THE harsh Australian climate puts compressors to work in hotter, dustier, and more humid environments than the northern hemisphere, where most compressors are manufactured.
While the harsh conditions mean most manufacturers should consider increasing the frequency of servicing intervals for compressors designed in Europe and North America, the opposite is often the case.
Champion Compressor marketing manager Dino Alessio told FEN that European compressors are generally manufactured for cool, clean and dry climates, and when they are installed in Australian applications they may require more servicing than what is stipulated in the user manual.
“Often, users think that they will save money by extending servicing intervals; the opposite is true,” he said.
“Not only will power costs outweigh the reduction in service costs, but just one breakdown or unplanned stop in production can cost the manufacturer hundreds of times more than the cost of a simple compressor service.”
Energy consumption
Australia’s cheap energy, relative to the rest of the world, means that Australian manufacturers don’t analyse their energy bill at the end of the month, ignoring the most significant cost in the overall ownership of a compressor.
According to an industry expert, Australia’s power costs are relatively cheap compared to other parts of the world, but it won’t always be that way.
“Power costs will increase as governments starts to look at carbon footprints,” the expert said.
“The maintenance cost of a modern screw compressor is only around 5% of the ownership, but a much larger cost in owning the machine is its power consumption.”
Extending servicing intervals can dramatically increase power costs.
According to an industry expert, if a machine should be serviced every six months, some manufacturers try to stretch that to seven or eight months, thinking that they are going to save money.
“If the servicing time is extended the differential between outlet pressures compared to the air pressure of the actual pump increases, often lifting the unit’s power consumption exponentially.
“People get the bill for machine servicing and scrutinise every detail, but when the power bill comes it is signed off without a second thought.”
“Like all cars that we drive, preventive maintenance is something one must never compromise on,” CAPS Australia Managing Director Raymond Han told FEN.
“In rotary screw air compressors, energy costs increase by 0.5% per 1 p.s.i of restriction caused by particularly blocked filters/air oil separators.
“A 5% increase in energy costs is not uncommon in poorly maintained machines.”
Servicing tips
According to Alessio, manufacturers should first conduct a proper site assessment and a compressed air audit to assess their compressor needs.
“The cost of an audit is small when compared to the cost of selecting the wrong size or type of equipment,” he said.
“Users should then ask if all serviceable compressor parts are stocked locally, and if common breakdown and consumable parts are stocked in servicing vans.”
If serviceable compressor parts are not stocked in service vans, the service may have to be completed in two trips.
According to Alessio, it can get very expensive.
“A costing of serviceable parts helps when considering future maintenance costs,” Alessio said.
According to an industry expert, air demand analysis, power cost calculations and air leak analysis should always be considered.
The compressor parts required for most routine maintenance are the inlet air filter, lubricant filter, lubricant separator, element, and the lubricant.
According to Alessio, if the filters clog, the restriction causes electricity costs to rise.
“A compressor with badly clogged filters could be consuming about 20% more power to produce the same air,” he said.
According to Han, service intervals, coolant life and time taken to do a service should always be considered when buying compressors.
“The cost of consumable parts can be deceiving because some items, such as filters, vary in quality. Manufacturers should not be deceived by cheaper filters on the market,” he said.
Harsh applications
According to Alessio, unless the application is very clean, it is a good idea to look for a compressor that has a cabinet pre-filter to remove big dust particles before they enter the compressor.
“Users should insist on heavy duty, truck-type cyclonic intake air filters, as opposed to cheaper car-type filters, which will clog much quicker,” he said.
“The lubricant filter in a rotary screw compressor should be micro-glass fiber, which has high particle retention and low restriction.
“Some users buy a car filter, with common paper media, thinking it is the same thing, however, compressors can generate a lot of moisture which can clog the filter media.”
Oil in a car contains little moisture, but air compressors generate moisture, and common paper filters tend to swell and clog inside the unit.
“While the difference between filters might be $30, as opposed to $15, this initial cost is minimal compared to longer term servicing costs,” Alessio said.
“When comparing one compressor to another, users should look at the separator element, and the rule here is ‘bigger is better’.
“There are also long-life lubricants available, which can last up to eight times longer.”
*Visit myfen.com.au for compressor tips from BOGE national sales manager Simon Wood.
Key contacts:
Champion Compressors
www.championcompressors.com.au
CAPS Australia
www.capsaustralia.com.au
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