Don't ignore compressed air filtration maintenance

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jan 15, 2001

Zander UK managing director Nigel Morris says ignoring maintenance on compressed air filtration equipment is a recipe for disaster: common sense and compressed air don't always go together!

Zander UK managing director Nigel Morris says ignoring maintenance on compressed air filtration equipment is a recipe for disaster.

Common sense and compressed air don't always go together, as Zander service engineers can testify.

When a customer complained that his recently installed dryer wasn't working our service engineer arrived on site to find that a clean room had been built around it, allowing no access at all for servicing.

The engineer had to dismantle a panel in the clean room to reach the dryer, only to find that it had not been switched on! Needless to say we moved the dryer to allow proper access for future servicing and maintenance.

And when one customer's paint sprayers began feeling ill our service engineer realised that the paint shop compressor installation had been sited close to the company's loading bays and the compressor intake was sucking in pure CO from visiting diesel trucks! OK, so these are extreme examples.

But they do show why a common sense approach is necessary and why I think the same approach needs to be applied to compressed air system maintenance.

After all, compressors are probably the most significant and flexible source of energy used in manufacturing and processing plants and it is estimated that 10% of the electricity generated in the UK is used to run them.

Imagine the problems and expense that companies could face if they were even temporarily separated from this source! So why is it that plant engineers are prepared to consider maintenance contracts for the compressor itself whilst the equally important air treatment equipment - such as the filters, refrigerant dryers and desiccant dryers - used to clean the air is often overlooked.

Without efficient air treatment compressor oils, pipe scale and air borne contaminates drawn in by the compressor intake can, when mixed with moisture, become a destructive cocktail that will ruin processes and plant and cause premature wear in any equipment with which it comes into contact.

By adding the filtration equipment to the maintenance contract you ensure that servicing is carried out when required and when it is convenient for your production schedules.

And at a fixed cost that allows greater budgetary control.

Experience shows that savings made by not servicing are small compared to the cost of wasted components, plant and equipment failure, and lost production.

If the air is used for breathing, maintenance and testing must be logged and retained for COSH.

Failure to comply can lead to substantial damages, fines and convictions if an employee becomes ill when using the air.

Zander UK's Service Department, which is covered under the company's ISO 9002 registration, offers service plans for all types and makes of compressed air treatment equipment including filters, dryers, breathing air testing, and condensate management.

After servicing, our trained engineers provide a fully traceable report on the work done, the condition of the equipment and any work required in the future.

Service plans can include maintenance of the compressor itself as part of a complete Compressed Air Service Plan, and we offer Site Surveys to ensure that the correct level of filtration has been fitted for a particular compressed air application.