Air Compressors

AIR
COMPRESSORS
SP R I N G E D I T I O N
Contents
3 — Food and beverages industries go wireless
5 — Productivity, Sustainability & Energy Conservation
19 — Food packaging company cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
28 — NX Series...The Best in Rotary Screw Air Compression
29 — Compressed Air Contamination in Detail
42 — Sullair Oil Free
43 — Preventing compressed air leaks: Taking a proactive
approach
50 — Signature Brands
54 — Compressed air and VFDs: Get the most from your system:
Your questions answered
2
Food and beverages industries
go wireless Food and beverages
industries go wireless
Productivity, Sustainability &
Frost & Sullivan report looks at how technology improves production traceability Energy Conservation
Food packaging company cuts
A n increasing population and growing consumer demand for packaged foods has compressed air costs by $250,000
forced food and beverages industry to look at new technologies that provide NX Series...The Best in Rotary
Screw Air Compression
flexibility, easiness of operation and constant tracking of the production process. Com-
plete transparency is required along the production process for assuring consumers Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
health and hygiene. This demands continuous monitoring and efficient traceability of
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the entire production process in the food manufacturing plant. Wireless devices pro-
vide answers to the aforementioned requirements in the Food and Beverages industry. Preventing compressed air leaks:
Taking a proactive approach
Signature Brands
Wireless technology helps in cost-cutting
Compressed air and VFDs: Get
Currently, robotics and packaging applications use relatively higher level of wireless the most from your system: Your
devices in the Food and Beverages industry. It is estimated that almost 50 percent of questions answered
a processed food product’s price is attached to its packaging. With the help of wire-
less technology, over 25 — 50 percent of damages due to inefficient packaging can be
eliminated. Robotics employ wireless devices is application such as palletization, thick-
ness measurement, sizing of the food item, and controlling the robotics arm movement
in loading and packing food products. Use of wireless devices in some of these robot-
ics applications reduces manual errors and provides flexibility in the operation.
Wireless devices are beneficial in monitoring applications such as temperature, pres-

sure, yield, humidity, force, PH monitoring along with temperature maintenance during
fermentation, sterilization and pasteurization process. Employing wireless sensors in
the Clean-in-place monitoring has brought in a significant cost savings of up to 5000
USD per installation in large scale beverage manufacturers.
3
Food and beverages industries go wireless
Food and beverages

Instant decision making industries go wireless
Wireless sensors attached to a remote computer or a PDA is increasingly used to re-
port any problem or defects in the production line. As a result, any data pertaining to Energy Conservation
handling, filling and packaging can be immediately relayed to the users’ remote com- Food packaging company cuts
puter or PDA, thereby enabling instant decision making. Wireless GPS connectivity is compressed air costs by $250,000
used to monitor the condition of fragile articles during transportation, and identify the NX Series...The Best in Rotary
exact location of the consignment. Some of the critical applications such as the acidity
and the PH measurement in the line refractometer are additional wireless applications Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
in the food and beverages industry.
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The other advantages of the wireless devices such as work-force mobility, ease of Preventing compressed air leaks:
installation and commissioning, as well as reduction in the cabling cost have created
Signature Brands
higher propensity in the food industry to invest in wireless technology.
the most from your system: Your
Adoption to improve as end users gain confidence questions answered
However, food and beverages industries have critical applications that demand wire-
less devices; the conservative nature of the industry to invest in new technologies is
a major restraint for adoption. The wireless market in food and beverage industry is
expected to grow at low levels over the next two years. But as the suppliers are able to
clearly justify the benefits, significant investments are expected to happen over a long
term period. By the end of 2012, the European food and beverages industry is estimat-
ed close to 25 per cent for the wireless market among discrete industries.
Khadambari Shanbagaraman
Khadambari Shanbagaraman is a Research Analyst for Frost & Sullivan Industrial Au-
tomation & Process Control Group.
4
Productivity,
Sustainability
& Energy
Conservation
The Pros And Cons Of Single-Stage And Two-
Stage Rotary Screw Air Compressors
I n today’s modern manufacturing facilities, key plant per-

sonnel are faced with a number of challenges. How do I
maximize production? How do I reduce costs? What type
of improvements will give me the greatest return? The
questions plant managers must continually ask themselves
are as common as they are important: “Is my plant operat-
ing at peak efficiency and is my ‘cost per widget’ as low as
it can possibly be?”
Among the many “systems” plant personnel are con-

cerned with, the compressed air system often provides the
biggest opportunity for improvement and overall savings.
Productivity, Sustainability & Energy Conservation
Food and beverages industries go

There are many manufacturers wireless
and several air compressor tech-
nologies to choose from. Recipro- Energy Conservation
cating or rotary? Fixed speed or Food packaging company cuts
variable speed? Oil flooded or oil compressed air costs by $250,000
free? Single-stage or two-stage NX Series...The Best in Rotary

technology? It’s enough to make
anyone want to run and hide! Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
Sullair Oil Free

This article discusses single-stage
versus two-stage rotary screw air Preventing compressed air leaks:
compressors and the pros and
Rotary screw air compressors Signature Brands
cons of each technology. Both have a place and there are
often provide plants with
some distinct differences between the two. Compressed air and VFDs: Get
the biggest opportunity for
improvement and savings. questions answered
Rotary screw compression fundamentals
The principle of rotary screw air compression is really no different than reciprocating
(piston) compression. Both are positive displacement machines that take in a fixed
volume of air at atmospheric pressure with each revolution and reduce that volume to
increase pressure to some value above atmospheric.
Unlike reciprocating air compressors that use a cylinder and piston arrangement in a
linear compression process, rotary screw air compressors use a pair of intermeshing
screws (rotors) contained in a stator housing (airend), with an inlet port on one end and
a discharge port on the other end. The male rotor has “lobes” cut in a helical (spi-
ral) pattern down the length of the rotor, and the female rotor has matching “flutes”
6

(grooves) cut in a helical pattern down wireless
its length. The male and female rotors
are cut to very tight tolerances and Energy Conservation
intermesh together as they turn. As Food packaging company cuts
the tips of the male and female rotors compressed air costs by $250,000
come together on the inlet port side of NX Series...The Best in Rotary

the airend, there is a vacant space (vol-
ume) where atmospheric air is sucked Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
into the compression chamber.
Sullair Oil Free
Once the male and female rotor have Preventing compressed air leaks:
“met” at the inlet port, the volume of
A two-stage over/under airend Signature Brands
air taken in becomes trapped between the lobes/flutes design features first-stage
and the stator housing. Because of the helical pattern of compression on the top, interstage Compressed air and VFDs: Get
cooling between the compression the most from your system: Your
the lobes/flutes on the rotors, the space between the ro- questions answered
chambers, and second-stage
tors and the stator housing is gradually reduced until the compression at the bottom.
intermeshing rotors are exposed to the discharge port. At
the discharge, the volume of atmospheric air that was taken in has been reduced, result-
ing in a higher pressure per Boyle’s Law: volume and pressure are inversely related.
Basic units of measure

Pressurized air contained in a sealed system is stored energy that can be used for
“work” by allowing the air to expand back to atmospheric pressure. It’s the expansion
of the compressed air back to atmospheric conditions that conveys air down the pipe,
powers linear and rotary actuators, powers automated production equipment, and a
plethora of other useful “work.”
7

wireless
There are three basic units of measure to consider when talking about a compressed
air system…flow, pressure, and power. Energy Conservation
• Flow is a measure of volume rate and is expressed in cfm, which stands for Cubic compressed air costs by $250,000
Feet per Minute. Keep in mind “cfm” is a generic description and without further NX Series...The Best in Rotary
definition of ambient conditions and the point at which the measurement is tak-
en, it is really a meaningless number. One should educate themselves about the Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
differences between acfm, scfm, and icfm. For purposes of this discussion, we will
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use the generic description, cfm.
Preventing compressed air leaks:
• Pressure is a measure of force and is expressed in psi, which stands for Pounds
Signature Brands
per Square Inch. It is a generic description as well, and without further clarifica-
tion as to what kind of pressure you’re talking about, psi is really a meaningless Compressed air and VFDs: Get
number. One should educate themselves about the differences between psia, questions answered
PSIatm, and psig. For purposes of this discussion, we will use the generic descrip-
tion, psi.
• Power is a measure of the energy required to produce x rate of flow, at y pressure

and is expressed in kW, which stands for kilowatts.
Technically, end users do not pay for compressed air, they pay for the energy (kW) re-
quired to produce the desired flow and pressure. The challenge for the end user is to
determine the most efficient way to produce the required volume of compressed air at
the required pressure.
8

wireless

Energy Conservation
compressed air costs by $250,000
NX Series...The Best in Rotary

