Capital Equipment News May 2016

COMPRESSED AIR

GUIDE TO PURCHASING compressed air equipment

C ompAir South Africa has been sup- plying and supporting compressed air installations throughout industry since 1927. As a part of the Gardner Denver International group of companies, CompAir SA enjoys worldwide commercial and tech- nical support in its offering which ranges from high vacuum, through low pressure blowers, standard 7-13BAR industrial air, higher pressure to support PET bottle-blow- ing operations and up to 300BAR+ breath- ing air and specialty applications. The sales and support of equipment through- out the African continent is managed from the South African operation through a net- work of authorised distributors and direct sales and service providers. Business Director for CompAir SA, Marc Will- mers, makes some suggestions on purchas- ing new equipment; Cost of ownership Typically, over a five year period, the capital cost of a compressor only accounts for 10% of the cost. Maintenance, accounts for a further 10% and electricity consumption accounts for nearly 80% of the cost. Trying to save on capital costs without assessing the impact on energy expenses is, unfortunately, commonly seen in industry. The prospective supplier of the equipment should be able to give a clear picture of how best to manage the full cost of ownership, failing which another supplier should be sought. Equipment sizing Compressors and downstream equipment should be designed and sized for the intended application. Critical parameters to be considered when selecting equipment are volume and quality of air. The maximum air-flow requirement will determine the size of the compressor. The load cycle (variance between max and min airflow requirement) will assist in determining the type of technology or mix of technologies (variable speed or fixed speed) that will deliver the most efficient system. Another aspect of application design is quality of air which will have a direct impact on the quality of the goods produced and/or maintenance cost of equipment that uses compressed air as a source of energy.

onto the supplier through long term service contracts. Responsiveness of service provider Like any other mechanical equipment, the lifespan and effectiveness of compressed air equipment relies on skilled after-mar- ket support when it is required. Prospective buyers should evaluate suppliers on their ability to offer quick and technically profi- cient service. Don’t just believe the sales- person – insist on seeing case studies, cus- tomer surveys and reference sites. Gardner Denver Industrials Group delivers the broadest range of compressors and vacuum products, in a wide array of tech- nologies, to end user and OEM customers worldwide in the industries served. This compant provides reliable and ener- gy-efficient equipment that is put to work in a multitude of manufacturing and process applications. Products ranging from versatile low-and high pressure compressors to cus- tomised blowers and vacuum pumps serve industries including general manufacturing, automotive and waste water treatment, as well as food and beverage, plastics and power generation. Its global offering includes a comprehensive suite of after-market ser- vices to complement its products. Gardener Denver Industrials Group, part of Gardener Denver, Inc., is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wiconsin, USA. Gardener Denver was founded in 1859 and today has approx- imately 7 000 employees in more than 30 countries. For further information, please visit www.gardenerdnver.com/industrials or visit www.compair.co.za . b

to suit a particular purpose. Too small and the user will have to make unwanted production compromises in periods of exceptional demand. Too big and the user is wasting money on electricity consumption and creating equipment inefficiencies in the production cycle as a result of utilisation fluctuations. Energy There are simple common-sense solutions available to end users to manage energy consumption on equipment. These include variable speed motors, correct application design, efficient sizing of filters and down- stream equipment, intelligent programming to manage loading of compressors, ade- quate and optimised pipework and turbo- chargers on diesel driven machines, and utilising heat recovery generated from the compressors for other applications in the factory, such as boiler heating or climate control in buildings. These methods will provide further savings on energy costs. Access to OEM servicing and support The efficient life span of a compressed air system is maximised through OEM specified servicing by accredited technicians. Buying a brand of machinery that is not supported technically or where the OEM spare parts are not readily available will impact on the life of the machinery. Warranty Manufacturer warranties vary dramatically in duration and scope of cover. End users can now get 10 year warranties on key compressor components but, all too often, these warranties are voided through poor or neglected service regimes. The best way to ensure the warranty on the compressor is to move this servicing responsibility back

Compressed air equipment should be fitted

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