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Wisconsin manufacturers can save energy and optimize their compressed air systems with the help of rebate programs and financial incentives from Focus on Energ®. Focus on Energy can help manufacturers save thousands of dollars in energy bills by improving the efficiency of their compressed air systems—often at a minimal cost. When you partner with Fluid-Aire Dynamics on a Focus on Energy project, you only pay the costs over and above the incentive, keeping your up-front costs to a minimum. What is Focus on Energy? Focus on Energy is Wisconsin’s statewide program serving the customers of the 107 participating Wisconsin electric... Read more »

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Are You Letting Money Escape Into Thin Air? If your compressed air system has unrepaired leaks, the answer is yes. Leaks in your compressed air system may be increasing your compressed air energy bills by more than 30%. Since compressed air is usually one of the largest energy expenses for a manufacturer using air-powered equipment, that represents a significant opportunity for energy savings. Fortunately, finding and fixing compressed air leaks is a relatively simple and cost-effective process. Thanks to energy incentives provided by most energy suppliers—including ComEd in Northern Illinois—you may even be able to get compressed air leaks fixed... Read more »

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Is the PSI of your compressed air system too high? As many as 80% of manufacturers are running their systems at a higher PSI than necessary for their production processes. Reducing the PSI of your plant may be your largest—and easiest—an opportunity for energy savings. Best of all? Many of the things you can do to reduce your plant pressure are very inexpensive — or even free!

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You may love the warmer temperatures in the spring and summer—but your industrial air compressor does not. Your compressed air system requires extra maintenance in the hot summer months to prevent unexpected shutdowns and damage to system components. Here’s how increased temperatures in the summer months impact your compressed air system—and what you can do to prevent costly damage. Risk 1: Overheating Your air compressor already puts out a lot of heat on its own: a 100 HP industrial air compressor produces enough thermal energy to heat four homes through the winter! This is a natural consequence of air compression;... Read more »

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You may still have frost outside, but spring is just around the corner. When you’re planning your spring cleaning, don’t forget your compressed air system. Spring is the perfect time to assess your industrial air compression system and perform critical maintenance to make sure it is ready for the hot summer months ahead. A thorough spring cleaning of your industrial air compressor and other compressed air system components can prevent expensive repairs and eliminate costly downtime. Of course, you should be conducting most routine maintenance checks daily or weekly throughout the year, following the preventative maintenance guidelines in the user... Read more »

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Are you seeing excessive pressure drop in your compressed air system? The problem may be the layout of your compressed air pipes. The design of your compressed air distribution system can have a substantial impact on overall efficiency. An efficiently designed piping system will save energy and money and reduce wear and tear on your air compressor. About Compressed Air Piping Systems Your compressed air distribution system consists of a series of pipes that convey compressed air from the compressor to the point of use. Most compressed air piping systems have multiple drops along their length to support different tools,... Read more »

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Changing the oil on your rotary screw air compressor is important for the life of the machine and can avoid large repair costs. On top of checking it regularly to ensure it’s topped off, you should change it at regular intervals. The length of this interval depends on the type of oil being used in your machine. Rotary Screw Air Compressor or Rotary Vane Air Compressor** Standard Oil every 8000 hrs or 12 months Food Grade Oil every 2000 hrs or 3 months If You Don’t Change Your Oil as Above a Few Things Can Happen to Your Compressor: Buildup... Read more »

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Filters are an important part of your compressed air system. Installing the right type of filters and maintaining them regularly will ensure a consistent supply of clean air to your operations and reduce pressure drop. Filters start at the intake of the compressor and finish at the point of use. Dirty compressor intake filters will reduce compressor efficiency and allow dirt particles to enter the compressor, loading up the separator and oil filters, contaminating oil, and possibly reducing the life of the air compressor. Filters downstream of lubricated air compressors will collect contamination in the piping such as rust and... Read more »

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Do you need an oil-water separator for your compressed air system? The answer is probably yes. An external oil-water separator is essential for proper maintenance of your compressed air system and compliance with environmental regulations for disposal of compressed air condensate.   What Is an Oil/Water Separator?  An oil-water separator (sometimes called a condensate separator) is exactly what it sounds like: a device that separates oils and lubricants from liquid water. The oil-water separator collects condensate from your air compressor, tank, filters, and dryer, and removes the oil from the water prior to putting it down the drain. It also eliminates... Read more »

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This week’s discussion addresses what seems to be an unknown to most users of compressed air. Many calls come in from customers who say their compressor system no longer keeps up with plant demand. Of course, this could be due to many factors such as added production equipment, air leaks in the equipment and/or distribution piping, or the need of maintenance to the air compressor itself. To troubleshoot your plant pressure issues, we recommend beginning with the source of your compressed air. Is the compressor delivering its rated Actual Cubic Feet per Minute (ACFM)? ACFM is the air delivery rating... Read more »

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There are 2 key aspects to sizing your piping correctly: max system CFM requirements and minimum required operating pressure. Max CFM A study needs to be completed to determine what the max demand in the system (in CFM) is going to be. This needs to be a worst case scenario, with even momentary uses being considered Momentary uses of compressed air are considered any usage of your air for a period of time that is less than a minute. Examples of these momentary uses are; dust collector blow down valves, large air cylinder/ ram actuation, sometimes diaphragm pumps, and etc.These... Read more »

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Sometimes even the most hardworking technicians and service advisors can find it difficult to stay productive. We have come up with 8 tips using professional auto body shop information and feedback. Read and implement the following for in order to boost your productivity and make the most of your (and your team's) work day.

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Did you know a whopping 85 percent of manufacturers report using social media as a content marketing tactic? They are using platforms such as SlideShare, YouTube and Facebook to create inspirational and educational content that indirectly promotes their businesses.

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As manufacturers, you're constantly looking for ways to save money in order to grow our bottom line. This will allow you to grow your business. It is recommended that instead of taking a lot of resources out of one or two departments, manufacturers can grow their bottom line through several small cost cutting initiatives that add up to save large amounts of money.

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Air leaks are very common in compressed air systems. The key is to know how to detect and fix them as the cost of even a tiny leak adds up to a large expense if left unattended.   How common are compressed air leaks? Compressed air leaks are widespread in all applications. Not only are they common, but they are time-consuming to find and fix. In the average manufacturing operation, 20-30% of the total energy consumption is compressed air. On average, 30% of that expense is due to compressed air leakage. How costly are compressed air leaks? Here are 2... Read more »

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Excess moisture in your compressed air system can cause problems both within the system itself and for the applications that utilize it. Appropriate maintenance and the use of air dryers can remove moisture from your air and extend the life of your system. What Causes Moisture in Compressed Air? Moisture is an inevitable byproduct of compressed air. All air contains a certain amount of water vapor. The volume of water held by the air varies with temperature and pressure; the higher the temperature, the more water air is able to hold. That’s why humidity tends to be higher in warmer... Read more »

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200+ Manufacturers Have Air Leaks Fixed Free Through “Fix-it-Now” Program In Chicagoland, Fluid-Aire Dynamics has been hard at work helping manufacturers save money and energy by fixing compressed air system leaks through ComEd’s Leak Repair Program. Last month, that work was recognized by ComEd. We are proud to have been recognized for the Most Projects Submitted in 2019 at the ComEd Industrial Systems Energy Efficiency Service Provider (EESP) Kick-Off event in February. Raj Raghavan, an Energy Advisor for the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, says, “Fluid-Aire is a great group of people to work with. No matter who you interact with... Read more »

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