Compressed Air Contamination in

Detail
Single-stage versus two-stage compression Sullair Oil Free
There are two basic types of rotary screw compression: single stage and two stage. Preventing compressed air leaks:
A single-stage rotary screw air compressor contains a single set of rotors in a single Signature Brands
stator housing and is typically driven directly by the motor shaft, through a set of Compressed air and VFDs: Get
gears, or by a belt and pulley arrangement. A two-stage rotary screw air compressor questions answered
contains two sets of synchronized rotors and can be housed in a common stator hous-
ing (over/under design) or two separate stator housings bolted together in tandem
(end-to-end design).
The over/under design utilizes “interstage” cooling via an injected “curtain” of lubri-
cant/coolant, which improves overall efficiency. Two-stage rotary screw air compressors
are typically direct or gear drive. A single-stage rotary screw air compressor takes in
atmospheric air and does “the work” (x rate of flow, at y pressure) in one compression
process. A two-stage rotary screw compressor takes in atmospheric air but “shares the
work” over two separate compression processes and cools it in between.
9

The difference between the two is wireless
not the end result, rather the energy
required to produce the end result. Energy Conservation
A simple analogy: If you were asked Food packaging company cuts
you to push your car from point A to compressed air costs by $250,000
point B on a level parking lot, it would NX Series...The Best in Rotary

require a certain amount of energy on
your part to do so. If you had a friend Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
help push the car the same distance,
Sullair Oil Free
the end result would be the same, but
it would require less energy overall Preventing compressed air leaks:
because the work is being done by
Signature Brands
two people instead of one!
It’s important to note every application is unique, and all rotary screw air compressors of questions answered
a given size and technology have similar but different performance characteristics (flow,
pressure, power consumption). The intent of this discussion is to demonstrate the differ-
ences between single-stage and two-stage compression and is not based on actual ap-
plications. There are pros and cons to everything, and air compressors are no different.
Both single-stage and two-stage rotary screw air compressors have their place in industry
and plant managers are charged with making the right choice based on their unique
needs and requirements. End users should make sure they’re working with a compressed
air professional who has the credentials to design the correct system.
Single-stage air compressor pros and cons

Single-stage rotary screw air compressors are lower in initial cost than
10

two-stage air compressors, so if you’re working with a limited budget, there are plenty of wireless
reliable and efficient solutions, readily available from a wide variety of manufacturers.
Energy Conservation
Single-stage rotary screw air compressors are manufactured in a wide range of horse- Food packaging company cuts
power sizes, generally from three to 600 horsepower (hp), which makes them a versa- compressed air costs by $250,000
tile solution for multiple air compressor applications with different “demand profiles” NX Series...The Best in Rotary
between shifts or even during the same shift. Single-stage air compressors offer multi-
ple options such as tank mount, integral dryer, open or enclosed, and a choice of mi- Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
cro-processors (controller). As with two-stage, multiple control methods are available
Sullair Oil Free
on single-stage air compressors.
All single-stage air compressors use pressure at the discharge of the air compressor to
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control the operation of the machine. Load/unload controls allow the air compressor to
operate at its two most efficient points on the “power curve,” meaning full load (com- Compressed air and VFDs: Get
pressing air) and unload (running but not compressing air). It’s important to note that questions answered
the “most efficient” air compressor is the one that is turned off! With proper receiver
storage capacity, load/unload controls can approach efficiency levels close to that of
variable speed. Without proper air receiver storage, load/unload can put undue stress
on the airend bearings and shorten its life expectancy.
Modulation control “throttles” the inlet valve via an air pressure signal from the dis-
charge and allows the air compressor to stay in a loaded condition when plant demand
is variable and load/unload controls may cause the air compressor to “rapid cycle”
(loading and unloading in short rapid cycles). While modulation may extend the life of
the airend by reducing or eliminating the on/off thrust loads associated with load/un-
load, it is very inefficient. Variable Speed Drive (VSD) technology senses the discharge
11

pressure and varies the speed of the main motor, delivering the best part-load efficien- wireless
cies of all the control methods. Single-stage rotary screw air compressors offer several
different drive arrangements to choose from including belt drive, direct drive and gear Energy Conservation
drive, giving you the flexibility to select the right drive arrangement for your particular Food packaging company cuts
application and maintenance capabilities. compressed air costs by $250,000

Although the life expectancy of any rotary screw airend is dependent on the installa-
tion conditions, the level of maintenance performed, and the application itself, sin- Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
gle-stage airend life expectancy is generally less than that of a two-stage rotary screw
Sullair Oil Free
airend...more on that later. Whatever brand you buy, make sure the manufacturer is a
member of the Compressed Air & Gas Institute (CAGI) Third Party Performance Verifi- Preventing compressed air leaks:
cation program. CAGI uses third-party verification to substantiate the claims manufac-
Signature Brands
turers make about performance (flow rate at pressure, and energy consumption). En-
ergy efficiency in single-stage rotary air compressors has improved over the years and Compressed air and VFDs: Get
with CAGI’s Third Party Verification Program, you can be confident the performance questions answered
characteristics claimed by participating manufacturers are accurate. It’s important to
note that not all manufacturers participate in the CAGI Third Party Performance Verifi-
cation Program.
Two-stage air compressor pros and cons

By now, it should be clear the biggest advantage of two-stage compression over sin-
gle-stage compression, is energy efficiency.
Two-stage technology is more limited in terms of horsepower range (typically 125 hp

plus) as is the number of manufacturers that produce this technology. As you might
have guessed, the initial purchase price of two-stage technology is higher.
12

Two-stage air compressors are wireless
available with the same con-
trol schemes as single-stage Energy Conservation
machines, but there are fewer Food packaging company cuts
options at your disposal as one compressed air costs by $250,000
might imagine…you can’t phys- NX Series...The Best in Rotary

ically mount a 125 hp plus air
compressor on a tank! Depend- Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
ing on which type of two-stage
Sullair Oil Free
air compressor you consider
(over/under versus tandem Preventing compressed air leaks:
design), the footprint might be
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larger than a single-stage ma- Shown are efficiency differences
chine offering…there’s just more stuff inside the box! of single-stage and two-stage air Compressed air and VFDs: Get
compressors using load/unload, the most from your system: Your
modulation, and Variable Speed questions answered
The energy efficiency advantages of two-stage compres- Drive methods of control at any
sion over single-stage compression are maximized in high, particular point on the power curve.
relatively steady-flow applications, when the two-stage can

be applied as a “base load” air compressor. In other words, “let the big dog eat.” Two-
stage energy efficiency benefits are best realized when the air compressor runs at 100%
full load, all the time. The initial cost of a two-stage rotary screw air compressor can be
as much as 30% higher when compared to the equivalent size single-stage air compres-
sor, a distinct disadvantage if you’re working with a limited budget.
On the surface this looks drastic but because the two-stage air compressor is more
efficient, you’ll likely be able to supply the required flow with less hp and this will help
13

close the gap to about 15 to 20 percent. But wireless
still, why would anyone pay more for a small-
er air compressor? The answer is simple… Energy Conservation
because the initial purchase price of the air Food packaging company cuts
compressor is but a fraction of the total cost compressed air costs by $250,000
of ownership. You pay for the air compressor NX Series...The Best in Rotary
once, but you pay for the power to run that
air compressor for its entire lifespan. Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
Sullair Oil Free

Factor power costs into pur-
chasing decision Preventing compressed air leaks:
Power costs represent up to 75% of the total cost of ownership of a rotary screw air
Signature Brands
compressor, and the energy savings over the life of a two-stage air compressor can be
significant. the most from your system: Your
questions answered
For example, let’s assume your plant operates twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week (8,736 hours per year), requires 1,000 cfm at 125 psi to meet production require-
ments, and you pay $.10/kWh to your local power company.
Option A offers the following:
• 250 hp single-stage rotary screw air compressor.
• Rated for 1,029 cfm at full load and 125 psi.
• Consumes 212.6 kW at full load (1,029 cfm).

