Sharing knowledge to execute industrial-sized energy efficiency and water conservation projects
From October 29-31, 2024, professionals who operate, maintain and design industrial compressed air, vacuum, blower, nitrogen generation, process cooling and HVAC systems gathered at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA, for the 6th annual Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference. The event featured two tracks of conference presentations and panels, a new Hard Hat Compressed Air Workshop & Lab for hands-on facility engineers and maintenance professionals, the CAGI Certified Compressed Air System Specialist (CCASS) exam, a two-day Compressed Air Challenge Level 1 workshop and a Women in Compressed Air, Vacuum & Cooling Networking Group Breakfast.
The EXPO floor – the heart of the event – was a hive of activity for its two days. This year’s event recorded nearly 1,000 registrations, many of whom came to discover new technologies and find new vendors to support their regional compressed air and cooling system sales and service companies.
This year’s event also drew a large number of manufacturing plant personnel, who enjoyed being able to shop a variety of technologies and also get direct OEM answers to questions and technical issues they are experiencing in their plants.
“We’ve talked to Bobcat, Kaeser Compressors and Ace Compressor. We’ve talked to a lot of different vendors on instrumentation,” said Chris Rohman, Utilities Building Maintenance Tech, Bio Products, Archer Daniels Midland Company, after the event’s opening day. “We look forward to going back on day two and getting more contacts.”
“The Best Practices conference shows a lot of different innovative products,” added Jesse Scott, Facilities Engineer, MAGNA. “I’ve found many energy and sustainability items I will be pursuing to implement in our plant operations.”
Hundreds of attendees picked up Energy Treasure Hunt Raffle Cards to try for a daily prize. The raffle was open to distributors/reps, engineering firms and manufacturing personnel. To participate, attendees needed to collect a stamp from at least 10 Energy Treasure Hunt sponsor booths. Employees of Baxter Healthcare, Fluor Corporation, ADG Concepts, Atlantic Compressors and Goldfin Consulting took home cash prizes of $250 or $500!
Wednesday saw the 2nd annual in-person meeting of the Women in Compressed Air, Vacuum & Cooling Networking Group, whose members enjoyed a breakfast sponsored by Ingersoll Rand and Hitachi Global Air Power. Keynote speaker Charlene Vance, APU General Manager, Thermo King Americas, opened up about her personal experiences during her presentation “Purpose, Passion, Focus: Winning for You and Your Team” and encouraged the group to work toward their goals and win their personal championships.
Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference Sponsors
CAGI – the Compressed Air and Gas Institute – is a longtime partner of the Best Practices EXPO & Conference, and this year administered its Certified Compressed Air System Specialist (CCASS) exam multiple times during the event. It organized a session on maximizing compressed air efficiency, with speakers from Kaeser Compressors, Ingersoll Rand, Atlas Copco Compressors and Gardner Denver, a standing-room only presentation! It also organized a presentation on the Department of Energy’s upcoming regulations on oil-flooded air compressor isentropic efficiency, with speakers from Sullivan-Palatek and Quincy Compressor. “This isn’t like consumer appliances such as air conditioners or refrigerators where they make a million of them all the same,” said Bruce McFee, President, Sullivan-Palatek. “Air compressor companies have a lot of variation, so we’re responsible for many, many items. This potentially could have the impact of pulling some of the customized models off the market.”
CTI – the Cooling Technology Institute – is celebrating its 75th year of educating equipment owners and helping shape government regulations. This year, CTI held an opening day session titled “Cooling Towers in Industrial Plants,” featuring representatives from Baltimore Aircoil Company, Buckman Chemical, SPX Cooling Tech and L S Enterprise. Jon Cohen, Digital Innovation Fellow, Buckman Chemical, spoke about reusing water from cooling towers, while Jason Heilbrunn, Applications Lead – Industrial, Baltimore Aircoil Company, told attendees how to save time and money with closed-loop cooling solutions.
