Plant Services - February 2008 - (Page 54)

Compressed Air EFFICIENCY machine operators are constantly changing settings, consider tamper-resistant regulators. They’re widely available and discourage unauthorized pressure changes. 4. Unauthorized modifications Plant personnel often regard compressed air as a free and infinitely available utility. This can lead to some ingenious uses for air. Our personal favorite unauthorized use is as a personal cooling device. Tape down the trigger pressure to the point that every air user on the system was adversely affected. Another favorite unauthorized air use is for cleaning floors. Sweeping is much easier with 100psig air than it is with a broom. These unauthorized air uses affect a system like a large leak, reducing pressure and flow available to other users. Are there enterprising machine operators on your plant floor? 5. Train the drains Plant personnel often regard compressed air as a free and infinitely available utility. This can lead to some very ingenious uses for air. and hang a blowgun so it points toward your station and you’ll be cool all day. Maybe drill a couple of holes in a pipe and mount it so it blows on you. In a metal casting facility, we found a copper pipe having seven 1/8-in. holes being used to cool a workstation. This cost the plant more than $10,000 a year in energy and reduced system Moisture in compressed air can destroy system components. What should you do if you find moisture in your air? Before you call an auditor, even before you call your dryer service company – make sure that the drains in your system are working. Although this sounds obvious, wherever we hear complaints about condensate, we find inoperable drains. One client spent in excess of $10,000 on an audit with the express target of eliminating the source of moisture in the air lines. After discussions about replacing air dryers and conducting a comprehensive audit, we traced the problem to a failed automatic drain on a refrigerated dryer. Testing and repairing this drain would have avoided the entire audit. Electronic drains are easily checked by pressing the ubiquitous “Test” button found on virtually every electric drain, whether they are zero-loss drains or timer drains. The Original Blue Pipe for Compressed Air Energy Efficien t Modular Design Simple Installati on Lower Install Cos t Push-to-Connect Completely Reusable No Corrosion Available in 1/2”- 4” 7205 E. Hampton Ave. 54 Mesa, AZ 85209 Phone: 480-830-7764 www.transair-usa.com www.PLANTSERVICES.com February 2008 http://www.transair-usa.com http://www.transair-usa.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - February 2008

Plant Services - February 2008 Contents From the Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager: Why Six Sigma? Technology Toolbox: Ensuring a Calm Response Cover Story: Best Practices Awards Lubricants: A Slick Success Story Motors: Reliable Torque Compressors: Before You Call for Help Web Hunter: Exploiting Intellectual Capital In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Fast Facts Energy Expert: Energy, Climate and Food

Plant Services - February 2008

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