14

• Motor efficiency of wireless
96%.
Energy Conservation
• $65,000 sell price. Food packaging company cuts
Option B offers the NX Series...The Best in Rotary

following:
Detail
• 200 hp two-stage
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rotary screw air com-
pressor. Preventing compressed air leaks:
Signature Brands
• Rated for 1,074 cfm at
full load and 125 psi. Rotary screw air compressor “lifecycle” Compressed air and VFDs: Get
ownership costs. the most from your system: Your
questions answered
• Consumes 188 kW at full load (1,074 cfm).
• Motor efficiency of 96%.
• $78,000 sell price.
Why longer life expectancy with two-stage Compression?

Couple the power savings benefits of two-stage technology in the example with lon-
ger airend life expectancy than single-stage technology, and the savings become quite
significant over time! As with single-stage rotary screw air compressors, the buyer
should ensure that all manufacturers being considered are members of the CAGI Third
15

Party Performance Verification Program to ensure the performance data being quoted wireless
is accurate.
Energy Conservation
So why is the life expectancy of a two-stage machine greater than a single-stage air com- Food packaging company cuts
pressor? It has to do with compression ratio and thrust (axial) Load. Compression ratio is compressed air costs by $250,000
the ratio between the absolute discharge pressure and the absolute inlet pressure (ab- NX Series...The Best in Rotary
solute pressure considers atmospheric pressure and gauge pressure) and is expressed
by the formula: gauge pressure + atmospheric pressure/ atmospheric pressure. As com- Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
pression occurs down the length of the airend and pushes against the surface area of the
Sullair Oil Free
rotors, a thrust load directly proportional to the compression ratio created.
For example: to reach 100 psig at sea level (atmospheric pressure = 14.7 psia) with a
Signature Brands
single-stage rotary screw air compressor, the compression ratio is (100 plus 14.7)/14.7
= 7.8. In other words, you would have to compress one cubic foot of atmospheric air at Compressed air and VFDs: Get
sea level, by 7.8 times to raise the pressure to 100 psig. The higher the required final questions answered
pressure, the higher the compression ratio. The higher the compression ratio, the more
thrust load is put on the airend bearings.
All rotary screw air compressors have thrust bearings to handle this axial load, but
because the single-stage air compressor is compressing air from atmospheric pres-
sure to final discharge pressure over a single compression process, the thrust loads
are greater than the two-stage unit that shares the work and utilizes interstage cooling
to remove heat of compression from the first stage. Compression ratios in two-stage
rotary air compressors can be as low as 3.1 in the first stage, and 2.5 in the second
stage. A lower compression ratio equates to lower thrust load on the bearings, yielding
a more robust, reliable, and longer lasting air compressor. Back to our car analogy…
16

While you’re struggling to push your car from point A to point B, you’re putting a load wireless
on your “bearings” …your back, your legs, your arms, your shoulders, etc. If a friend
helps, you put less load on your “bearings” and you last much longer than the person Energy Conservation
pushing by themselves! Food packaging company cuts
One size does not fit all NX Series...The Best in Rotary

At the end of the day, single-stage and two-stage rotary screw air compressor technol-
ogies are both robust and reliable solutions for a very large sector of industry. There Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
are distinct differences between the two, and one size does not fit all.
Sullair Oil Free
Both technologies are firmly rooted in industry and each has its place. There are a host Preventing compressed air leaks:
of variables the purchaser of a rotary screw air compressor should consider. In this
Signature Brands
article we’ve covered the technology (single-stage versus two-stage technologies),
initial purchase price, power costs, and airend life expectancy. There are many other Compressed air and VFDs: Get
variables to consider such as incoming power requirements, noise level, ease of main- questions answered
tenance, air compressor room layout and environment, and ancillary equipment. This
is not an exhaustive list and the buyer should do their due diligence to ensure that the
compressed air professional they’re working with understands how all of these vari-
ables play into the most economical, efficient, and reliable compressed air solution.
Scott Folsom
Scott Folsom is the Director of Channel Development for FS-Curtis and has been with
the company for nine years. He is responsible for training, educating, and supporting
internal and external channel partners, as well as system assessments. He joined the
compressed air industry in 1993 and his past experience includes time spent working
in the compressed air manufacturing and distribution areas of the industry.
17
WHEN OIL FREE AIR IS THE ONLY OPTION
Count on Sullair for reliable oil free compressors that
meet your highest standards for air quality, purity and
performance. We also offer air dryers, filters and other
products to meet your specific air treatment needs.
Learn more at Sullair.com/oilfree
SRL Series DSP Series
© 2020 Sullair, LLC. All rights reserved.

compressed air costs by $250,000 Food and beverages industries go
wireless

IZ Systems minimizes equipment footprint and slashes energy requirements Energy Conservation
45% by implementing PC-based automation and EtherCAT. Food packaging company

cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
W hile many companies claim their products or services pay for themselves, iZ Sys-
tems proves it. Based in Macon, Georgia, the company provides clients across
a range of industries with energy-auditing services and control systems that quickly

deliver a complete ROI from the resulting energy reductions. Detail
Sullair Oil Free

“Almost every system upgrade we complete is based on green initiatives to reduce
energy consumption at plants,” said Dean Smith, general manager and technical man- Taking a proactive approach
ager for iZ Systems. “We guarantee these savings, and our technology platform proves Signature Brands
that significant energy reductions are maintained in the long term.”
questions answered
Since Smith founded iZ Systems in 1990, the company has expanded its product of-
ferings and client base, gaining customers internationally as a division of its parent
company Blake & Pendleton. iZ Systems has long performed audits and upgrades of
compressed air and industrial vacuum systems, and it now offers these services for
cooling water systems as well. With its standard control cabinets that include built-in
human-machine interface (HMI) displays, iZ Systems supplies eco-friendly technologies
that measure efficiencies, support remote data acquisition and deliver insightful energy
usage information to customers.
For seven years, iZ Systems has provided these services to food packaging manufactur-
er Pactiv at its Macon facility, which focuses on molded fiber egg cartons.
19
Food packaging company cuts compressed air costs by $250,000

The partnership began wireless
with a project to re-
place the compressed Energy Conservation
air systems supplying Food packaging company
low-pressure blowers, cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
according to David
Powell, maintenance
manager for Pactiv.
“With every blower we Detail
tested, the pressures
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would change too much
even if a single nozzle Taking a proactive approach
was adjusted,” Powell Signature Brands
said. “The iZ Systems team promised a blower system Figure 1: Completing compressed air Compressed air and VFDs: Get
that would not change in pressure, even if you shut off system upgrades at the Pactiv plant in the most from your system: Your
all but one nozzle, and their system has worked flaw- Macon, resulting in a roughly $250,000 questions answered
annual savings in energy costs.
lessly.” Courtesy: iZ Systems
Open, transparent technologies

The system improvements for Pactiv resulted in unique technical specifications, high-
lighting the fact that greater system openness is increasing in importance across all in-
dustries. To guarantee that customers’ systems achieve peak performance, iZ Systems
must be able to monitor data remotely and make adjustments whenever necessary.
However, connecting to clients’ diverse networks can be difficult, according to Allen

King Jr., inside application project manager for iZ Systems. “The ability to access and
20

analyze performance data with ease is very important,” King said. “To this end, we ac- wireless
cess data from systems across the globe using a common source and format.”
Energy Conservation
In addition to its thorough audits, the company accomplishes these goals through its Food packaging company
turnkey iZ compressed air automation and data acquisition system, which combines cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
the automation controller, I/O [input/output] and HMI in a single control cabinet and
uses custom software. This system must support an increasing number of connected
devices — 50 compressors across a factory, for example — while reducing footprint,
complexity for users, cost and, most importantly, unplanned downtime. Detail
Sullair Oil Free

“Improved reliability is an ever-present demand from industrial clients,” Smith said. “A
compressed air system that is not reliable has the ability to cost hundreds of thousands Taking a proactive approach
of dollars in lost production and energy costs. A reliable and well-managed com- Signature Brands
pressed air system has the ability to save those dollars. Our iZ system has the ability to
assist in maintaining those savings.” the most from your system: Your
questions answered
Open controls maintain performance

The engineering team at iZ Systems accomplished its mission at Pactiv using PC-based
solutions from Beckhoff Automation. Beckhoff and iZ Systems first partnered on proj-
ects about 15 years ago, because TwinCAT automation software helped the company
establish remote monitoring of its compressed air automation and data acquisition
systems. Smith explained that interfacing horizontally via Modbus TCP to diverse com-
pressor control systems within plants and vertically via OPC UA are important features
that exemplify the system openness of PC-based control technology.
“The TwinCAT software platform provides tremendous flexibility to the process of

