Corrosion in steel pipes and storage receivers within compressed air systems is a common issue that can significantly impact system efficiency, safety, and longevity. This process is primarily driven by the presence of water and acid condensate, both of which are common byproducts in compressed air environments. Understanding how corrosion occurs can help in implementing […]
Compressed air fail: Dust collectors
Dust collector reverse pulse cleaning is commonly deployed in any industry that creates powdered dust. Through the years, it is common to see expensive failures of these devices that consume excessive amounts of compressed air. Often times, these failures go undetected. Dust collector reverse pulse cleaning is a highly efficient method for removing accumulated dust […]
Compressed air fair: Keep it cool, not cooked
Air-cooled air compressors are crucial to keeping the production process running in many industries; they work by turning power into usable energy. Their performance, however, depends heavily on their ability to stay cool. If dust and debris clog up a compressor, it can overheat, work less efficiently, and cost more to operate. Fig. 1 and […]
Compressed air fail: Happy ending
Tom, a diligent plant engineer at a mid-sized manufacturing facility, faced persistent problems with his compressed air system powering his crucial production lines. Despite repeated attempts to fix various symptoms — frequent drops in pressure, excessive energy consumption, and sporadic equipment failures — the problems persisted, causing costly downtime and frustration on the factory floor. […]
Compressed air fail: Apparent capacity increase
A plastic products producer was expanding its business and installed a few new machines. There already were five small compressors installed to feed the production machinery and the maintenance personnel were experiencing low pressure occurrences. These events would pull plant pressure down and cause product rejects and production shutdowns. The plant manager concluded that the […]
Compressed air fail: Protected leaks
A good exercise for any compressed air system is to find and fix compressed air leaks. And if the system compressors are well controlled, some significant energy savings can be gained by doing leak audits and repairs on a regular basis; this is generally recommended quarterly. Some excellent tools to use in the process are […]
Redesigned oil-free air compressor offers increased flow and pressure
The CSG series air compressor boasts up to 16% more flow and as much as a 19% improvement in specific performance over the previous models, with a maximum operating pressure increased to 160 psig. The CSG series is available in five fixed speed models from 50 to 125 hp delivering flows from 184 to 563 […]
Compressed air fail: Dryer false economy
A wood products company had an aging heatless 1,000 cfm desiccant air dryer, being used to condition the compressed air produced by two 100-hp compressors in their processing facility. After working for many years, the dryer controller failed and had to be replaced. Replacement parts could not be found, so the local electricians came up […]