Cost optimization through a better use of compressed air

More than 10% of the electricity which uses the industrial sector is intended to use and use of compressed air, whether it's for cool, dry, clean, decontaminate or aspire. In some cases, electricity consumption resulting from their use reaches 30% of the total electricity consumption. Despite the fact that only 8-10% of the total energy consumed a compressor just becoming the final energy needed to make the team work. What is obviously a significant waste of energy as well as economic.

Compressed air is usually waste through leakage and leakage of air, lack of maintenance, improper use and the lack of control. Over time, there are many companies that have failed to correct these failures or to take the right decision to optimize the production and use of compressed air, thus incurring a high electric billing. Some of the reasons why the use, and especially the abuse of compressed air is so widespread, in fact, is because it is convenient and easy to use. In addition, also perceived as a free tool.

However, to understand to what extent a regular and thorough maintenance costs savings, is important to take into account that the cost of maintaining only equals 7% of the total cost of operation of a compressor over 10 years.

The reduction of air leakage, is, in this sense, the greater way of saving energy for many production plants. In fact, the savings achieved by avoiding these leaks offset virtually alone only disbursement in detection equipment and spare parts.

Air leaks are also a security issue by the power of the blowing of air and the high level of noise they generate. They can cause failures in computers that force to stop production, causing costs of variable pressure, reducing the useful life and the increase in the maintenance of the equipment system, in addition to the capacity of the compressor in excess.

The points that occur leak more often are sleeves, boards, pipes, tabs and pipe joints, pressure regulators, the manual condensation and valves valves that are left open, without forgetting that consume air and teams are in operational mode, even when not in use.

For this reason, it is interesting to carry out an audit of the use and employment of air compressed in the plant. This type of evaluations help manufacturers to improve their energy efficiency because it removed the air leaks, is uses less energy to produce the same volume of air, facilitates use of compressed air tips and thus ensures that teams are used efficiently. Some of our technicians have carried out successful audits and reports for a variety of industries, jobs that have allowed to save energy for billions of euros each year.

The leaks in compressed air system usually emit a beep difficult to identify by ear with ambient noise of a factory. However, yes they can be detected with detection and reading of last generation ultrasonic capable of labeling and numbering leakage.

If we take into account the conditions of operation of compressors (weekly operating time), electric cost, the pressure of the compressed air and the productive efficiency of each compressor system, we can accurately quantify the cost of the leakage of air for each machine, Department and production facility. Therefore, we can also calculate the saving of costs that would be obtained after a proper repair or maintenance.

These data may occur in a dynamic document that is updated to the leaks are repaired. Real-time monitoring is also possible if an air flow meter is installed on the system at a point prior to the preparation of compressed air equipment. A proactive and lasting solution which identifies any increased use of air to so you can investigate and remedy its origin with speed.

You can save more evaluating the use of computers, determining whether the use of compressed air is justified. For example, its use to dry has a higher cost to do it with heaters, or even that do by residual heat from the compressor of the plant. Another example: the electrical tilt angle milling machines tend to be much more effective than compressed air automated. Clean up the sawdust, dust or metal shavings of the machinery with compressed air is fast and practical, but also expensive.

The way to reduce considerably the use of compressed air, save costs and improve outcomes through develop a reasonable policy of use of the air alongside an expert provider of equipment as well as planning and carrying out periodic maintenance based on audits. In the current context, through this kind of routines and work processes, but especially through raising the awareness of the importance of the proper functioning of the most insignificant detail, we will be able to maintain the same productive capacity at a lower energy cost.