21

applying our iZ Compressed Air Auto- wireless
mation and Data Acquisition System
software to any system,” he said. Energy Conservation
Food packaging company

Visualizing the numerous compressors cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
and equipment spread throughout en-
tire plants can easily clutter HMI, so iZ
Systems has standardized on the Beck-
hoff CP2924 multi-touch Control Panel. Detail
The 24-inch widescreen panel, which
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was implemented at Pactiv, is mounted
into a control cabinet cutout to enable Taking a proactive approach
easy identification of field components, Signature Brands
according to King.
“Our trending screens use the multi- questions answered
touch zooming function, allowing oper-

ators to draw a square around the area
they want to see in greater detail,” he
said. “However, we know there is the ca-
pability to implement much more multi-
touch functionality, and we hope to add interesting features, Figure 2: To reduce energy
such as pinch to zoom, in the near future.” requirements, iZ Systems
implemented low-pressure
blowers in place of more
The go-to machine controller for iZ Systems is the DIN expensive compressed air.
Courtesy: iZ Systems
rail-mounted Beckhoff CX5140 Embedded PC, which features
22

a four-core, 1.91 GHz Intel Atom E3845 processor. The device provides 4 GB DDR3 wireless
RAM and the ability to add data storage with slots for microSD and CFast cards. With
a compact form factor of 142 x 100 x 92 mm, the embedded PC reduces space require- Energy Conservation
ments in the control cabinet, while providing advanced capabilities not available in Food packaging company
traditional PLCs. “We standardized on the CX5140 because it supplies the necessary cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
processing power to meet the needs of today’s Smart Factory concepts,” said King.
As with other iZ Systems projects, EtherCAT industrial Ethernet technology enabled
real-time communication across the Pactiv production facility. EtherCAT and TwinCAT Detail
allow the automation system to identify any new compressor or other industrial com-
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ponent automatically, and BACnet/IP enables direct integration of building automa-
tion controls in the iZ Systems solution. In addition to a range of standard digital and Taking a proactive approach
analog I/O terminals, iZ Systems also uses EK1501 and EK1541 fiber optic EtherCAT Signature Brands
Couplers along with EK1521 and EK1561 fiber optic junctions in most compressed air
applications to communicate with field devices. the most from your system: Your
questions answered
“Fiber optic wire provides absolute isolation between our system, the processor, the
machine and the compressor,” Smith said. “Fiber optics by nature provides excellent
immunity to electrical noise and interference, and the EtherCAT I/O hardware offered
us a big step forward in this regard.”
Stratospheric energy savings

By implementing open, PC-based solutions, iZ Systems kept its promise to Pactiv. As
a result of the blower equipment upgrades, Pactiv reduced its energy consumption for
compressed air by 45%.
23

“By using blower air, we re- wireless
placed nearly 400 horsepow-
er of compressed air with 50 Energy Conservation
horsepower. This amounts Food packaging company
to a cost savings of nearly cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
$250,000 each year,” Powell
said. “The improvements to
our air compressor design
have stabilized our pressure, Detail
and the remote monitor-
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ing has given us peace of
mind.” Taking a proactive approach
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The results are impressive by
any standard, but they are the most from your system: Your
not unusual for iZ Systems, questions answered
Smith explains: “For some

clients, we have reduced
compressed air energy costs
by more than 50%, and we
can prove that we have
maintained those savings
ever since.”
Figure 3: While Pactiv still uses compressed air in its

More importantly, the systems with
production of molded fiber egg cartons, the iZ Systems
Beckhoff components achieve the ut- upgrades reduced compressed air energy requirements
by 45%. Courtesy: iZ Systems 24

most reliability. Secure wireless
communication with
customer machinery Energy Conservation
via OPC UA allows iZ Food packaging company
Systems to monitor cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
any changes in per-
formance that could
require maintenance.
Powell said this, along Detail
with excellent support,
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has been crucial for
Pactiv: “The system Taking a proactive approach
alerts me when there Signature Brands
are any abnormalities Figure 4: The standard iZ Systems solution Compressed air and VFDs: Get
with the compressors, but iZ gets the warnings for compressed air automation features the most from your system: Your
as well and their engineers are usually working to a control panel mounted to the control questions answered
cabinet. Courtesy: iZ Systems
address the issue before I call them.”
In addition to boosting reliability, iZ Systems has reduced control cabinet footprint by

two-thirds on average by implementing Beckhoff controls. Previously, the company re-
quired two or more 36 by 48-inch cabinets, but now most installations require a single
36 by 36-inch cabinet.
“Our old cabinets were much larger because the previous PLC generated an excessive
amount of heat, increasing our cooling requirements and energy consumption. With
the Beckhoff hardware, heat generation is not a problem and we increased our own
25

energy efficiency like we do for our customers,” King said. The flexibility and scalability wireless
of Beckhoff components allows iZ Systems to build and stock standard control cabinets
for future use, rather than designing a custom cabinet for each client. Energy Conservation
Food packaging company

By creating open systems that support multi-vendor architectures, iZ Systems has the cuts compressed air costs by
$250,000
unique opportunity to apply energy-saving solutions from one industry to another. For
example, the blower solution implemented at Pactiv has also worked for clients in the
steel casting industry, among others.
Detail
“In many facilities, we installed these low-pressure blower systems to provide cooling
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or control of fluids and coolants, and it basically produced a 25-to-one reduction in
energy,” Smith said. “We try to make the initial acquisition cost attractive to the client Taking a proactive approach
while guaranteeing major energy reductions, and the Beckhoff platform has made a Signature Brands
huge difference in our ability to meet these goals.”
James Figy questions answered
James Figy, marketing communications specialist, Beckhoff Automation
26
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Compressed Air F or over 100 years, compressed air has been recognized
as a safe and reliable power source that is widely used
throughout industry. Known as the 4th utility, approximate-
Contamination ly 90% of all manufacturing companies use compressed

air in some aspect of their operations. Unlike gas, water &
electricity which is supplied to site by a utility supplier and
to strict tolerances and quality specifications, compressed
air is generated on-site by the user. The quality of the com-
pressed air and the cost of producing this powerful utility
is therefore the responsibility of the user.
Compressed air systems inherently suffer from perfor-

mance and reliability issues. Almost all problems associ-
ated with the compressed air system and many manufac-
turing related quality issues can be directly attributed to
contamination found in the compressed air.
Unknown to many compressed air users, the compressed

air system contains a large array of both visible and in-
visible contamination which originate from four different
sources. Those sources are the:
1. Ambient air
2. Air compressor
3. Air receiver
4. Distribution piping
Compressed Air Contamination in Detail

The primary source of contamination found in a compressed air system is the ambi- wireless
ent air surrounding the compressor. In simple terms, the air compressor is just a large
air mover. When operating, it pulls in large volumes of air around it, squeezes it, and Energy Conservation
pushes it out down a pipe. However, when doing so it also acts like a large vacuum Food packaging company cuts
cleaner and pulls in invisible contaminants. The main contaminants found in ambient compressed air costs by $250,000
air are: NX Series...The Best in Rotary

1. Water vapor Compressed Air

Contamination in Detail
2. Micro-organisms
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3. Atmospheric particulate
4. Oil vapor Preventing compressed air leaks:
Signature Brands
To many, the levels of contaminants in the ambient air may be considered negligible.
However, when we talk about compressed air contamination, we must also consider Compressed air and VFDs: Get
the effect that compressing the air has on the ambient contamination, the amount of questions answered
air flowing into the compressed air system and the time the compressor is operating.
When operating, the air compressor is constantly pulling in large volumes of ambient
air. As operating pressure and or flow rate increases, a larger volume of ambient air is
required. The greater the volume of ambient air, the greater the amount of contamina-
tion. For example: In simplistic terms, to generate 1 cubic meter of air at a pressure of
100 psi g (114.5 psi A) requires 8 cubic meters of ambient air.
During the compression and cooling process, the air compressor also changes the
phase of the invisible gaseous contaminants it has ingested. With a change of phase,
many invisible contaminants, like water and oil vapor, now become visible. In addition
to changing the phase of the ambient contaminants, the air compressor is also respon-
30

sible for adding contamination of its own. The main contaminants found in the com- wireless
pressor are:
Energy Conservation
1. Liquid oil Food packaging company cuts
2. Oil aerosols compressed air costs by $250,000
3. Oil vapor (from compressor oil) NX Series...The Best in Rotary

