While the holiday season is filled with food, festivities, and fellowship, it’s also filled with extensive hustle and bustle – and not just from the personal side. Many businesses, especially in the manufacturing world, are working to balance holiday out-of-offices and extended time off with the pressures of increased or decreased production. No matter whether your company is ramping up or slowing down, here are four tips to consider when planning for your compressor system during the winter holidays:
Remote Monitoring. Don’t forget to implement a remote monitoring system that allows you to monitor the performance of your air compressors 24/7! This is especially important when plant personnel will be away from the facility during the holidays, as they can stay connected to the compressors without having to be in the building itself. Get more information on Atlas Copco’s remote monitoring system, SMARTLINK, here.
General Maintenance. Regular maintenance and ensuring the proper operation of compressed air is a standard procedure that is strictly followed in most manufacturing companies. In addition to normal maintenance, special attention must be paid to temperature changes during the winter months. Check out these guidelines to help you protect your production and avoid costly and unnecessary repair costs.
Heat/Energy Recovery. There’s no better time to think about heat recovery than when it’s cold outside! At its simplest, heat (or energy) recovery is when high temperature heat is used for one purpose and the waste heat is then used for another process. In the case of compressed air, up to 94% of the electrical energy is converted into compression heat. Without energy recovery, this heat is lost into the atmosphere via the cooling system and radiation. You can use hot water recovered from the compressed air system for sanitary purposes and space heating. But it is particularly suitable for process applications. Using the hot water as boiler pre-feed or directly in processes requiring 70 to 90°C can save you costly energy sources such as natural gas and heating oil. Learn more about energy recovery here.
Filtration. You’re already familiar with the importance of filtration in the production of compressed air. If you are planning to shut down your plant this winter, you may want to consider upgrading your filtration system as well! In addition to improved performance, our new compressed air filter technology has a built-in bypass that allows the filter to be serviced without interrupting the flow of compressed air. Check out Atlas Copco's new line of filters, which reduce maintenance times and streamline processes.
Want to book a service or learn more about servicing your compressor system? Visit us at www.atlascopco.com/air-usa!
About the Author.Katie Falcon is the contributing writer and editor for The Compressed Air Blog. She currently works at Atlas Copco Compressors as a Digital Marketing Specialist specializing in content creation and platform development. Reach her via email at katie.falcon@atlascopco.com. Carlo Piccolo is the technical contributor and currently works as a Product Marketing Manager at Atlas Copco Compressors. He can be reached at carlo.piccolo@atlascopco.com.
