FEATURE Cover story
Greg Przybylik-Harper – SMC Corporation (UK) Ltd’s Food & Beverage BDTM, says compressed air keeps food factories running – but most plants are paying a premium for pressure they don’t need. A deliberate shift to 4-bar is emerging as one of the quickest, lowest risk routes to lower energy bills, lower carbon, and higher reliability
CHANGE THE PRESSURE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE: WHY FOOD & BEVERAGE MANUFACTURERS SHOULD MOVE TO 4-BAR
CHANGE THE PRESSURE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE: WHY FOOD & BEVERAGE MANUFACTURERS SHOULD MOVE TO 4-BAR
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ou can walk into almost any food or beverage facility and you’ll hear the rhythm of modern production: sealers, pick and place. Underpinning it all is compressed air - the utility that powers motion and control from raw material intake to packing and dispatch. Yet there’s a paradox at the heart of this essential resource. While lines run on higher-than-necessary pressure, without boosting output.
is getting attention. It reframes compressed lever. The premise is simple but powerful: operate systems at the lowest pressure that reliably achieves the task - typically design exceptions intelligently. The pay- tight margins and unforgiving schedules, this is a practical sustainability win that doesn’t demand a wholesale rebuild of equipment or infrastructure.
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Generating every kilogram of compressed air requires substantial electrical input. Push pressure beyond what’s required, and the consumption curve steepens rapidly. In many plants, a historic choice (say, 7-bar line pressure) becomes the default for everything, regardless of actual need. The result is invisible waste: compressors working harder, budgets carrying costs that add no value. Dialling back pressure from a material energy savings, often approaching 30% on compressed air consumption. the numbers become compelling. Think of it as the pneumatic equivalent of switching an entire site to LEDs, which requires comparatively little disruption, and sets a new baseline for continuous improvement.
Understandably, plant leaders worry: will lower pressure threaten precision, food and beverage, process integrity is a non-negotiable. The good news is that most pneumatic tasks – especially horizontal motions (where air primarily overcomes vertical or high load applications can be sized cylinders and valves, optimised nozzle
boosting only where it’s truly necessary. This last point is key. You don’t have to raise pressure for an entire facility to satisfy a handful of demanding stations. VBA series) and thoughtful component selection, you can create “islands” of higher performance while keeping the main ring at it, economy everywhere else.
regulator. The most successful transitions follow a structured approach that maintenance, engineering, quality and operations teams. 1) Visualise the air system. and consumption sensors at critical nodes leaks, and surface wasteful practices (like This step replaces gut feel with evidence and prioritises the highest-value interventions. 2) Optimise at the equipment level. With insights in hand, adjust for performance at lower pressure. This can include upgrading to high-power cylinders
automationmagazine.co.uk
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