Manufacturers incur financial losses each year from weather-related events. Warm weather events such as hurricanes, tornados, floods and extreme heat can cause issues with factory assets and create supply chain issues. Cold-weather events can cause pipes and supply lines to freeze and burst. If not adequately insulated or protected, machinery can also deteriorate or run slower in cold weather, which in turn decreases production and introduces quality problems.
Insulating and protecting supply lines and equipment is an obvious solution for cold weather protection. Unfortunately, many companies overlook this step when it comes to their compressed air systems. Creating compressed air is expensive and keeping the air free of contaminants like water and oil will help your system run efficiently in all weather situations.
When contaminants are present in your compressed air, systems can encounter:
- Freezing of solenoids and valves on outdoor components in winter conditions
- Failure of seals and internal components in solenoids and air valving
- Fouling of filter media in pulse jet cleaned filters
- Introduction of contaminants directly into products that are being conveyed from filters, aeration devices and seal purge on shaft seals
- Water in compressed air systems generally contains bacteria and other contaminants that can affect food safety
Downtime is the enemy of manufacturers. Here are several tips for correcting compressed air system contamination:
- Install filters and/or dryers after the compressors
- Install filter separators at use points
- Check all your exposed solenoids, valves and components to verify they are functioning as designed
Should you have an issue with your system or an individual component, we are here to help. Please contact our Service Solutions Group or Customer Service team for help maintaining your process systems in any weather.