What are some of the major benefits of installing an industrial compressor automation system?

Saving Money: Automation commonly saves 40% or more in energy costs, delivering a quick ROI and proving to be a valuable investment over time.

Supply Meets Demand: Automation prevents compressors from starting and stopping haphazardly and allows precise transitions between online compressors so that they work in unison to meet air demand without wasting energy.

Streamlined Data for Easier Monitoring: Automation allows users to view the status and historical trends of all integrated air compressors within the system. This means that users can find all information in one place rather than having various, separated collection points.

Simplified Management: Automated compressed air systems bring compressors on or offline based on need and performance so that manual management is not necessary. This means that managing a user’s system is easier and less time consuming.

Improve the Reliability of the Equipment: Automation ensures that equipment is only providing the necessary energy to meet demand and reduces the occurrence of overworking machinery. Due to drastically reduced wear and tear, users can expect their compressed air equipment to last significantly longer with automation.

The usage of a PLC in compression automation

  1. PLC provide an open hardware platform controller for the compressed air system.
  2. The PLC is generally used in other parts of the plant and thus spare parts are readily available and the OEM compressor manufacturer is not the only source of supply.
  3. The PLC is scalable virtual infinite scalability allow additional monitoring points to be added to the system along with additional functionality
  4. Troubleshooting it made much simpler and can likely be done by plant personnel.

How can an audit of my compressor system benefit our operation?

A compressed air system audit identifies inefficiencies by detecting wastes of energy within your system. This would include:

  • insufficient air flow to the application
  • compressor size insufficiencies
  • air supply inadequacies
  • filtration failures
  • leaks in the air pipes or connection points
  • moisture within the system
  • compressed air dryer failures
  • poor overall design
  • identify inconsistencies or failures in supply vs. demand
  • Poorly functioning compressors and / or dryers
  • Identify undersized dryers or improperly applied drying applications
  • Changes needed in the supply system due to changes in the demand side (i.e. new process lines or removal of some production)

A compressed air audit with CASE iZ will identify inefficiencies and offer solutions that guarantee an ROI.

A compressed air audit can assist a facility in determining what type and how much capacity may be needed based upon future production requirements.

What are the various steps involved in a compressor system audit?

An audit will take anywhere from a few days to over a week to complete. During that time, your compressed air system will have:

  • energy use recorded and monitored to ensure we have a good baseline of energy required to support the current demand
  • flow pressure measured in different areas of the system to understand how the air is distributed throughout the system
  • dew point is taken so we know if we have a moisture contamination problem.
  • Interview and meeting with key personnel to identify the uses/misused of air in the facility. Determine issues caused by the existing compressed air system.

In combination with measurements taken at various points throughout the system, a thorough walk through and visual inspection from your equipment to your application by an engineering expert is performed.

Areas assessed include:

  • Air compressors
  • Filters
  • Dryers
  • Receivers
  • distribution piping header & sub-headers
  • point of use FRLs
  • production equipment

What advantages are there to using a remote monitoring system?

Remote monitoring of your compressed air system will:
• Reduce energy waste via enabling you to assess energy consumption by providing:
-Web-Based HMI Graphics and Access to Historical Data
-Ability to Configure Your Own Alarm Values and Alerts
-Customizable Views with Historical Trends and Compressor Utilization Graphs
-Monthly Reporting of Energy Data

• Prevent Downtime by analyzing system failures via features such as:
-Receive email notifications of Alarms & Trips
-Quickly View Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Related to Compressed Air and Water Energy Usage
-Drill Down to Specific Machines to Evaluate Performance

Can compressor automation systems handle load sharing across multiple units?

AirMaster™ by CASE iZ is a “true load-sharing” solution that manages multiple centrifugal air compressors of different models, sizes, and manufactures by integrating them into one master control architecture.

The master controller is closely coupled with the local controllers to maximize efficiency and eliminate waste.  This works much more effectively than a standard sequencer

How can a compressor automation system lead to operational cost savings?

An automation system can lead to operational cost savings by:

  • Eliminating overuse of machinery, leading to increased equipment lifespan
  • Minimize wasted energy which is typically the largest point of operational cost savings with the addition of compressed air system automation, sometimes up to 50% in energy use
  • Catching system failures in the early stages reduces downtime and air quality issues
  • Match the compressed air supply with the demand of the plant optimizes the efficiency