Tips

Most industrial plants require air for some part of the manufacturing process however, compressed may not always be the better choice. A fact sheet published by the University of Minnesota says "Compressed air is one of the most expensive uses of energy in a manufacturing plant. About 8 horsepower of electricity is used to generate one horsepower of compressed air." At that rate it's easy to see how poorly maintained or poorly designed and inefficient air compressor systems add unnecessary manufacturing costs.

The inappropriate use of compressed air should also be considered. Many applications such as cleaning, drying, cooling are better performed by efficient low maintenance blowers designed for a specific application. Because compressed air is readily available on the shop floor, this is usually the first choice of use for maintenance and machine operators. Most often these workers do not realize the cost of this "free" air. Consider the total cost of a system to convey waste trimmings from a process. While the low initial low cost of a compressed air type of venturi may be attractive, the total operating costs of that venturi may be quite high when the distribution, maintenance and energy costs for compressed air are considered. The better solution may be a low-pressure venturi and blower combination designed for the application. Initial costs may be higher when compared to the purchase of the compressed air venturi alone, however, when total energy and operating costs are considered, the savings can be dramatic.