Product category:
Compressors and Air Treatment
News Release from: Boge Compressors | Subject: SD series compressors
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 16 May 2003
Compressor contributes to Spirit of
Ecstasy
A leading investment casting specialist has significantly increased quality, cut maintenance costs and boosted output by installing a Boge SD series integral compressor/dryer.
A leading investment casting specialist, Polycast of Warsash, Southampton, has significantly increased quality, cut maintenance costs and boosted output by installing a Boge SD series integral compressor/dryer to supply compressed air to its foundry Polycast casts the famous Spirit of Ecstasy figurine for the latest generation of Rolls Royce cars, manufactured in the new BMW plant at Goodwood, Sussex, and is well known among motor, marine, medical and defence manufacturers for its premium quality casting work
The company had been generating its compressed air supply using an ageing vane compressor, but had been suffering major problems caused by oil and water contamination of the compressed air supply.
The contamination was causing shot blasting machines to be inefficient and the moisture in the air supply was dramatically reducing the life expectancy of expensive air tools.
Perhaps more important, compressed air for wax injection presses must be as near oil-free and perfectly dry as possible if the finest results are to be achieved, and the contamination threatened to prejudice quality.
Add problems of downtime due to the unreliability of the vane compressor and it was clear that something had to be done.
Polycast Maintenance and Special Projects Director Richard Wilton talked to the company's next-door neighbour following the recent supply and installation of a Boge SD50+ integral screw compressor and refrigerant dryer by Boge distributor Moorland Pneumatic Services.
He liked what he heard and saw, and contacted Moorland Pneumatics General Manager Ian Youngs.
Following a survey of the requirement, Youngs recommended a Boge SD75+ rotary screw compressor complete with the integral dryer module and condensate treatment system.
Operating at 8bar, the SD75+ delivers 9.10m3/min of clean dry compressed air that is virtually oil free and has, over two years to date, been totally reliable.
Incorporating the refrigerant dryer and condensate treatment within the compressor casing reduces the space necessary for the compressor system and greatly simplifies installation, because no pipework or separate electrical connection is required for the dryer or condensate treatment system.
A further key benefit of the Boge screw compressor is that it is dramatically quieter than the previous vane compressor.
The Boge compressor supplies all the compressed air required by the Polycast foundry, including air for the wax injection presses, for de-waxing, shelling, post casting, shot blasting and cleaning castings and air blast equipment.
The cleanliness of the air has been vital to maintaining the supreme quality standards required by BMW for the Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy figure, for which Polycast spent 18 months developing a perfect tool exactly to reproduce the quality of the original.
"The quality of our compressed air supply plays a key role in the success of our business", concluded Richard Wilton.
"The Boge compressor installation has been essential in our work for BMW Rolls Royce".
The range of Boge SD screw compressors with integral dryer module extends from air delivery of 3-7m3/min through to 21.1m3/min at 8bar.
SD series compressors can be supplied to operate at pressures from 8 to 13bar. Request a free brochure from Boge Compressors ...
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