Air Compressor Technology
BAUER COMPRESSORS chose the Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference for the first public showing of its BMP line of medium-pressure air compressors. The line includes 12 options, which range from 20 to 125-horsepower (hp), 33 to 175 scfm and 435 to 1,450 psig (30 to 100 barg). All models are two- or three-stage, oil-lubricated, air-cooled reciprocating air compressors, and all work with the BAUER CONNECT IoT system, which lets customers monitor and control their air compressor systems from anywhere in the world using a phone or laptop. “It’s a direct-driven, air-cooled system built for continuous duty operation in strenuous environments,” said Tony Corletto, Sales Manager, BAUER COMPRESSORS.
Bobcat’s primary goal at the event was letting customers know it’s back in the industrial air compressor space. Building on its 100-year history, it recently re-entered the industrial air compressor market and today has 19 models in its Industrial Air line, ranging from 10 to 300-hp. Models are distinguished by their heavy-duty design and premium components. A 100-hp, 440 cfm, 125 psi (8.6 bar), oil-flooded, variable speed drive, rotary screw air compressor dominated the Bobcat booth. “Customers can count on us for rugged, durable products, expectation-exceeding customer support and long-term distributor relationships,” said Patrick Jakeway, General Manager, Bobcat Industrial Air.
Kaeser Compressors showed off multiple items at its booth, including its ability to provide engineered Kaeser Air System Enclosures (KASE) for customers in standard configurations. They are also able to build custom-engineered enclosures or skids for plant, process or instrument air. Kaeser also showed its line of Kaeser Measurement Technology instruments measuring flow, pressure, temperature and moisture in compressed air systems. The sensors can connect to the company’s Sigma Air Manager master control system for on-premises or remote monitoring and maintenance. Marketing Services Manager Michael Camber said the Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference was an excellent place to attract buyers: “People who want to learn about improving their compressed air system are our best customers.”
BOGE showcased its EO N Series of oil-free scroll air compressors. Displayed at the booth was an EO 23 N model, which is a modular unit. The EO Series is available from 5.5 to 40-hp and offers compact construction and low noise levels. “We’re looking for new distribution in the U.S. We’re growing fast and we’d love to see people interested in selling product for us,” said Kevin Miller, Sales Director, BOGE.
FS-Elliott and FS-Curtis displayed their oil-free centrifugal air compressor and oil-flooded rotary screw air compressor product lines. FS-Curtis’s new Toledo Tools line offers rugged, oil-flooded, air-cooled rotary screw air compressors for price-conscious buyers, including woodworking shops and commercial printers. The line runs from 5 to 50-hp and comes in base mount, tank mount or UltraPack (tank mount and refrigerated compressed air dryer) configurations. The Toledo Tools line is built to last, with large, slow-speed airends and a five-year extended warranty. “Some of the distributors we met this week said they would keep some as rentals, since they’re well priced,” said Tony Montalto, Director of Technical Product Management, FS-Curtis.
GlobalVac & Air announced the launch of its new scroll air compressor systems. Each system is customized to the application and the medical systems are fully NFPA-99 compliant. The oil-less scroll compressors run between 2 to 10-hp, with up to 10 compressors able to be joined in a system. “There’s a dedicated motor for each compressor, which adds another level of redundancy,” said Andrew Thompson, Product Manager, GlobalVac & Air. The company also showed off its industrial vacuum systems, including a duplex, 6-hp vacuum system for industrial applications and a lab vacuum system, vertically stacked for a space-saving footprint.
Last year, Hertz Kompressoren released the two-stage, rotary screw Impetus VSD Series in larger units, from 125 to 430-hp. Earlier this year, the company expanded the range to include 30 to 100-hp units. On display was a 60-hp, two-stage, oil-flooded, air-cooled, rotary screw air compressor that can supply up to 291 cfm at 125 psi (8.6 bar). “It’s driven by a permanent magnet motor, which gives you at least a 5% higher efficiency than the highest efficiency on IU-4 motors. The Impetus offers an additional two-stage compression, so when we launched these products, we achieved around 10 to 15% higher efficiency when compared to single stage units,” said Mert Alpagut, Vice President, Hertz Kompressoren USA.
