UK Air Leakage Research Unveils The Importance of Regular Air Compressor Maintenance

Compressed air systems play an essential role in a variety of businesses. When you compare the power supplied to the value produced, a poorly operated compressed air system can cost a company a lot of capital. 

In a research performed by Direct Air, lack of regular air compressor maintenance cost businesses in the UK £100 million annually. You can only begin to imagine the cost on a global scale. Capital that could be used for other aspects of business operations is wasted on compressor repairs.

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Businesses are starting to recognise the importance of air compressor servicing in preventing air leaks. So why is it important to regularly maintain your air compressor?

Detect air leaks

Many businesses do not have a mechanism in place to identify leaks. Leaks are difficult to find and repair. Regular air compressor maintenance will involve energy specialists or consultants who use energy analysers and loggers to measure waste and calculate the cost required by a company.

Small leaks may be undetectable to the human ear. The lack of a hiss of escaping gas, then, does not rule out the potential of a leak. Even if leaks are detected, identifying them might be difficult, especially in difficult-to-reach areas. 

With a specially developed ultrasonic leak detector, the maintenance professional will pinpoint leak locations at a distance. A microphone tuned to pick up high-frequency harmonics created by leaking high-pressure gas is utilised in these electrical devices.

Reduce Cost of Air Leaks

Only around 19 per cent of the total power generated by a fully working compressed air system is converted into clean compressed air, with the other 81 percent being lost as heat. Air leaks put air compressors at risk, resulting in considerable costs if they aren’t properly maintained.

Air leaks in industrial plants often result in the loss of 20 to 40% of generated air, and even a remote air system that is not maintained correctly can cost £2-£7 per day. Even if you think a tiny quantity of air leaking is negligible, a single 3mm hole might cost you £600 per year.

The amount of money that businesses may save by fixing air leaks may surprise many companies. They may save up to £37,000 each year.

When there are leaks, the compressor has to work harder to produce the same amount of compressed air, resulting in higher energy expenditures and system downtime.

Operators typically overcompensate for pressure loss due to leaks by acquiring a larger compressor than necessary, resulting in significant capital expenditures and higher energy expenses. 

With regular air compressor servicing, such costs are drastically reduced, thus offering businesses more upfront cash to utilise in other aspects of their businesses.

Reduction in energy consumption

Energy is the most expensive component of compressed air’s total cost. In reality, energy generally costs many times more than the compressor’s purchase price throughout the compressor’s lifetime.

There will always be some energy waste when using compressed air, but not keeping up with maintenance may make this waste much worse. This energy waste will raise overall expenses and may have an impact on total production. 

In today’s environment of energy waste and climate change, your company should focus on energy conservation or lowering its carbon footprint.

Decrease equipment downtime

Equipment downtime refers to the period when equipment is not in use, whether due to an unforeseen equipment failure (such as a defect or damaged part) or scheduled downtime (like necessary downtime for preventive maintenance).

Air Leaks can produce low system pressure, which can cause air-dependent equipment to stop operating. There may be production delays, unplanned downtime, quality problems, and an increased need for maintenance due to excessive compressor cycling.

Air compressor servicing can decrease equipment downtime, which would offer the following benefits

  • Managers get a behind-the-scenes view of what needs to be replaced and repaired.
  • Corrective maintenance operations are carried out with more precision.
  • Profits are increased while maintenance expenditures are reduced (especially on replacement equipment in emergency cases).
  • Increased machine availability, efficiency, and dependability.
  • There will be fewer disruptions to crucial activities.
  • Asset longevity is increased.
  • Increased productivity (assets in good repair tend to operate better).
  • Increase in workplace safety.

Enhance employee safety

Your employees’ safety is jeopardised when they work with malfunctioning equipment, and it will cost your firm money to get things back in order.

The usage of regular air compressor maintenance shows that the company values onsite worker safety.

Regular air compressor maintenance reduces harm while also ensuring that the equipment is ready to use.

An increase in productivity is noticed in firms that prioritise employees safety over profits.

Increased productivity with efficient tools

Air compressor service may significantly impact your air compressor’s productivity by influencing critical components to operate more effectively, resulting in an intrinsically more productive environment.

Conclusion

Maintenance and cost reduction are essential in today’s fast-paced workplace. Within an industry, thorough, specific, and all-encompassing regular air compressor maintenance cannot be a low priority. 

These procedures are crucial for the entire operation and correspond to any lean manufacturing techniques. In some situations, preventative maintenance programs can also help the safety, and environmental teams accomplish their objectives.

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