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It has long been known that compressed air systems are a safe and reliable source
of power, but as with all good things, convenience and flexibility comes at cost.
Compressed air systems require constant monitoring and maintaining to ensure they
are operating efficiently. If ignored or incorrectly monitored the outcome can be
costly for both the company’s bottom line and for the environment.
The need to consider the environment when undertaking compressed air management
is crucial - ‘Energy consumption represents around 80% of the total lifecycle cost
of a standard compressor, but of the electricity consumed in the UK for generating
compressed air, 30% is wasted. In addition, around 20% of compressed air is
wasted through leakage, but with t-mac this can be recovered through regular maintenance
to keep production running at optimum levels and energy savings high.
With t-mac, you can: identify how efficient compressors are; when they are working;
if they are coping with demand; and if they are running at peak efficiency. A huge
benefit of using t-mac is that you can accurately assess the leakage rate of the
compressed air system and receive an alert at the earliest possible stage that this
is happening. You can also review and create reports on the peak, average and minimum
demands of the air supply, helping to improve energy efficiency and compressor operations.
By programming the t-mac to continuously monitor the compressed air system, it will
send alerts to managers, via SMS/email, if the levels fall outside preset criteria,
e.g. if a leak occurs or temperature/loads exceed desired limits. An example of
one of these devices is the t-mac condition monitoring system. Instant notification
means users can immediately take remedial action, such as turning the system off
or on, either automatically/pre-programmed through t-mac, or manually via the Internet.
Accurate and up-to-date status data from the compressor is then collected by t-mac
via analogue or digital inputs and automatically and wirelessly (GPRS) transmitted
off-site and uploaded to a central server.
Managers can then log-on through a dedicated web page to view asset information
via interactive graphs, tables and gauges, which can easily be downloaded into CSV
format for standard database analysis and reporting. A system, such as t-mac, achieves
all of this without additional costly software, as users access information via
any Internet-enabled PC and without static IP addresses, removing the tiresome requirement
of connecting to each individual system and hence human interaction, as t-mac transmits
machine condition data off-site automatically, at periodic intervals, to a central
server.
Measurement
Knowing the compressor conditions, performance and usage will provide managers with
a more rounded view of a site or multiple sites’ energy consumption, by supplying
reasons for peaks and troughs in consumption.
Accurate measurement is paramount in meeting mounting legislation, by monitoring
and tracking energy use in ‘real’ time, t-mac assists in minimising wastage and
providing exact and instant reports and data updates easily. Adjustments to the
compressor can be made either directly or via the device, to increase efficiencies
and, once set, t-mac can assist with further tracking reports all of which can be
produced to see how great the level of energy efficiency improvements are and how
much has been saved over a designated period. By collecting all of this data from
equipment and entire sites, energy and facilities managers can effectively audit
site energy use and make executive decisions on improving the compressors energy
performance rating and ultimately keep it within legislative ranges whilst at the
same time helping to reduce energy costs.
Analysis
Another huge development in the industry is analysis software, which is designed
to make the monitoring and viewing capabilities of condition monitoring devices
easier. Acting as an interface between the user and the equipment being monitored,
it details, through on-screen customised or generic graphics, the sites, assets,
machines or metering being monitored. This software creates a real-time view of
the area being monitored pictorially showing the activities on site, live data and
statistics instantly. It can convert collected data into a more recognisable form,
e.g. converting raw energy readings into meaningful business data such as money
saved or indicating industrial machine vibration as high, medium or low alert for
ease of viewer reference. It can also calculate how much energy is being used by
each site, and draw comparisons on cost and energy savings easily.
By monitoring compressed air systems effectively, managers can identify inefficiencies
in equipment instantly and fix any issues, often before they occur – which helps
not only reduce energy consumption but also extend machinery life-cyle. Effective
maintenance can reap immediate financial returns, it can also boost energy and time
savings and instil greater control and flexibility of business processes.
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