The Situation
The customer, a global leader in the development and manufacture of vehicle propulsion components, contacted HAYLEY DEXIS with a desire to reduce their compressed air consumption. At the facility were twenty gauge-testing stations, all running 24/7 at a constant pressure of 6 bars.
The Solution
HAYLEY DEXIS experts visited the facility and found that the stations were being used to check the internal surface of a machined part, using two air-blowing nozzles. It was discovered that these checks were only actually needed occasionally, with the duration of the check being less than two minutes. The solution proposed involved the installation of a regulator and a foot-operated valve.
"THE SOLUTION WILL SAVE THE CUSTOMER AN ESTIMATED £36,800 PER YEAR."
The Result
A regulator was implemented to reduce the pressure of the compressed air in the testing stations. This meant that the pressure could be reduced to 2 bar when the equipment was not in use, with the temperature also controlled as per the customer’s requirement. The foot valve allowed the operator to increase the pressure when the testing station was being used. Pressure would reduce to its lower value when the operator stepped-away. The entire solution cost the customer £7,000, and will save them an estimated £36,800 per year in compressed air costs. This represents a complete payback in less than four months.