4. Wear particles
Compressed Air
By the time the air exits the compressor after-cooler and no matter what type of com-
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pressor is used (oil lubricated / oil free), the following contaminants will be present in
the compressed air: Preventing compressed air leaks:
Signature Brands
1. Liquid Water
2. Water Aerosols Compressed air and VFDs: Get
3. Water Vapor (100% saturation) questions answered
4. Liquid Oil
5. Oil Aerosols
6. Oil Vapor
7. Micro-organisms
8. Particulate (atmospheric & compressor wear particles)
Downstream of the compressor, compressed air sits in an air receiver. An air receiver
is installed in a compressed air system to store compressed air and increase the effi-
ciency and reliability of the compressor. Adversely, air receivers also store large quanti-
ties of contamination and adds contaminants of their own, including:
31

1. Rust wireless
2. Pipescale
Energy Conservation
A wet air receiver (installed before a compressed air dryer) can act as a cooling device, Food packaging company cuts
reducing compressed air as much as 40°F. This cooling will cause further condensation compressed air costs by $250,000
of oil and water vapors into liquid oil and water. A wet air receiver is often chosen for NX Series...The Best in Rotary
this purpose as it can provide additional cooling of the compressed air at times where
the ambient and compressed air temperatures are higher than expected. Unfortunate- Compressed Air
ly, it also provides the ideal environment for the rapid growth of microorganisms, espe-
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cially in the compressor condensate.
In a typical compressed air system, the final source of contamination is the distribution
Signature Brands
piping. The distribution piping takes the compressed air from the compressor and dis-
tributes it around the manufacturing facility. Just like the air receiver, the distribution Compressed air and VFDs: Get
piping is a great place for storing contamination and cooling the compressed air fur- questions answered
ther (more condensation of oil and water vapors). The distribution piping also adds to
the contaminant problem, through chemical reactions and oxidation, again adding rust
and pipescale to the compressed air and providing an environment that promotes the
growth of micro-organisms.
Compressed Air Treatment

To protect equipment, products and processes that use or have direct or indirect con-
tact with compressed air, there are a minimum of 10 contaminants that must be treat-
ed. There are multiple purification technologies, commonly used together, for ensuring
effective control and efficient reduction of compressed air contamination. The table
below highlights filtration and drying technologies that comprise the purification sys-
32

wireless

Energy Conservation


Compressed Air
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tem and the contaminants they reduce.
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Water Separators Compressed air and VFDs: Get

Although called water separators, they reduce the content of all liquids at the point questions answered
of installation. Liquid in a compressed air system is usually a mixture of oil and water
(even when using an oil free compressor). Water separators are usually the first piece of
purification equipment installed downstream of an after-cooler or wet air receiver and
should be used to protect coalescing filters from liquid contamination. They will only
reduce liquids and will have no effect on water or oil in an aerosol or vapor phase.
Coalescing Filters
When considering purification equipment, coalescing filters are vital for the cost-ef-
fective operation of any compressed air system, regardless of the type of compressor
installed. A purification system will normally consist of two coalescing filters installed
in series to treat water aerosols, oil aerosols, atmospheric particulate, microorganisms,
33

rust and pipescale. wireless

Compressed Air Dryers Energy Conservation
Water vapor is water in a gaseous form and will pass through water separators and Food packaging company cuts
coalescing filters just as easy as the compressed air. Water vapor is reduced from com- compressed air costs by $250,000
pressed air using a dryer. The water vapor reduction efficiency of a dryer (its perfor- NX Series...The Best in Rotary
mance) is expressed as a Pressure Dewpoint (PDP). Dewpoint refers to the temperature
at which condensation will occur. For example, compressed air with a pressure dew- Compressed Air
point of -40°F requires the temperature to drop below -40°F for any water vapor to
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condense into liquid.
There are various types of compressed air dryers. The two most commonly used dryers
Signature Brands
are adsorption dryers and refrigerated dryers.
Adsorption dryers reduce water vapor in compressed air by passing air over a questions answered
regenerative desiccant material which strips the moisture from the air. This method of
drying is extremely efficient. A typical pressure dewpoint specified for an adsorption
dryer is -40°F as it not only prevents corrosion, more importantly it also inhibits the
growth of micro-organisms.
There are many types of adsorption dryer available and whilst they all use the same
principle to remove moisture from compressed air, there are several different methods
used for the regeneration of the wet adsorbent material. For food, beverage and phar-
maceutical applications, a dryer that can deliver a constant outlet dewpoint (not dew-
point suppression) should always be selected. Additionally, care should be taken when
selecting adsorption dryers as some regeneration methods used may have an impact
34

on the contamination levels of the compressed air. wireless

Refrigeration dryers work by cooling the compressed air and condensing the Energy Conservation
water vapor into a liquid for reduction by a water separator. Refrigeration dryers are Food packaging company cuts
limited to positive pressure dewpoint to prevent freezing of the condensed liquid and compressed air costs by $250,000
are typically used for general purpose industrial applications with indoor piping. They NX Series...The Best in Rotary
should not be used in any facility where piping is installed in ambient temperatures
below the dryer dewpoint i.e. systems with external air receivers or piping or for appli- Compressed Air
cations requiring control over the growth of microorganisms.
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Adsorption Filters Taking a proactive approach
To ensure ‘technically oil free air’, adsorption filters are employed. These utilize a
Signature Brands
large bed of activated carbon adsorbent for the effective reduction of oil vapor. The
combination of coalescing filters and adsorption filters will provide compressed air to the most from your system: Your
the highest air quality classifications of ISO8573-1, the international standard for com- questions answered
pressed air quality (for total oil).
Dry Particulate Filters

Dry particulate filters provide identical particulate reduction performance to the equiv-
alent grade coalescing filter. Relying on mechanical filtration techniques, high efficien-
cy dry particulate filters can provide particle reduction down to 0.01 micron with a re-
moval efficiency of 99.9999%. When coupled with a -40°C Pressure Dewpoint, to inhibit
and control the growth of micro-organisms, they can provide significant reduction of
microbiological contaminants.
Sterile Filters 35

Absolute (100%) removal of solid particulates and micro-organisms is performed by a wireless
sieve retention or membrane filter. They are often referred to as sterile air filters as they
also provide sterilized compressed air. Filter housings are manufactured from stainless Energy Conservation
steel to allow for in-situ steam sterilization of both the filter housing and element. It is Food packaging company cuts
important to note that the piping between the sterile filter and the application must compressed air costs by $250,000
also be cleaned and sterilized on a regular basis. NX Series...The Best in Rotary

The International Standard for Compressed Air Quality Compressed Air

The International Standards Organization (ISO) is a network of the national standards
Sullair Oil Free
institutes spanning over 160 countries and is the world’s largest developer and publish-
er of international standards. The network consists of one member per country, with a Preventing compressed air leaks:
Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that co-ordinates the system.
Signature Brands
As a non-governmental organization, ISO forms a bridge between the public and pri-
vate sectors. On one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental Compressed air and VFDs: Get
structure of their countries or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, questions answered
other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by
national partnerships of industry associations.
ISO is responsible for the development of international standards for compressed

air quality and compressed air testing. There are three ISO standards currently in use
which directly relate to compressed air quality (purity) and testing. These are: ISO8573
Series, ISO 12500 Series and ISO7183. The most commonly used standard is the
ISO8573 Series.
ISO8573, known as the Compressed Air Quality Standard, is a group of international

standards relating to the quality (or purity) of compressed air. The standard consists of
36

9 separate parts, with part 1 relating to quality classifications for compressed air and wireless
parts 2 through 9 specifying the methods of testing for a range of contaminants.
ISO8573 Series Part 1, referred to as ISO8573-1, is the primary document used from Energy Conservation
the 9-part standard. That’s because ISO8573-1 contains air purity classification tables Food packaging company cuts
for each of the major compressed air contaminants, which are very useful to those who compressed air costs by $250,000
make up the compressed air industry. NX Series...The Best in Rotary

With these purity classification tables, ISO8573-1 groups compressed air contaminants Compressed Air
into 3 main categories: particulate, water and total oil. Each contaminant category
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is assigned classes for different levels of contamination (per cubic meter), which are
known as “purity classes.” While an individual purity classification table exists for each Preventing compressed air leaks:
of the 3 main contaminant categories, the three tables have been combined into a
Signature Brands
single table for ease of use by compressor manufacturers, compressed air treatment
manufacturers and compressed air users. Compressed air and VFDs: Get
questions answered
37

