The impact of the Covid economy on the compressed air market has left its mark. The ability of importers like Artic Driers to import equipment was severely affected due to massively increased air freight costs, along with a slowdown at docks due to reduced staff levels. “This situation will not change for many months,” says Artic Driers International CEO, Allen Cockfield.
Artic is an essential service supplier, so its operations have continued at a reduced capacity. To compensate, Artic has developed Pro Bono, a totally locally made low dewpoint air dryer rig for breathing air systems, that can be used in a Covid emergency hospital unit.
“The project was challenging but interesting, especially the design of a variety of filter casings to be built locally for these sets.” adds Cockfield. “It was a logical progression from what we have been doing quietly for the last 12 months. Artic has built a large number of low dewpoint heatless adsorption air dryers of different sizes for a range of clients in widely different industries.”
Due to the Covid-related transport and freight restraints, the new SA series of dryers has only now been officially released. The range will provide clients with shorter lead times than imported units. The units are less expensive, and most importantly they use local materials, labour and suppliers. Ranging from 3 to 42 m3/min at pressures up to 15 bar, the SA series will suit the needs of the majority of Artic’s clients. The smaller modular HDD series dryers less than 3 m3/min will continue to be imported from Malaysia.
The SA series of dryers is conservatively designed and based on 30 years of Artic Driers experience. Long contact times and larger than normal desiccant loads mean that the dryer can provide -40⁰C PDP compressed air for a manufacturing plant or a medical facility with ease. Heavy-duty design and construction, along with simple controls, have been deliberately included to ensure reliability and ease of maintenance on site.
The IP45 panel has a simple adjustable timer sequence. The control panel timing sequences can be changed easily on site if needed. Another feature is the use of an optional dewpoint probe to display drying performance in the straight timer mode, or the dryer can be controlled by the same probe and the timing cycles can be prolonged, thereby reducing compressed air purge losses.
These features do not result in a high cost of ownership. Prices are competitive and well balanced. “This fact is borne out by the number of dryers currently in the build programme for clients,” concludes Cockfield.
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