FEATURE COMPRESSED AIR
Meeting air purity needs in production sensitive environments
While manufacturing facilities may conjure up images of dirty machinery, many industries – such as those responsible for pharmaceuticals production, electronics manufacturing and food processing – have no choice but to make hygiene and cleanliness a top priority. In this article, Gareth Topping of Gardner Denver, discusses the regulations in place to ensure compressed air systems meet the highest possible standards, as well as outlining why it’s so important that exhaust air from vacuum pumps meets air purity requirements too
F
or production sensitive environments, not only is the consistency of
compressed air critical, but the quality too. These sites will place a big emphasis on avoiding contamination, with their production processes designed to meet this need. The quality and specification of compressed air is covered by the standard ISO 8573, which sets out the amount of contaminants – such as particles, water and oil – permitted in each cubic metre of compressed air. An increasing number of sites are also
following the principles of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). This ensures facilities are complying with hygiene legislation and either eliminating any potential hazards or reducing them to an acceptable level. In some cases, high-quality air has been
achieved by using oil-lubricated compressors relying on filtration to protect products and equipment from contamination. However, to guarantee air purity, many businesses are switching to oil-free compressors. There is a range of oil-free technology available, from scroll models to water-injected rotary screw units. Gardner Denver has recently launched its Ultima compressor which, instead of using a single motor and mechanical gearbox design to drive the low and high-pressure air-ends, uses its U-Drive concept. This replaces the gearbox and single motor with two high- efficiency, permanent magnetic motors, allowing for performance optimisation throughout the complete volume range. This is because the airends are powered by two separate inverters, so they can be individually driven at different speeds depending on demand. An intelligent digital gearbox design then monitors and continuously adjusts the speeds of each aired, ensuring maximum efficiency and
16 MARCH 2018 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
pressure ratios at all times. Most importantly, the compressed air it delivers is 100 per cent oil-free. Other benefits from an oil-free
Gareth Topping, business line director – vacuum & low pressure at Gardner Denver
compressed air system include the fact that there is no need to purchase an oil separator element or any replacement downstream filters, unlike an oil- lubricated system that requires oil change intervals throughout its service life. Another challenge for these sites to
think about, however – and one that is often overlooked – is that while many manufacturers will spend time making sure their direct production processes are scrutinised in great detail, the more ancillary processes and utilities will often not receive the same attention. As a result, the potential risks from equipment such as vacuum pumps are not reviewed. Vacuum pumps are typically situated
right next to a production line, so it is critical that the quality of the exhaust air from these is considered too. Contaminated exhaust air from a vacuum pump can cause significant hygiene issues that can completely undermine the time and effort that has gone into ensuring the compressed air meets air purity requirements. The majority of vacuum pumps being used by companies across the world are lubricated with oil. While most of these will be perfectly reliable, poor maintenance practices or minor equipment faults can create the risk of oil discharging from the exhaust. This presents a particularly significant problem for sites that need to maintain extremely high levels of air quality. As well as the possibility of oil
discharging from the exhaust, if the system is operating at high temperatures with an open-ended inlet port it could result in oil carrying over from the pump.
A separator element may also fail due to misuse or through the use of non- genuine spare parts. Of course, if a system is well
maintained then the chance of any contamination is going to be very low, but this can be reduced even further through a range of measures. These include using a specialist food-grade lubricant to reduce the impact of any potential contamination, fitting a downstream exhaust filter or remotely piping the exhaust air away. For those concerned about the risks of
oil-lubricated vacuum pumps, Gardner Denver can help identify and reduce any risks through a free site survey, which may extend to working with the production team to ensure the equipment is included in the HACCP assessment. Alternatively, oil-free vacuum pumps have been developed specifically to meet the needs of manufacturers that require only the highest air purity environments. There is no need to replace the oil or filters as they do not require the same level of maintenance as oil-lubricated models. Over the course of a pump’s lifetime this can generate significant savings.
Another clear advantage to an oil-free vacuum pump is that it does not have to be removed to carry out essential maintenance servicing. This means that there is no equipment downtime and no associated costs from oil, waste oil disposal or labour. For production sensitive sites looking to
make cleanliness and hygiene a top priority, taking these steps will help ensure a site meets the air purity demands required.
Gardner Denver T: 01274 718100
www.gardnerdenver.com / FACTORYEQUIPMENT
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