PneuTech and Unipipe Solutions are a part of the Fluid-Aire Dynamics family. PneuTech showcased its range of RKHD Series rotary screw air compressors with a 40-hp, VSD, lubricated, air-cooled compressor on display along with a 225 cfm, refrigerated compressed air dryer. The company highlighted nitrogen technology in both PSA (pressure swing absorption) and membrane dryer air filtration systems. Unipipe displayed its larger pipe system, UnipipeEZ – offered in 6, 8 and 10-inch diameters – a factory-formed coupling system with a spigot and a socket that fit into one another. “Unipipe doesn’t require any special tools, crimping, grooving or anything like that in the field. It locks together with a clamp that’s much lower cost than a large coupler,” said Michael Heine, Director of Marketing, PneuTech and Unipipe Solutions.
Sauer Compressors USA showed one of the biggest air compressors on the EXPO floor, a five-piston, five-stage, reciprocating air compressor from its Orkan line. This 147-hp model is capable of producing up to 7,200 psi (496.4 bar), and works with air, nitrogen or compressed natural gas (CNG). Orkan models cool and separate gasses at each stage, allowing them to achieve higher pressure with cleaner results. Operators can block off one or more stages if they aren’t needed. Optional filters let operators filter particulates down to .001 micron. Orkan models can be purchased with a lifetime warranty. “If we did nothing else but build Orkan for the CNG and helium market, we would sell them as quickly as we could build them,” said Sean Dempsey, Southeast Regional Sales Manager, Sauer Compressors.
Sullivan-Palatek featured a model from its SP11 line of oil-flooded, air-cooled, rotary screw air compressors. The line runs from 25 to 40-hp and produces 100 to 175 psi (6.8 to 12 bar). This redesigned line replaces the company’s UD Series with a more energy efficient construction. Engineers looked at pressure drops in the inlet flow and separator tank, making improvements designed to keep pressure loss to a minimum. Target buyers include body shops and cabinet makers. “It’s dependable, reliable and it is available. We have them in stock,” said Bob Groendyke, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Sullivan-Palatek.
Tamsan-USA debuted the latest model in its S Series, the TVK-15S. Equipped with a servo drive for energy efficiency, this 15-hp, oil-flooded, air cooled, VSD rotary screw air compressor delivers 125 or 145 psig. Its Auto Auditor feature monitors atmospheric conditions and sends alerts if conditions lead to sub-optimal performance. It’s Auto Technician feature monitors performance at part-load operation. Tamsan-USA backs the S Series with a lifetime airend warranty. The model shown was in a package configuration with a storage tank and refrigerated dryer. “Package units are great options to provide the customer a clean, dry compressed air system that doesn’t take up a whole lot of space,” said Josh Wamser, President, Tamsan-USA.
Compressed Air Treatment and Condensate Management
BEKO Technologies had a large and well-trafficked booth at the Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference, and the booth’s highlight was the recently announced QWIK-PURE oil-water separator. Both intelligent and modular, the QWIK-PURE uses a cartridge system so it can be easily adapted for the cfm of any air compressor system. Owners can add up to six cartridges to a base unit. When cartridges are full, maintenance technicians can remove them with no mess. Cartridges weigh 50 lbs when full, said Rusty Welch, Central Regional Manager, BEKO. The QWIK-PURE is WiFi-enabled and can be monitored and controlled from anywhere.
Altec AIR displayed several items from its compressed air treatment line. The company’s refrigerated dryers have models for 25 to 2,000 cfm, while its desiccant dryers have models that can handle 0.4 to 9,000 cfm. At the booth was an RHT Series non-cycling, refrigerated compressed air dryer using R-134a refrigerant. The company also displayed a HBS Series single tower, heated, blower purge compressed air dryer. “It’s good for applications in single shift facilities. At night it goes into regeneration mode. It isolates itself from the system and regenerates the desiccant, ensuring it’s ready the next day,” explained Jim DiMaiolo, Sales & Market Manager, Altec AIR.