By utilizing purity classes for each of the major contaminants, ISO8573-1 can be used if wireless
three different ways:
Energy Conservation
1. For compressed air users to specify the amount of contamination allowed in Food packaging company cuts
each cubic meter of compressed air. This allows users to specify the minimum air compressed air costs by $250,000
purity (quality) they require for their entire facility or at each usage point in the NX Series...The Best in Rotary
compressed air system.
Compressed Air
2. For compressed air purification equipment manufacturers can use the air purity
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classifications to specify the purity (quality) of compressed air delivered down-
stream of their purification equipment. Preventing compressed air leaks:
Signature Brands
3. To classify the purity (quality) of compressed air at a specific point in the com-
pressed air system based upon the contaminants found following testing at that Compressed air and VFDs: Get
sample point. questions answered
When used in proper series, compressed air treatment equipment can remove or re-
duce contaminants in compressed air to all purity classification levels within ISO8573-1.
To define the air purity (quality) required at a specific usage point in the compressed
air system, the specification should be written as ISO8573-1:2010 [A.B.C]
Where:
• A is the purity class for particles
• B is the purity class for humidity (vapor) and liquid water
• C is the purity class for total oil (aerosol, liquid and vapor)
38

For example, end users looking for an air purity (quality) specification in accordance wireless
with ISO8573-1:2010 Class 1.2.1, they would specify the following air purity when
operating at the standard’s reference conditions: Energy Conservation

Class 1 Particulate: In each cubic meter of compressed air, the particulate count compressed air costs by $250,000
should not exceed 20,000 particles in the 0.1 - 0.5 micron size range, not more than NX Series...The Best in Rotary
400 particles in the 0.5 - 1 micron size range and not more than 10 particles in the 1 - 5
micron size range. Compressed Air
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Class 2 Water: A pressure dewpoint (PDP) of -40°C (-40°F) or better is required and no
liquid water or water aerosols are allowed. Preventing compressed air leaks:
Signature Brands

questions answered
39

wireless

Energy Conservation


Compressed Air
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Signature Brands

Class 1 Oil: In each cubic meter of compressed air, not more than 0.01mg of oil is al-
questions answered
lowed. This is a value for total oil (liquid oil, oil aerosol and oil vapor combined).
It is important to note that ISO8573-1:2010 is the latest edition of the standard. En-
sure it is written in full when contacting suppliers. Specifying air quality as ISO8573-1,
ISO8573-1:1991 or ISO8573-1:2001 refers to the previous editions of the standard and
may result in a different quality of delivered compressed air.
Cost-Effective Contaminant Reduction System Design

To operate any compressed air system, safely and cost effectively, contamination must
be reduced to acceptable limits. Poor compressed air quality and failure to control
contamination can cause numerous problems for an organization, including contam-
inated raw materials, products and packaging, inefficient production processes, re-
40

duced production efficiency, increased manufacturing costs and even failed quality wireless
audits.
Energy Conservation
To achieve the stringent air quality levels required for today’s modern production fa- Food packaging company cuts
cilities, a careful approach to system design, commissioning and operation must be compressed air costs by $250,000
employed. Treatment at one point alone is not enough and it is highly recommended NX Series...The Best in Rotary
that the compressed air is treated in the compressor room to a level that will provide
general purpose air to the site and also protect the distribution piping. Point of use Compressed Air
purification should also be employed, not only to remove any contamination remaining
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in the distribution system, but also with specific attention on the quality of air required
by each application. This approach to system design ensures that air is not ‘over treat- Preventing compressed air leaks:
ed’ and provides the most cost-effective solution to high quality compressed air
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questions answered
41
Sullair Oil Free

wireless

Energy Conservation



Detail
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
Signature Brands

questions answered
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When air purity is crucial, reliability is everything.
42
Taking a proactive approach Food and beverages industries go
wireless

Much has been written about leak management programs, best practices Energy Conservation
and the like, but little has been offered in terms of a proactive approach. Food packaging company cuts
That is, when installing a new system or expanding or rerouting an existing
one, what can be done to prevent leaks? The pipe-joining method is an Screw Air Compression
important decision that will impact maintenance programs down the road. Compressed Air Contamination in
Press-to-connect pipe-joining systems can be a means to prevent air loss in Detail
compressed air systems. Sullair Oil Free
Preventing compressed air
L eaks in compressed air systems are a huge problem at industrial plants. They’re ex-
pensive, detrimental to equipment, and time consuming to locate and repair. Often
the solution is reactive: Only after the system is installed and in operation can leaks be
leaks: Taking a proactive
approach
Signature Brands
detected and fixed. Compressed air and VFDs: Get

questions answered
Much has been written about leak management programs, best practices and the like,
but little has been offered in terms of a proactive approach. That is, when installing a
new system or expanding or rerouting an existing one, what can be done to prevent
leaks? The pipe-joining method is an important decision that will impact maintenance
programs down the road. Press-to-connect pipe-joining systems can be a means to
prevent air loss in compressed air systems.
Compressed air costs

Most Plant Engineering readers are well acquainted with the issues associated with
leaks in compressed air systems. First, there are the costs. Air may be free, but the
electricity required to compress it most definitely is not. Compressors use more ener- 43
Preventing compressed air leaks: Taking a proactive approach

gy than any other type of plant equipment, yet around 20% to 30% of a compressor’s wireless
output is lost to leaks in facilities that have inadequately maintained compressed air
systems. Energy Conservation

In its publication Improving Compressed Air System Performance: A Sourcebook for compressed air costs by $250,000
Industry, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable NX Series...The Best in Rotary
Energy reports that a single leak of 1/16-in. can cost $523 per year, while a 1/4-in. leak
could cost $8,382 per year (calculated using an electricity rate of $0.05/kWh, and as- Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
suming constant operation and an efficient compressor).
Sullair Oil Free
Adjust that figure to your local industrial usage rate, then multiply by the number and Preventing compressed air
size of leaks present, and it’s easy to ascertain just how much those leaks could be approach
costing you. For many facilities, it adds up to thousands or even hundreds of thou- Signature Brands
sands of dollars per year.
Compressed air leaks are also associated with problems at the point-of-use, leading to questions answered
additional operational costs. Leaks cause a pressure drop in the system, which decreas-
es the efficiency of tools that use the air. Less efficient tools mean less efficient produc-
tion. Equipment service life can suffer as a result of running the equipment longer, and
maintenance time and costs may increase.
Depending on the detection method and scope of the facility’s compressed air sys-
tems, finding and repairing air leaks can be a time-consuming task.
Combined, these issues make preventing leaks on the front-end a worthwhile goal.
44

A piping solution for leak prevention wireless
Although leaks can occur at any point along a compressed air line, joints and connec- Productivity, Sustainability &
tions are the most common location. Pipe joints, fittings, valves, disconnects, and the Energy Conservation
like are typical problem areas. That being said, selection and proper installation of the Food packaging company cuts
air distribution piping is one of the key elements in preventing leaks.
In recent years, many engineers have shifted away from specifying threaded piping
to join air systems because of its tendency to leak. Often these leaks are caused by
Detail
installation issues such as poor thread cuts, failure to clean the threads, or improperly
Sullair Oil Free
applied thread sealant. Ongoing plant operations can also lead to leaks; vibration or
impact, for example, can weaken the seals.
approach
Press-to-connect pipe-joining systems have become an increasingly popular option for Signature Brands
compressed air systems as the technology has advanced. These systems join pipe by Compressed air and VFDs: Get
compressing a fitting onto the pipe-ends. The joining process is quick and flame-free: the most from your system: Your
questions answered
Pipe is cut to size and deburred, marked for visual verification of complete insertion,
then inserted into a pre-lubricated coupling, fitting, or valve. A handheld pressing tool
is used to press the component—which contains elastomeric seals—onto the pipe-
ends, providing a positive mechanical interlock and creating a rigid, permanent joint.
Most systems feature some kind of press detection technology, which enables the
installer to identify any unpressed joints when the system is pressure tested. The me-
chanical strength of the joint is achieved through the crimping process. Sealing is
achieved by a combination of the mechanical interference between the component
and pipe and the compression of the seal material.
45

