow meters are essential tools for quantifying and managing compressed air leaks in industrial facilities. One common method is to measure air consumption during non-production periods. Many factories are idle over weekends yet still observe compressor activity and air usage, clear indicators of leakage. By monitoring flow during these downtimes, the volume of leaks can be effectively estimated.
In facilities operating 24/7, establishing a baseline consumption is key. Install a flow meter to monitor overall air usage, then conduct an ultrasonic leak audit to identify and repair leaks. After repairs, the reduced air consumption becomes your new baseline. Any future increase in consumption may signal new leaks.
To localize issues more precisely, place flow meters in different production zones. This allows you to compare air usage by area, identify anomalies, and focus your ultrasonic inspections where they are most needed. This zone-based approach turns leak detection into a continuous and data-driven process.
Monitoring the right set of KPIs, such as efficiency, pressure loss, and leakage, is a must-have for any energy manager or plant owner. VPInstruments’ uses its VPFlowScope M flow meter, which provides a window into your overall system. If consumption is significantly higher than normal or you see a pressure event, you need to look at your production lines or talk to operators in the plant. If dew point is off, fix/service the dryer or check if it is properly sized.
An inexpensive battery
Van Putten has an interesting idea for factories with high peak consumption. “If such companies invest in compressed air storage, you could run the same production with smaller compressors. This relieves the burden on the local electricity grid, and you do a service not only to yourself but also to your neighbor. There are parties — including a start-up in the Netherlands that is active in this field — that store compressed air in salt domes underground. That is a relatively cheap battery. But it can also be smaller with local storage tanks in your own compressed air system.”
For example, suppose that as a producer in Rotterdam, you do not need compressed air all the time or you want to purchase the electricity for your compressed air cheaply. Then you run the compressor when the electricity price is low. With the help of your storage tank, you can manage the peak load better. Investment in storage tanks is not expensive, he said.
VPInstruments
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