System Assessments

While oxygen is unquestionably the most important gas in our atmosphere, as it is essential for most animals and human life, nitrogen is the most widely used atmospheric gas.  Nitrogen is the go-to gas for countless industrial, medical, and scientific applications. This is because nitrogen is in vast supply, inert, and possesses the desirable characteristics of being colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The purity of nitrogen significantly affects the outcome of the application for which it is used and how the industry measures the purity of nitrogen gas is the focus of this article.       

Without compressed air monitoring, up to 30% of the compressed air generated goes to waste. This waste occurs for several reasons, including leaks caused by failures at joints and tubes, exposure to vibration and normal component wear, and the suboptimization of machines and devices. Continuous monitoring capabilities allow operators to detect leaks and other anomalies in their early stages. By addressing pneumatic issues before they can grow, companies can reduce compressed air use by 20% to 30%. 
 

One of the components frequently included in a reciprocating air compressor is an air receiver, often referred to as an air tank.  Proper air storage is a critical component of intermittent duty cycle because for brief moments, the system can provide more compressed air than would otherwise be provided by the compressor pump. The capacity of compressed air piping also contributes to the total capacity of the air storage system.

When fundamentals like leak detection are neglected, best practices begin to slip. Inefficiency does not happen instantaneously, but slowly becomes the new norm as leaks or open blows are overlooked. Maintaining peak compressed air system efficiency is essential to streamlined operations. Better yet: it doesn’t need to be complicated. A clear, concise, and actionable plan will prevent negligence and keep your operation up-to-date on energy efficiency and cost savings.

Blowing a jet of compressed air at an object is a common but “poor” use of compressed air. Often the blowing nozzle is a piece of pipe on a hose with a manual valve for control. This quickly solves a production problem when a more efficient factory made nozzle is either physically too big, too expensive, or not on site when needed. Retrofitting with factory made nozzles is often ruled out by for the same reasons, and the time needed by managers and fitters to change a nozzle for often little gain in production.

If your vacuum pump is malfunctioning, you are faced with a choice: repair or replacement. Our guide will take you through both options and provide recommendations on when it makes sense to repair vacuum pumps and when to replace them. We will also take a look at how to spot and diagnose common issues before they lead to system failure.
Whatever the path of action, the decision to repair or replace always begins with testing and diagnosis. A factory-trained service technician who specializes in vacuum pump services inspects the equipment and identifies the problem.

The impact of compressed air on industries globally is undeniable, spanning from small tire shops to vast oil and gas sectors, as well as specialized domains like laboratories and pharmaceuticals. Amid this industrial transformation, many have taken control by employing in-house air compressors, air dryers, and related equipment to autonomously generate compressed air. In-house compressed air generation eliminates the need for relying on external sources, whether through cylinder bulk packs, Dewars, or tankers delivering compressed air.

Industrial ceramics have been produced in Hermsdorf, near Jena, since 1890. In the past, high-voltage insulators; now, ceramic honeycomb bodies for heat exchangers, ventilation and emission control systems. They have always kept up with the times, developing innovative materials, products and state-of-the-art production processes to do so. 

This article dealt with all the various conditions that can and do affect the performance capacity of various types of air compressors in actual flow capacity (SCFM at site conditions).

Laird & Company has been pioneering and perfecting Applejack brandy for 325 years. In 1698, William Laird immigrated from County Fyfe, Scotland to Monmouth County, New Jersey, bringing nothing but the distillation skills of his homeland with him. Keen to experiment with the ingredients of the New World, William began to dabble in the distillation of the most abundant crop in the area – apples.