Recent advancements have made press technology available for off-the-shelf Schedule wireless
10S stainless steel pipe. Stainless steel is advantageous for compressed air systems in-
stalled in corrosive environments, and ANSI Schedule 10S offers a number of advantages Energy Conservation
over Schedule 5S or light-wall tube: the pipe-wall is up to twice as thick, resulting in up to Food packaging company cuts
three times the end-load performance, twice the bend-load performance, a 52% increase compressed air costs by $250,000
in available flow, and a 23% reduction in pressure drop per 100 linear feet of pipe. The use NX Series...The Best in Rotary
of Schedule 10S stainless steel results in stronger, more durable distribution piping.
Detail
In terms of leak prevention, press-to-connect systems have been tested and shown to re-
Sullair Oil Free
duce the likelihood of leaks compared to threaded systems. In fact, in third-party accel-
erated aging and thermal cycling performance testing comparing a threaded system to a Preventing compressed air
press-to-connect system, deviations from the original test plan had to be made because approach
of frequent leaks in the threaded flow loop. The research team reported that nearly every Signature Brands
threaded joint leaked at some point during the test and that, as a rule, the larger the
pipe diameter, the more difficult the task of obtaining a satisfactory seal. The repair and the most from your system: Your
rework of threaded joint leaks extended the test program considerably. questions answered
While seven cycles were planned, a total of 18 cycles between test conditions and
ambient were recorded during the tests. The test report concluded: “It is the test
engineer’s opinion that the (press system) couplings offered distinct advantages over
conventional threaded pipe components.”
A plant’s pressing success

Actual installations also demonstrate the leak-free operation that can be achieved with
press-to-connect systems. A consumer-products manufacturer planning the extension
of a compressed air line at its eastern Pennsylvania plant offers one such case study.
46

When the need arose to extend an existing air service line to install an air hose reel wireless
for a stock prep area, the company evaluated its options for joining the 1-in. line. The
system was specified stainless steel to withstand the semi-corrosive environment, so Energy Conservation
company officials considered two joining methods: welding and press systems. Food packaging company cuts
The plant primarily produces paper-based products, so safety is the first concern. Plant NX Series...The Best in Rotary
maintenance personnel sought a pipe-joining method that would reduce the risk of fire
and injuries. Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
Sullair Oil Free

“Because it’s a paper plant, if you’re going to solder or weld anything, you have to go
through a series of approvals depending on where you’re working,” the plant’s com- Preventing compressed air
pressed air system manager said. “There’s an area where we store big rolls of paper, approach
and it’s almost like an Act of Congress to get permission to weld there.” Signature Brands

Press systems’ ability to join pipe without flame was a considerable benefit, and ulti- the most from your system: Your
mately the reason the plant opted for and installed the line using the press-to-connect questions answered
joining method. To ensure optimal pressure would be available throughout the system
and that it would stand up to the rigor of plant operations, a Schedule 10S system was
specified.
“Schedule 5 is pretty thin; it’s almost like conduit. So if we can go with thicker piping,
it’s going to increase the longevity of the system,” noted the system manager.
The plant also had a goal to prevent as much leakage as possible, and the perfor-
mance of the press system surpassed expectations.
47

“We have absolutely no leaks,” the compressed air system manager reported. “We wireless
went through with an ultrasonic leak detector and checked the whole line, and we have
no leaks at all. We’re very happy with it.” Energy Conservation

Press systems offer additional benefits, including installation that is much faster than compressed air costs by $250,000
other pipe-joining methods, and simple installation that does not require highly spe- NX Series...The Best in Rotary
cialized skills. In the case of the consumer-products plant, the system’s ease-of-in-
stallation meant the plant’s in-house maintenance personnel were able to install the Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
compressed air line extension. Press systems can also reduce total installed costs in
Sullair Oil Free
comparison to other joining methods.
When installing, expanding, or rerouting a compressed air system, one of the most approach
important considerations should be leak prevention. While no press piping system can Signature Brands
guarantee leak-free operation for the life of the compressed air system, such systems
been shown to significantly reduce the likelihood of leaks at pipe joints in comparison the most from your system: Your
to other joining methods, and as a result, should be strongly considered for joining questions answered
compressed air systems.
Susan Schierwagen
Susan Schierwagen is director of coupling & suppression systems at Victaulic. For
more information, visit www.victaulic.com.
48
FOCUSED ON
AIR QUALITY
Fitted with industry leading pre & post filtration
Desiccant
Deliver pressure dewpoints of -40°F or better
Dryers
Equipped with advanced PLC and touch panel controls
Specialized in offering custom engineered solutions, Parker manufactures industry

leading desiccant compressed air dryers to meet the requirements of any application.
Built with high quality components, designed for top end performance and equipped
with a plethora of features that greatly improve serviceability, Parker’s twin tower
desiccant dryers deliver long-lasting reliability with the lowest total cost of ownership.
parker.com/igfg
CDAS OVR
Oil-X SPE
All-inclusive modular Compact, oil
High-efficiency Refrigerated dryers vapor removal
coalescing and remove of water vapor desiccant dryer
systems provide the filters designed to
dry particulate from compressed air reduce oil vapor
filters deliver with little impact on highest levels of clean,
dry compressed air with and diminish the
very low pressure the environment and use of loose filled
drop and energy extremely low validated performance.
carbon towers.
savings. operating costs.
Signature
Brands
Sullair Oil Free Compressors are a Sweet Addition

to Signature Brands’ Business
W hat could be sweeter than sprinkles, icings, gels

and other confectionery products? Aside from the
cakes, cupcakes, donuts and other treats on which these
confections are placed, Signature Brands, LLC could ar-
gue dependable, worry-free operations. That’s why the
company relies on Sullair oil free compressors to keep
their operations going, day in and day out. “We use air for
everything,” said Signature Brands Maintenance Manager
Tim Hudgens. “It’s a major problem if a compressor goes
down.”
The Ocala, Florida-based company, founded in 1951, is

America’s leading innovator of specialty and holiday deco-
Signature Brands

rating products and accesso- wireless
ries. Their portfolio includes
Betty Crocker and Cake Mate Energy Conservation
dessert decorating products, Food packaging company cuts
PAAS Easter egg colors, compressed air costs by $250,000
Pumpkin Masters pumpkin NX Series...The Best in Rotary

carving kits and Popcorn Ex-
pressions. Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
Sullair Oil Free

Signature Brands depends on
the reliability and durability Preventing compressed air leaks:
of Sullair products in both
Signature Brands
its popcorn and decorating
plants. The decorating plant Compressed air and VFDs: Get
runs three shifts per day, five days a week, and requires air for all of its operations. De- questions answered
mand for Signature Brands’ products fluctuates, peaking in the holiday season, which
often prompts seven day a week production from August to November in the decorat-
ing plant. The popcorn plant operates July to November of each year and produces
both the popcorn and famous decorative tins.
In 2015, after nearly 80,000 hours of consistent performance, all on the original air end,
Signature Brands replaced the Sullair stationary unit in its decorating plant with twin
150 hp DA-13 oil free compressors with an SR series dryer, a configuration instrumen-
tal to the company’s practice. Because the air comes in contact with sugars and other
edible products, using food-grade, oil free air is critical. “When transporting sugar, if
there is any moisture it’s an immediate clog,” said Hudgens. A clog means downtime,
51
Signature Brands

making reliable air a critical compo- wireless
nent of the business.
Energy Conservation
Throughout the compressor’s 80,000 Food packaging company cuts
hours, Signature Brands experienced compressed air costs by $250,000
minimal issues. Although the ma- NX Series...The Best in Rotary

chine was still functional and was
replaced proactively, Hudgens and Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
his team had no question as to which
Sullair Oil Free
manufacturer they would choose for
their next compressor. Why Sullair? Preventing compressed air leaks:
Because of the proven reliability.
Signature Brands
“When you’re in the maintenance
business, you go with reliability,” said Compressed air and VFDs: Get
Hudgens. “We could have changed questions answered
when we bought the new machines,
but we didn’t. If it’s not broken, stick
with it.”
Just as Signature Brands depends on

the durability of Sullair oil free com-
pressors, they also rely on the dedi-
cated service of local distributor Ring
Power. Ring Power and Sullair have been partners in the industry for more than 30 years
and work together to ensure customers in the region, like Signature Brands, have quality
compressed air solutions, timely maintenance and appropriate aftermarket support.
52
Signature Brands

