Compressed Air Controls solve problems and save Stevensons money with out-of-the-box-thinking about air compressor setup and VFD
Instead of installing an air compressor in the same place, where contaminants caused the last one to fail, a Territory Manager designed a portable shed on a skid.
“It was rather an ingenious idea as we can move the air compressors around as we need them and it gives us space if we expand the business in the future,” Stevensons Structural Engineers’ Purchasing Manager Tony Twist said.
Tony said the previous air compressor, which was supplied and installed by a different company, had sucked in contaminants from the blast booth beside it, which destroyed its bearings in a Chernobyl-like fashion.
Compressed Air Controls always follows industry best practice
As well as ensuring no further meltdowns, this new air compressor plant room setup, designed by Compressed Air Controls’ Manawatu Territory Manager Steven Carran, also follows industry best practice by ensuring the air compressors are protected from the elements. When Compressed Air Controls designs an air compressor setup we also ensure there is ease of access for servicing, adequate ventilation, correct piping design, condensation waste is draining efficiently and pressure vessels/receivers are correctly installed and meet safety requirements.
Two air compressors can be better than one
Steve advised Stevensons to replace the old, failed 90kW air compressor with two ELGi EG Series air compressors.
Lower kilowatts usage equals lower overall average energy consumption
A large air compressor being used all the time equals high power usage so Compressed Air Controls supplied two small air compressors to be used intermittently.
The ELGi EG37 screw air compressor with a Variable Frequency Drive will be used the most. It will run Stevensons’ zinc-arc and conventional spraying gear which applies protective coatings onto steel structures. This air compressor will also supply compressed air to the welders’ pneumatic tools.
Stevensons can still meet their spikes in air demand
The ELGi EG55 screw air compressor will be used when the engineers need to clean steel by grit blasting it.
They have backup
If one air compressor breaks down or needs to be shut down for maintenance, then production does not need to be disrupted as the other air compressor can still be used. (Compressed Air Controls can conduct maintenance outside of a company’s production time or provide emergency air supply so production is not disrupted while installation, repairs or maintenance is conducted.)
The workshop is more energy-efficient with an ELGi VFD motor controller
About 75% of an air compressor’s cost derives from energy consumption which is why ELGi Equipment Ltd designed the ELGi Conserve VFD, which can be installed or retrofitted to an air compressor. The Variable Frequency Drive changes the speed of the motor by varying the frequency applied to it and that decreases the amount of power consumed.
Compressed Air Controls also supplied and installed AIRCOM pipe and fittings
Senior Service Technician Hamish Loveridge praised Steve for the great air compressor design setup, Kemp Electrical who ran new wiring and installed a control box, isolation switches and circuit breakers, and his work colleague, service technician Callum Hyde, who helped him install the AIRCOM aluminium 80mm piping and fittings.
“A good team effort was put in with sales and service supporting each other all the way from the beginning to the end,” he said.
Specs
ELGi EG55 screw air compressor: 10.5BAR with an ELGi Conserve VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) up to 9.25m3/min
EG37 screw air compressor: 37kW 8.5BAR 6.65m3/min
AIRCOM aluminium 80mm piping and fittings.
Need pneumatic or air compressor setups designed, supplied, installed or repaired?
Contact Compressed Air Controls as we do all that from our Palmerston North, Wellington and Hawke’s Bay branches.