Compressed Air Best Practices - June 2008 - (Page 22)

| 06–07/08 Focus Industry PHARMACEUTICALS | PUERTO RICO, PHARMACEUTICALS AND AIREQUIPO INC. What type of compressed air systems are used in the pharmaceutical industry? Pharmaceutical Manufacturing In Puerto Rico Abbott Abbott Labs Amgen Bristol Myers Squibb Cordis Glaxo SmithKline IPR Pharma Canovanas Ethicon J&J Janssen Ortho McNeil Janssen Products Ortho Biological McNeil Consumer Health Care Lilly Del Caribe Merck Sharp & Dohme Novartis Pfizer Procter & Gamble Schering Plough Valeant Warner Chilcott Wyeth The typical installation involves oil-free air compressors. Highly regulated by the FDA, pharmaceuticals will not allow anything but oil-free air compressors. We can offer both Atlas Copco oil-free rotary screws, lobe or scroll compressors. Airequipo has worked hard over the years to demonstrate the benefits of oil-free air compressors and today we can say we have 90 to 95% of the pharmaceutical industry. We currently have more than 500 oil-free air compressors installed. Air treatment specifications are flexible depending upon the application. They may use a refrigerated air dryer or a drum (desiccant) air dryer. If they want to avoid the growth of bacteria, then they will use from -40 to -100° F dew point desiccant air dryer. Stainless steel filters for sterile filtration are still very common as are coalescing filters for other industrial applications. Since the introduction of the MD dryer, we have been identifying applications to fulfill. Today, a combination of energy savings and not extreme dew points has been ideal for it. What is the cost of power in Puerto Rico? We have few natural resources in Puerto Rico and an issue for our industry has been the ever-increasing cost of electricity. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is the only producer of electricity. With oil as its mean of production and over $120 per barrel, you can imagine the problems we face. The cost per kW/h in Puerto Rico for a manufacturing plant, depending on contracted volume, can fluctuate between 19 and 21 cents. This cost of power does not help Puerto Rico compete globally. We cannot forget that in the Dominican Republic their electric costs can go as high as 24 cents, but our minimum wage as opposed to them is the minimum wage paid in the U.S.A., creating an incredible issue in cost reductions. Atlas Copco Oil-free, water-cooled, rotary tooth compressor with integrated refrigerated dryer and Variable Speed Drive The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) does not offer any energy rebate programs. Some companies, like Abbott Labs, generate some of their own power and actually resell some of it to the city of Barceloneta. Probably, this summer too, a “net metering” legislation will be effective in Puerto Rico and renewable energy projects will arise from this opportunity. There are still some legal issues pertaining to the use of PREPA’s infrastructure for distribution (distribution wheeling), but ample debate is taking place to make this happen. The Island of Puerto Rico 22 www.airbestpractices.com http://www.airbestpractices.com

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

Compressed Air Best Practices - June 2008 Contents From the Editor Utility-Air News A Pharmaceutical Compressed Air System Audit Talking Dew Point Puerto Rico, Pharmaceuticals and Airequipo Inc. Oil-Free Rotary and Oil-Free Centrifugal Compressor Comparison SMC: Managing Energy and Dew Point in Pneumatic Systems Utility Grade Compressed Air Systems Training Calendar & Product Picks Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

Compressed Air Best Practices - June 2008

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