Compressed Air Best Practices - October 2008 - (Page 44) | 10/08 Compressed Air Industry AUTOMOTIVE TRANSIT | ALUMINUM PIPE SYSTEMS: PREVOST CORPORATION What safety features can air connections and hose assemblies have? Often overlooked, air connections and hose assemblies can dramatically affect safety, productivity and reduce utility costs from leaks. Selecting “bubble tight” or “leak free” compressed air products is important. One leaky coupler can cost hundreds of dollars in utility costs each year. Multiply that by the number of connections in your plant, and you can see how investing a little more up front can save you thousands in the long run. Here are some of my recommendations: Quick Couplings: Specify “venting action” safety quick-couplers at the air source or manifold. This simple choice eliminates “hose whip” reducing personal injuries and damage to equipment or vehicles. “Hose whip” occurs when disconnecting a pressurized air hose. Impactresistant composite quick couplings with a quick push-button release can make one-handed disconnection much easier than a conventional metal sleeve type. Specify “bubble tight” push-button non-scratch couplers for use at the air tool. Use HVLP (high volume low pressure) couplers for use in painting areas. This coupler will provide better air flow to the paint gun as well as extend the life of an air tool. Hose assemblies: In areas where there is a lot of traffic or activity, select self-coiling hoses or retracting hose reels to keep air hoses out from underfoot and provide a safe, efficient work area. Some final thoughts on Aluminum Pipe Systems? Aluminum pipe systems are here to stay. The growth we have seen in the last 10 years has been very impressive. There are thousands of installations worldwide in almost every industry. Companies have begun to take a serious look at Return on Investment (ROI), and with energy costs rising; it only makes sense that your compressed air system be optimized. Adding a compressor which is efficient is only the beginning. The best compressor in the world will keep on running to service air leaks and poorly designed pipe systems. The answer is to complete the optimization by using bubble tight components and good piping practices. The future will bring new and exciting technology and the days of black iron pipe are gone with the Ford Model T. Thank you, Prevost, for your insights. For more information, please contact Mark McKean, Prevost Corporation, email: m.mckean@prevostusa.com, tel: 800-845-7220, www.prevostusa.com Increase safety by selecting the proper air connections and hose assemblies. 44 www.airbestpractices.com http://www.prevostusa.com http://www.airbestpractices.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.