Plant Services - August 2007 - (Page 52) 3…2… Done! EFFICIENCY Compressors Shaft alignment in a Flash Fixturlaser XA ® 3 quick pre-alignment steps No more than 2 machine moves. Done! In just minutes. The XA, Fixturlaser’s next generation system for laser alignment of horizontal shafts, is designed to get alignments done fast, really fast. The system incorporates on-screen Flash® animations that actually walk the user through the alignment process! Other innovations include large 30-millimeter detectors, line laser beams, and wireless connectivity. compressor doesn’t require three fi lters and a refrigeration dryer to duplicate the air quality achieved by an oil-free compressor equipped with a single-chamber desiccant dryer. An oil/fluid-cooled compressor in combination with a refrigeration dryer and a 0.01-micron fi lter achieves class 1 air in accordance with ISO 8573, whereas an oil-free compressor with only a desiccant dryer achieves class 3. Furthermore, the combination of the oil/fluid-cooled compressor with a refrigeration dryer and fi lter easily achieves class 2 with respect to oil aerosol content. However, the air treatment quality of an oil-free compressor with a downstream single-chamber desiccant dryer can’t meet ISO 8573 specification as a result of the undefined intake conditions. An objective comparison can be made only if both systems comply with ISO 8573. Without fi ltration and air treatment equipment, no compressor can achieve a precisely-defined compressed air quality class. Energy consumption comparisons that don’t take this into account are, therefore, also incorrect. Furthermore, it is not true that the pressure differential in a fi lter ele- ment steadily increases throughout its lifetime. e pressure differential only starts to increase significantly when the fi lter is at the end of its service life (Figure 3). Simply changing a fi lter element at 90% of its recommended service life saves energy. In the end, it’s the clean air treatment equipment that determines the resulting air quality, not the compression method. To maximize reliability and efficiency, opt for the system that exhibits the lowest total life-cycle cost. Energy and maintenance costs represent between 70% and 90% of this expense, depending on operating hours, and taken over the compressor lifetime, will add up to a multiple of the initial capital investment, potentially making a decision based on first cost a false economy. Base your investment decisions on total lifecycle costs, system compatibility, effectiveness and reliability rather than on a particular type of compression system. Remember, air compressor technology constantly evolves. Wayne Perry is compressed air e ciency consultant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Contact him at wayne.perry@kaeser.com. Bibliography 1. Reimund Scher , excerpt from the German publication: Chemical Systems and Processes (Chemie Anlagen + Verfahren), Issue 5 (1996), p. 51. 2. Heribert Bach: E cient Oil Mist Separators. In the German publication: iam, Issue 3 (1988) 3. Excerpt from “Do we have to produce oil-free compressed air without using oil? Pros & Cons”. In the German publication: PRODUKTION, Issue 17 (1996), p. 20. Call today for a demonstration of the 3…2…Done! alignment. More resources at www.PlantServices.com/thismonth E ciencies – “Reducing energy and costs” Air dryers 101 – “There’s more than one way to dry the air” Flow and power – “Measuring and monitoring air ows” Inlet throttling – “Control the blow” System design – “Keep it simple” For more, search www.PlantServices.com using the keywords oil-free, lter and treatment. www.vibralign.com 800-379-2250 Flash is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. 52 .PLANTSERVICES. A http://www.PlantServices.com/thismonth http://www.vibralign.com http://www.PlantServices.com http://www.PlantServices.com
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