The following is an excerpt from the article Air = Money by Bob Baker, Atlas Copco Industrial Air Division in the U.S. The full version can be read online or in the March issue of Plant Engineering.
Compressed air is not free. In fact, when comparing the percentage of power input to value delivered, a poorly-operated compressed air system can cost more than water, electricity, steam or even natural gas. Air leaks also can slow a plant's operation by using more power than necessary to supply compressed air. If this goes unchecked for too long, these air leaks can lead to unnecessary production shutdowns.
Compressed air leaks are not only a direct source of wasted energy, they also can contribute to system pressure drops, making pneumatic equipment function less efficiently and shortening its life cycle. Air leaks cause equipment to cycle more frequently, thereby increasing the running time of the air compressors, which leads to additional maintenance requirements and possible increased unscheduled downtime.
Simply put, air leaks contribute to unnecessary compressor capacity. Leaks, coupled with the usual problem of higher than required system operating pressures, lead to what is called "artificial demand." All of this adversely affects production efficiency and shortens the life of almost all system equipment and pneumatic tools as well. The combination of excess energy use and reduced equipment longevity are a double blow to plant owners' bottom lines.
For example, a small manufacturing company was considering buying a second air compressor larger than what they presently had. Before making the purchase, they contracted a compressed air audit, and it was a good thing they did. The findings showed more than $75,000 of the $100,000 the company had been spending annually on compressed air was being wasted due to compressed air leaks, uncontrolled demand and poor applications.
Keep Reading…
You can read the full article on how to save air and money online or in the March issue of Plant Engineering. Want to find out if your facility suffers from air leaks? Schedule a walk-through with one of our experts today!
