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his lack of visibility hinders their efforts to meet Net Zero targets and increases the possibility of unplanned downtime, impacting profitability. Compressed air is essential in industrial operations and accounts for 20 per cent to 30
per cent of a facility’s electricity use. However, it is often inefficiently used.
Typically, manufacturers lack real-time insight into their systems, leading to wasted energy, increased downtime and difficulty achieving sustainability goals. Compressed air systems without monitoring, up to 30 per cent of generated air can be lost to leaks caused by worn components, loose joints and vibration, and the sub optimisation of machines. With real-time data, manufacturers can detect issues early and reduce compressed air usage by 20 per cent to 30 per cent. A company spending £1 million annually on energy, for instance, could save up to £18,000 per year by reducing waste. To gain access to real-time data and
greater visibility and control, manufacturers are digitising their facilities, monitoring systems and equipment. However, selecting and integrating the right technologies can be time-consuming and requires specific expertise that is often unavailable in-house. For greater insight into pneumatic systems, pre-engineered compressed air monitoring cabinets eliminate this barrier by offering fully assembled, ready-to-install systems with integrated components, including sensors, enclosures, power supplies and software. These solutions give operators real-time insight into compressed air usage, helping them detect leaks and improve efficiency by balancing pneumatic devices. This is how early-stage leak detection
works. Compressed air monitoring automates or digitises each step of a continuous loop of a ‘See, Decide, Act’ cycle:
• See stage: Smart sensors measure air
•
•
INCREASE EQUIPMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND REDUCE DOWNTIME Beyond energy savings, monitoring compressed air improves operational efficiency. It can cut maintenance costs, reduce unplanned downtime by 20 per cent and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by 5 per cent to 10 per cent. Today, around three quarters of companies still rely on manual leak detection, often performed by
16 JUNE 2025 |
Many companies are unaware of how much energy their machines or processes consume, or when equipment needs to be serviced.
third parties. These periodic audits are costly, up to £35,000 per machine annually and allow issues to persist between inspections. By contrast, continuous monitoring
automatically detects airflow anomalies at an early stage, with alerts created that help plan maintenance before small issues escalate. This eliminates manual audits, reduces time and maintenance costs, while also increasing equipment availability and effectiveness. For example, packaging machines typically run at about 65 per cent OEE. With better monitoring, operators can adjust and balance pneumatic devices, like actuators, to achieve the optimal air-to-pressure ratio. Too much air wastes energy, but too little impacts product quality. Real-time feedback allows precise calibration.
EASY DEPLOYMENT WITH PRE- ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS Emerson has taken a ‘floor to cloud’ approach when developing its compressed air monitoring solution. Instead of sourcing individual sensors and systems, manufacturers can deploy an integrated solution that is pre-engineered and fully assembled in a cabinet ready for installation. This removes long configuration processes and allows users to immediately begin tracking air usage, preventing leaks, balancing pneumatic systems and automating
By digitally monitoring compressed air usage, companies can significantly reduce inefficiencies, prevent costly leaks, and lower maintenance expenses. Image courtesy of Emerson.
responses. The cabinet includes airflow sensors to collect pneumatic data across the factory floor, and an edge gateway and software to convert data into valuable insights that can be scaled in the cloud. An industrial power supply ensures stable power, and a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch provides integrated power and communication to the sensors. A key element is the Compressed Air Manager App that performs real-time data analysis and displays key performance indicators and metrics including air
consumption, energy cost, CO2 output, pressure levels and machine idle time. Innovations in digital automation now make
compressed air monitoring more accessible than ever. Companies can continuously monitor air consumption data, trends and costs from an individual machine level, line or facility. This empowers teams with in-the-moment insights that help reduce maintenance intensity, drive energy savings and reach sustainability initiatives. For more information visit https://www.
emerson.com/en-us/catalog/emerson- compressed-air-manager
Emerson
www.emerson.com
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