Clean Resources has developed new condensate filters for oil-water separators, designed to remove precious metals and heavy metals. “In studies, compressor manufacturers are finding trace metals, precious metals and some additional acids are getting downstream and going out into the ground, causing issues. So, they've approached us to develop an oil-water separator that also goes beyond just pulling the oil out and actually removes those precious metals, which are an environmental concern,” said Chad Timmer, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Clean Resources. On display was the CRP Series and IDC Series of oil-water separators, as well as the Auxiliary Discharge Pump. The CRP Series ranges from 75 acfm at 15-hp to 10,000 acfm at 2,000-hp and the IDC Series ranges from 75 acfm at 15-hp to 600 acfm at 125-hp. Clean Resources also promoted its robust database system. The company tracks the location of all of its units along with their sizing information, and sends reminders to customers when it’s time for them to be replaced, helping them to keep track and avoid environmental violations.
Walker Filtration highlighted several products at its booth, among them the SmartSep line of oil-water separators. Models in the line accept airflows of 32 to 6,621 scfm. The two smallest models are single use, disposable products, while the others (from 132 scfm and up) are serviceable. Units include a filtration bag that floats when empty but sinks when full, causing a visual indicator to rise. They’re capable of reducing oil content to 5 ppm. Walker Filtration sells SmartSep products directly and through private labeling. For Ben Laiweneek, Senior Sales Manager, Walker Filtration, the EXPO was about supporting and growing the entire compressed air community. “The name of the game is relationship-building. If I can’t supply something, I want to recommend someone who can just to help out the customer,” Laiweneek said.
Compressed Air Measurement and Leak Detection
CS INSTRUMENTS USA launched multiple products at the Best Practices 2024 EXPO & Conference (see the new products sidebar for a full list), among them the Compressor Master Meter CMM 500, a meter with a venturi probe and a differential probe for accurate metering in wet air. The CMM 500 has no moving parts and offers an accuracy of under 0.5%, noted General Manager Martin Zeller. Because it’s an inline meter and not easy to remove, it includes an integrated drain for releasing built up water. It also includes left and right shutoff valves, letting the operator isolate the sensor while it’s running, remove it and swap it out for a pre-calibrated sensor in minutes. It comes standard with an ISO 9001 certificate, but can be special ordered with ISO 17025 calibration.
Comate Hong Kong displayed a variety of compressed air measurement and monitoring systems including its Vortex flow meter series, PTF520 differential pressure flow meter and TGF460 thermal mass flowmeter. “The Vortex flow meter offers more durability and accuracy due to its design, which has no moving parts,” said Ray Fang, International Sales Director, Comate Hong Kong.
Trace Analytics, a third-party accredited lab, is helping compressed air users determine whether they have clean, dry and oil-free air that meets ISO 8573 standards with its testing services. While having quality air has been of high importance for food and beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers for some time, the lab has noticed a trend in providing quality air for equipment health. “We’re seeing a growing need for air quality to be of high purity for equipment, in order to protect it for longevity, sustainability and risk transfer,” explained Brett Greenlee, Key Account Representative, Trace Analytics. During the conference, Nikki Smith, Air Quality Leader, led a presentation on regulation and risk in food-safe compressed air.
UE Systems displayed a variety of acoustic imaging cameras, including the Ultraprobe 3,000 (frequency range of 35 to 45 kHz), Ultraprobe 15,000 (frequency range of 20 to 100 kHz) and FLIR Si2 (frequency range of 2 to 130 kHz). “The Si2 will find any compressed air or really any gas leak and quantify it on the screen for you, telling you how much you lose in cfm and dollar amount,” said Chase Sasser, Regional Operations Leader, UE Systems. The company also hosted a workshop at the conference on creating leak surveys and leak programs for facility maintenance personnel.