Ring Power performs all service work for Signature Brands and allows the company’s wireless
maintenance team to focus on other issues, a big plus for the company. “Sullair is our
compressor of choice,” Hudgens said. “And Ring Power does a great job servicing the Energy Conservation
equipment and helping us with any issues we may have.” Food packaging company cuts
With 18 locations throughout Florida and 22 technicians in the power systems division, NX Series...The Best in Rotary
Ring Power’s around-the-clock service, all focused on compressed air, is close by for
Signature Brands and other organizations requiring critical air. “It keeps the mechanics Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
where they need to be—in the factory,” said Hudgens.
Sullair Oil Free
Sullair and Ring Power ensure that reliable air is a constant at Signature Brands, just as Preventing compressed air leaks:
they have for decades. After all, upwards of 1,000 pounds an hour of popcorn depend
Signature Brands
on it, and that’s no hot air.
questions answered
53
Compressed air and VFDs:
Get the most from your system: Food and beverages industries go
wireless
Your questions answered

Energy Conservation

Webcast presenter Jarrett Affolter answered questions about topics such as
cost benefits of a compressed air system, recommended volume for an air NX Series...The Best in Rotary
tank, and when to use fixed speed or variable speed.
Detail
T he “Compressed air and VFDs: Get the most from your system” webcast was pre-
sented live on Oct. 9, 2018, by Jarrett Affolter from Ingersoll Rand. The webcast can
be found here. He supplied written answers to some of those questions that weren’t
Sullair Oil Free

addressed from the webcast attendees:
Signature Brands
Question: Discuss cost and benefits of using a receiver vs. using larg- Compressed air and VFDs:
Get the most from your
er pipe to store air. system: Your questions
answered
Answer: The cost of installing large pipe in the system usually

would be much higher than additional receivers. Benefit of low
pressure drop would need to be evaluated as well as the option
for future growth in the system and if the larger pipe would offset
increased pressure drop as a function of more air demand in the
pipe.
Q: Discuss cost and benefits of using a bigger com- Jarrett Affolter, product
pressor vs adding receivers to store air. support leader for North
America, Ingersoll Rand.
Courtesy: Ingersoll Rand 54
Compressed air and VFDs: Get the most from your system

A: It’s much more cost-efficient to use more storage in systems with large variation wireless
in load vs. installing a bigger compressor. Systems with a more consistent load profile
would benefit from a properly sized air compressor that can run in the “sweet spot” of its Energy Conservation
efficiency curve. Food packaging company cuts
Q: Discuss advantages and disadvantage to using air cooled com- NX Series...The Best in Rotary
pressors and water cooled compressors.
Detail
A: Air-cooled machines don’t require a separate cooling system that consumes power
Sullair Oil Free
and needs maintenance. Cleaning air cooled heat exchangers is much more cost effec-
tive as well. Cooling water quality is always a concern and must be maintained within Preventing compressed air leaks:
specified parameters which can turn costly. The benefit of not having seasonal tempera-
Signature Brands
ture changes, or the effects of extreme temperatures is where water cooled becomes
ideal. This allows for a more predicted control of temperatures and gives air treatment Compressed air and VFDs:
equipment (dryers and filters) a consistent inlet temperature for a more overall com- system: Your questions
answered
pressed air energy efficiency profile.
Q: Having variable frequency drives (VFDs) and the motor ramps up

and down, what is the best “dead band” we should set the pressure
in percentage of the pressure?
A: Most VFDs have a “target” pressure you set to have the VFD hover around it by
varying speeds. The other parameter is the unload or auto stop pressure that shuts the
machine down when the system isn’t using any air. If the system has a varying load, which
results in unloaded operation or short cycling, set the unload or auto stop pressure to
the highest value the system will allow for. If the system has relatively consistent load
55

and therefore unloading or wireless
shutting down is not very
frequent, dial the unload or Energy Conservation
auto stop pressure to just a Food packaging company cuts
few PSI above the target to compressed air costs by $250,000
reap as much energy effi- NX Series...The Best in Rotary

ciency as possible. These
parameters may need to be Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
tested over time to balance
Sullair Oil Free
energy efficiency and cycling
concerns. Preventing compressed air leaks:
Signature Brands
Q: What about if you System design considerations include
air distribution, control valves, and
have a system that is appropriate 16 hours Compressed air and VFDs:
treatment equipment. Courtesy: Get the most from your
to use an VFD, what for the others 8 hours Ingersoll Rand system: Your questions
that the demand is very low? answered
A: Size a VFD to cover the low-demand profile, and then size a fixed speed to run as
base load for the 16hrs with the VFD trimming the pressure.
Q: Our vacuum starts at high speed and slows via VFD and runs a
minimum run time. What is the minimum suggested run time?
A: It depends on the time between shutdowns. All motors will have a limit of how often
they can start in an hour. Traditionally, this is 6 times an hour for most industrial motors.
The manufacturer of the motor will have the accurate number. If the run time allows the
56

compressor to exceed the maximum starts per hour, the run timer needs to be adjusted wireless
to compensate and keep the starts under the max start parameter.
Energy Conservation
Q: What is the recommended volume of the air tank for the VFD Food packaging company cuts
compressor? compressed air costs by $250,000

A: There is no such thing as too much volume in a compressed air system. The only real
constraints are price of the tank, room to locate it, and the installation costs. Compressed Air Contamination in
Detail
Sullair Oil Free

Q: What are some times that you would use a fixed speed over a
variable speed? Preventing compressed air leaks:
Signature Brands
A: If the load profile is constant, a VFD compressor does not have much value. If the
environment is not suitable, a fixed speed is the right choice. Compressed air and VFDs:
system: Your questions
Q: If the customer is facing budget issues with replacing their ex- answered
isting old entire compressor with a new variable speed drive (VSD)
compressor, is it recommended to suggest installing VFD only on the
existing motor along with control panel and discharge sensor instead
of buying a new unit?
A: Most existing air compressors can benefit from a VFD “retrofit”, however some
details need to be understood. Does the existing motor work with a VFD. If not, it will
need to be upgraded to a motor suitable for VFD operation. Next, the mechanical
limitations of the air end needs to be considered to determine the level of turn down it
can operate with.
57
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AIR

Food packaging company cuts

Wireless devices are beneficial in monitoring applications such as temperature, pres-

Food and beverages

I n today’s modern manufacturing facilities, key plant per-

Among the many “systems” plant personnel are con-

Food and beverages industries go

free? Single-stage or two-stage NX Series...The Best in Rotary

Sullair Oil Free

Food and beverages industries go

come together on the inlet port side of NX Series...The Best in Rotary

Basic units of measure

Food and beverages industries go

• Power is a measure of the energy required to produce x rate of flow, at y pressure

Food and beverages industries go

Productivity, Sustainability &

NX Series...The Best in Rotary

Compressed Air Contamination in

Single-stage versus two-stage compression Sullair Oil Free

Food and beverages industries go

point B on a level parking lot, it would NX Series...The Best in Rotary

Single-stage air compressor pros and cons

Food and beverages industries go

Food and beverages industries go

NX Series...The Best in Rotary

Two-stage air compressor pros and cons

Two-stage technology is more limited in terms of horsepower range (typically 125 hp

Food and beverages industries go

might imagine…you can’t phys- NX Series...The Best in Rotary

relatively steady-flow applications, when the two-stage can

Food and beverages industries go

Sullair Oil Free

Option A offers the following:

• 250 hp single-stage rotary screw air compressor.

• Rated for 1,029 cfm at full load and 125 psi.

• Consumes 212.6 kW at full load (1,029 cfm).

Food and beverages industries go

Option B offers the NX Series...The Best in Rotary

• Motor efficiency of 96%.

• $78,000 sell price.

Why longer life expectancy with two-stage Compression?

Food and beverages industries go

Food and beverages industries go

One size does not fit all NX Series...The Best in Rotary

Learn more at Sullair.com/oilfree

SRL Series DSP Series

© 2020 Sullair, LLC. All rights reserved.

Productivity, Sustainability &

45% by implementing PC-based automation and EtherCAT. Food packaging company

Compressed Air Contamination in

Sullair Oil Free

Food and beverages industries go

Open, transparent technologies

However, connecting to clients’ diverse networks can be difficult, according to Allen

Food and beverages industries go

Sullair Oil Free

Open controls maintain performance

“The TwinCAT software platform provides tremendous flexibility to the process of

Food and beverages industries go

Food packaging company

touch zooming function, allowing oper-

Food and beverages industries go

Stratospheric energy savings

Food and beverages industries go