P N E U M A T I C S
Pulsing air
impacts
the bottom line for packaging applications Pulsed air blow systems can provide cost-saving alternatives to continually blowing compressed air in bottling and packaging applications.
Alex Bakos • Product Sales Manager – controls Parker Hannifin’s Pneumatic Division
As many companies continue to strive toward reducing operating costs, energy consumption is a key area where new technologies can improve the bottom line. One of the largest energy-consuming parts of any factory is compressed air, sometimes referred to as the “fourth utility.” Air compressors consume many kilowatt hours each year to produce the necessary amount of air to power machines throughout packaging plants. In a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, for a typical industrial facility, compressed air accounts for about 10% of all the electricity consumed. By reducing the air consumption at each of the different processes, facilities can also reduce the energy required by the compressor. Compressed air systems and tools, which are commonly used in a wide variety of industrial applications including packaging, are often missed sources of opportunity as facilities engineers seek additional ways to lower energy consumption and costs. Nearly 50% of industrial plant usage of compressed air is consumed in “blowoff” applications such as removing swarf, which is composed of plastic, cardboard, metal or other debris from the manufacturing process; drying parts; removing products from the conveyor, etc. This supply of air is “uncontrolled,” 46
FLUID POWER WORLD
Pneumatic Actuators - 8-19_Vs3 MG.indd 46
8 • 2019
www.fluidpowerworld.com
8/19/19 10:32 AM
