The need for compressed air treatment in South Africa is escalating as global manufacturing and quality standards are applied in this country, allowing manufacturers to compete in world markets. Polluted compressed air escalates leak rates, as well as increasing downtime within a plant. It also increases pneumatically driven failure rates and compromises air standards when compressed air comes into contact with food or pharmaceutical products.
Treating compressed air involves identifying the standard of compressed air treatment that is required for a plant or process. Then a compressed air treatment chain can be selected that will provide air at the standard required, with minimal energy wastage, the lowest system pressure drop and acceptable secondary aftercare costs.
A supply partner should be capable of assisting and advising in identifying the client’s required standard of compressed air according to ISO 8573 and specifying the equipment required. The partner should also be able to supply the compressed air treatment package if required, design the compressed air piping system, verify the end result at commissioning stage, monitor the system for consistent performance and provide aftercare support round the clock.
The selection criteria for a supply chain partner are critical. Prospective clients should review the company, its capabilities and its involvement in the compressed air treatment industry and gain references from its client base. Once past the installation process it is vital that the compressed air is permanently monitored as equipment malfunction will quickly affect compressed air quality. Once a plant is infected with water from a faulty air drying system it will take weeks to dry to the correct dewpoint again. Filter element failure due to lack of system monitoring or use of look-alike products may have the effect of contaminating the compressed air pipe distribution system for life with compressor oils and pollutants.
CS-iTEC’s CSM2G is a WiFi air system monitoring solution that utilises ZigBee data transmission and allows plant engineers to monitor air flow and pressure, dew point, oil carryover, particle counts, compressed air and water flow, velocity and air leak losses. The system is manufactured by CS-iTEC and distributed by Artic Driers International.
The CSM2G is a user-friendly system that can be expanded as needs grow or budgets allow. Cloud-based software upgrades are undertaken seamlessly and the cloud data storage ensures security and continuity. Data can be fed simultaneously to the scada system as well as the engineer’s desktop or laptop. The visual layout on the home page is tailored to mimic the client’s own system. Alarm setpoints are adjustable by the user. This ensures that compressed air standards are monitored and met continuously, giving plant engineers assurance that their air systems are meeting the required international standards as well as plant needs.
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