Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008 - (Page 18)

| 04/08 Focus Industry PLASTICS BLOW-MOLDING | FOCUSED ON 40 BAR, OIL-FREE AIR FOR THE PET INDUSTRY Please describe the growth of AF. AF is a global leader in supplying air compressors to PET stretch blow-molding operations. This industry has grown tremendously in Western Europe and in North America over the past 15 years. AF has grown with it. We now support over 2,300 AF air compressors installed in over 135 countries. We have developed an international network of daughter companies and affiliates. We operate our own daughter companies in 10 countries including Germany, China, Dubai, India, Mexico, North Africa, Russia, Turkey, Thailand, Poland and the USA. We complement the daughter companies with a larger network of AF affiliates. All of these operations provide sales, aftermarket and service support to our blow-molding customers. CO2 O New lighter-weight PET plastics are allowing the use of 30 bar air pressure vs 40 bar air pressure kW How does AF service the Americas? AF USA was founded in 1995. Our full-service facility is located just outside Atlanta, Georgia. We have managerial responsibility for the Americas. Our facility has a spare parts inventory and a shop capable of refurbishing air compressors. Our service team is based here, but we do most of our work on-site with the customers in Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. We also have service agents based in California and Montreal to be close to our customers. Our daughter company in Toluca, Mexico services customers in Mexico and in all of Latin America. Our testing facility in Liege is of great help to our diverse global markets. From Canada to Chile, blow-molding operations operate with many different voltages. We are able to test our air compressors before they ship, at 50 and 60 Hz and at 380 or 460V. We have even had some customers using 4,600 volts! We can accommodate different motor starters from soft-start, Wye-delta, to ramp-starts. Wye-delta is standard on our machines, but some customers choose the soft-start to generate energy savings. How does the blow-molding industry look to you going forward? The number of blow-molding operations is growing rapidly in emerging markets like China, India and Russia. This is why we are opening our manufacturing operation in China and continue to open new daughter companies around the world. The growth rates in these regions are very exciting. Growth in the Americas will continue to be solid and stable for blow-molding. This is a very recession-proof industry as people still need their soda, ketchup, mustard and bottled water. If the beer market fully embraced PET, then it would really grow, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen due to some recycling concerns. The trend here is towards reducing the carbon footprint involved with the blow-molding process. AF has 2,300 compressors installed in over 135 countries 18 www.airbestpractices.com http://www.airbestpractices.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Compressed Air Best Practices - April 2008

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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