Nitrogen Generators, Pneumatics, Motors and Drives
In addition to displaying their high-capacity refrigerated and desiccant compressed air dryer product lines, Mikropor America highlighted its MNG Pro Series of nitrogen generators, which was introduced in January 2024. By changing the way the nitrogen generator intakes air – drawing from the bottom rather than the front – and adding a conical diffuser to better use the carbon molecular sieve, Mikropor has improved the nitrogen ratio by 40%. That means customers use less electricity to generate the same amount of nitrogen. The series includes both twin tower and compact modular designs. “Our nitrogen generators can go anywhere from fractions of a cubic foot per minute up to as high as 2,000 cubic feet per minute,” said Mike Kinnucane, Area Manager, Mikropor.
Energy efficiency was the focus at the SMC Corporation of America booth showcasing pneumatic products designed to make factory automation more energy efficient and reduce demand on compressed air systems. “We can often find a 50% savings in a factory by implementing some of these particular solutions,” said Jon Jensen, Energy Efficiency Team Manager, SMC North America. SMC is also ramping up chiller production at its U.S. headquarters in Noblesville, IN. Getting its start with small thermos chillers, the company is bringing in new sizes each month. Its chillers, designed for energy efficiency and accuracy, can be used in applications where liquids need to be a precise temperature, such as pharmaceuticals or food production.
WEG, a Brazilian manufacturer of electric motors and controls, showcased a variety of products including rolled steel motors for compressor specific applications, as well as controls. This includes starters, drives and soft starts – the parts that run the motor in an air compressor. The Hydrowash motor was on display, which is a washdown motor capable of being sprayed down with water. It was designed to meet the requirements of industries where there’s a constant need for hygiene and cleanliness. They’re available from fractional horsepower to several hundred horsepower. “All of our products are designed and manufactured by us from the ground up. We’re vertically integrated in our manufacturing process, meaning we build everything in the motor except the bearings and grease,” said Shannon Chiles, Manager of Low Voltage Product Marketing and Management, WEG.
Chillers and Cooling Systems
HydroThrift showcased its approach to closed-loop cooling systems for air compressors. Each system is custom designed, tailored to the project’s location, climate, equipment mix and cooling needs. “The systems we use and supply are industrial duty, designed to operate 24/7/365. It’s not unusual for our systems to last in excess of 15 years. Usually, with good maintenance, our systems will last somewhere around 20, 25 years,” said Mike Wlodarski, Regional Sales Manager, HydroThrift. The company recently launched the Advanced Cooling System Control Panel, providing enhanced performance monitoring and troubleshooting.
Industrial Water Chiller, a division at TJ Snow Company, has more than 300 chillers in stock, ranging from half ton to 50 ton, at its Chattanooga, TN, facility, which is helping cut down lead time. It has chiller options in stock with automatic bypass already built in. To meet regulation changes on the horizon, the company has begun bringing R-454B and R-513A refrigerants into stock. “We started the chiller division at TJ Snow Company in 2019. We've probably grown over 400% in just that short amount of time, and we're continuing to grow. We can sell a half ton chiller and, right now, we’re working a project in Georgia with five 150 ton chillers,” said Hamilton Terrell, Sales Manager, Industrial Water Chiller.
New Products Debuted at the Best Practices 2024 EXPO and ConferenceGlobal Product Debuts
Products Exhibited for the First Time
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The Best Practices 2025 EXPO & Conference will next take place October 21-23, 2025, in Kansas City. Thanks to the positive environment they found in Atlanta, many 2024 exhibitors secured 2025 booth space before the show was over. The 2025 conference promises to be another record year. Add to calendar - Google calendar.
The staff of Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine wishes to thank everyone who made the 2024 event a valuable and memorable occasion.
To learn more about the Best Practices 2025 EXPO & Conference in Kansas City, visit https://cabpexpo.com.
To read similar Compressed Air System articles, visit https://www.airbestpractices.com/technology/air-compressors.
