Considering that compressed air systems typically consume almost a third of an industrial site's total electricity, it's astonishing that there's so little recognition of the impact that these workhorses can have upon overall efficiency.
This lack of awareness and its potentially dire impact on reliable production and costs was one of the big issues that arose during a fascinating roundtable discussion on the compressor research conducted by Works Management and sponsored by Atlas Copco.
As the leading supplier of compressed air equipment and services in the UK, we cannot afford to ignore this disconnect, and nor can the manufacturing community. Best practice is what we should all be pursuing.
At a time when there is widespread pressure to optimise production while keeping energy costs under control, a compressed air system can be pivotal – either reliably supporting efficient production or generating costly problems.
An overlooked compressed air system is acutely vulnerable to faults, from leakages to breakdowns. These have costly consequences, not only giving rise to unexpected repair bills, but causing production downtime and even reputational damage. A proactive service and maintenance plan mitigates against nasty surprises and also ensures that day-to-day running costs are kept to a minimum by optimising energy efficiency.
Leakages, for example, are surprisingly common and they can add several thousand pounds per year to energy bills simply because the compressor is working harder to deliver the same pressure to the end user. This is one reason why any consideration of compressed air must incorporate the whole system and not just the compressor unit itself.
Gaining better visibility of compressed air system performance and energy usage is crucial in order for users to regain control, and I'm pleased to say there is no shortage of helpful solutions, from training, advice and regular optimisation audits to real-time remote monitoring systems such as Atlas Copco's SMARTLINK.
The first step is recognition that, when it comes to energy efficiency, compressed air can be a valuable friend or a very unpredictable foe. Which would you choose?
