Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008 - (Page 11)

Focus Industry PLASTICS BLOW-MOLDING | 04/08 | Additional storage at the far end of the header will also help stabilize the system pressure. This is particularly important if any blow-molders are using balayage or heat-set processes. In this system, the addition of a 1,000-gallon receiver will provide more stable pressures during the transition periods of starting and stopping molding machines. The goal is to contain the pressures within 1% of set-point at all times so that starting a Sidel does not impact the other molding machines in the system. CO2 O Minimizing Blow-Molding Pressure Fluctuations High-speed pressure recordings on the blow-molding machines indicate that the pressure drop and pressure fluctuations caused by the blow-air regulators range from 20–80 psig. As a process variable, compressed air is experiencing much more instability than any other part of the blowmolding process. It stands to reason that controlling this variable offers the potential to allow further increases in productivity or improved quality. The first and simplest solution to minimize the losses through the regulator is to pipe a bypass around the regulator and/or the final filter (if redundant) based on the individual machine configuration. In all cases, the dump valve must remain between the rotary union on the molding machine and the air supply. This allows the dump valve to cut off the flow of air and relieve Controlling header pressure and blow-pressures more accurately and at more appropriate levels can reduce compressed air energy costs by more than 20%. FROM LITTLE TO BIG AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN • Air & Gas* Compressors and Boosters • 3 to 206 SCFM • Pressures from 200 to 6000 PSI • 3 to 125 Horsepower • Sound Attenuated Enclosures Available • Standard and Custom Designs • Mobile Designs Available *Inert gases and pipeline quality natural gas BAUER COMPRESSORS Inc. Telephone: 757-855-6006 • Telefax: 757-857-1041 E-Mail: sls@bauercomp.com • www.bauercomp.com/norfolk/industrialair www.airbestpractices.com 11 http://www.bauercomp.com/norfolk/industrialair http://www.bauercomp.com/norfolk/industrialair http://www.airbestpractices.com

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Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008 Contents From the Editor Utility-Air News The Compressed Air Audit of the Month: Minimizing Blow-Molding Pressure Fluctuations AF Compressors: Focused on 40 Bar, Oil-Free Air for the PET Industry Real World Best Practices: PET Plants Using Boosters for High-Pressure Air Guaranteeing Audit ROI for Blow-Molders Managing Vacuum Pressure Differential Are You Taking Full Advantage of Pneumatic Valve Technology? Are You Strategic? Resources for Energy Engineers: Training Calendar & Product Picks Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008

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