Case Studies

Ensuring Quality Control For A Manufacturing Company | Industrial Air

Admin — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 01:53:45 GMT

With over 40 years experience in the plastic industry and a strong family business already established in Hawke's Bay, this New Zealand manufacturing company are leaders in their field in the manufacturing and supply of injection and blow moulded products. They provide a number of beverage suppliers with plastic packaging products like bottles and food packaging.

As a business that manufactures food packaging, making sure that products are clean and sterile throughout the manufacturing process is paramount.

The challenge

The company’s high pressure (30 bar) compressed air filtration elements had exploded causing risk to the factory production plant but also potential contamination to the finished product if it wasn’t rectified. The incident was unexpected, and if not addressed right away would result in a halt in production, until the situation could be remedied.

Another factor that made this even more challenging was that the 30 bar filtration had been directly imported from a supplier in Asia and then installed by the customer. As there wasn't an existing New Zealand supplier for the range they needed to source an alternative that could quickly aid in fixing the problem, and supply any new filtration parts. Getting operational again and quickly so that business wasn't too badly affected was paramount.

While the filtration issue was specific to this company, critical breakdowns of compressor equipment could happen in any manufacturing environment where incorrect or substandard products have been installed, with no local support or maintenance.

The solution

This company needed an experienced compressed air supplier that could also provide regular maintenance services to avoid future breakdowns of vital factory equipment. We had previously been engaged to service and maintain this company's compressed air system, which included 3 screw compressors, refrigerated dryers and their 30 bar compressed air set up. Due to our local reputation of providing reliable service and a fast turnaround as well as access to global resources as part of the Pneutech Group, we were also asked to assist with the filtration breakdown.

This company needed to get back up and running as soon as possible so being able to provide them with a guaranteed one hour service turnaround, 24/7, 365 days a week was also crucial to this business. We were able to send out a compressed air technician to their factory to find the faulty filtration element and provide some next steps to get the factory back up and operating.

With the best interests of the business in mind, our first approach was to try and source a replacement part for their failed filter sourced from an overseas supplier, with an unknown brand. After trying all of Pneutech Group's global suppliers, as well as local competitors in Australia and New Zealand, we realised that the only solution was to supply a new filtration set-up and ultra-fast at that!

We sourced a European made Pneutech filtration system that featured second-to-none quality and performance, with a design pressure of 50 bar. Complete with auto condensate drains and differential pressure gauges to help inform factory staff of when elements reach saturation point and need replacing (to avoid failure again) the new filtration provided a higher efficiency and more reliable filtration solution than what the business had previously.

With only three days to go, we worked with our suppliers into the weekend to get the job done. DHL couriered an entirely new 3-stage Class-1, 30 bar filtration set-up into the factory. The filtration was delivered and re-fitted to the existing high pressure air line system and made operational inside the given timeframe.

Pneutech filtration system & elements used in the new filtration set-up.

The results

Immediate benefits were the fact that the bottle manufacturing line could begin again, staff were re-employed, customer orders were satisfied, and the revenue stream began again, minimising losses to the business.

Longer term benefits can be seen with the Class 1 ISO air quality standard being maintained, resulting in consistent quality control and less waste from rejected product. The superior quality filtration also meant that the air pressure drop was less than before, so long term the company could see some benefits from their compressors operating at lower pressures, ultimately requiring less energy for the same air delivery.

The largest long term benefit is the peace of mind that Industrial Air Systems stock back up parts for this specialist filtration – on the shelf in New Zealand, substantially reducing the risk of this breakdown and lost productivity again!

A new compressed air system for Harrows Furniture

Admin — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 23:18:42 GMT

Harrows Furniture is a leading manufacturer and supplier of designer hospitality furniture to the New Zealand market. Supplying approximately 12,000 pieces of furniture annually to the NZ hospitality industry, the team at Harrows needed to make sure their factory was running at peak efficiency to meet high demand.

The challenge

Harrows were facing a number of issues with their compressed air supply. This included:

Dropping air pressure

Multiple machines and tools require compressed air in a factory including spray booths. Harrows were losing CNC machine performance from dropping air pressure which was resulting in a loss of production efficiencies, and spoiled product.

Increased production

They were also expanding manufacturing in their factory by adding the latest technology and high production CNC machinery. This expansion meant they required a higher compressed air supply than what was previously sufficient.

Peace of mind

The Harrows factory compressed air requirements fluctuate according to the type of work being undertaken; they needed to be certain their compressed air supply would be sufficient to cover the highest possible demand. They couldn’t afford for CNC machines to fault during production.

If they were going to upgrade their compressed air system they would also want compressed air redundancy for future proofing.

Optimisation and efficiency

Harrows didn't want an oversized compressed air system that was running ‘offload’ most of the time, using too much energy, and incurring excessive electricity and maintenance costs.

The age of the compressors they had along with continual breakdowns, was contributing to high maintenance costs with one compressor previously suffering catastrophic failure, making repair very costly.

The solution

Harrows needed a high quality, clean and reliable compressed air supply that was sufficient to meet their current and future air needs. As their existing compressed air supplier and service provider, we were approached by Harrows to propose a new compressed air system for their factory.

To make sure Harrows had the best compressed air solution possible, our service technicians conducted an initial compressed air analysis to determine where the air was used, ascertain what leaks needed remedying, and worked to find bottlenecks in their current system that was preventing good airflow and pressure to the factory equipment.

After this initial analysis was completed, the solution was to supply a 30kW permanent magnet variable speed Pneutech RSCR40PM screw compressor, a stand alone refrigerated dryer, and a filtration module. This system was packaged together and plumbed into Harrows existing receiver before being connected to the factory air piping reticulation.

The RSCRPM compressor is an industrial-rated slow revving unit designed to provide thousands of hours of trouble-free and very reliable operation, even in adverse conditions. Its permanent magnet motor meant that it could stop/start on demand and with variable speed control it provides the most efficient running cost, at any air requirement level.

The results

To date, the new Pneutech compressed air system is working very well, and while Harrows are not yet in full production at their new factory, the compressor system is easily meeting the factory air demands, and only operating in the lower end of the variable speed capacity.

The new compressed air system has resulted in:

Good compressed air volume.
Good compressed air pressure.
Compressed air continuity and reliability.
Energy savings.

The end result means that Harrows can now run their factory operations smoothly, and with no interruptions due to air supply.

Want a hard copy of this case study? Request a downloadable PDF copy now!

Poultry Processor – Auckland

Admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 10:08:00 GMT

Age of the compressors, along with continual breakdowns, was contributing to high maintenance costs for the customer, with one compressor eventually suffering catastrophic failure, making repair unviable. The customer was not anticipating future expansion, but did urgently need enough air to keep their factory in production.

As the air demand fluctuated throughout the day, Industrial Air Systems recommended replacement of a high-efficiency permanent magnet, variable speed compressor, refrigerated dryer, and industry-standard food grade filtration.

To keep the customer’s factory in operating during the manufacturing phase, Industrial Air was able to supply a 45kW loan compressor free of charge.

The customer is very pleased with the outcome, and expects to achieve significant power savings with the permanent magnet motor being able to stop and start in as little as 60 seconds, to meet the fluctuating air demands.

Poultry Processor – Christchurch

Admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 09:44:00 GMT

Industrial Air Systems was able to offer a very competitive price for a complete new compressed air set-up, which the customer decided was a better option than repairing their old compressor. A particular advantage was also the fact that the new compressor was variable speed drive, which meant that with the customer’s fluctuating air demands, they would be able to enjoy large power savings for their operation.

The customer stated this: “Back in November 2015, it worked out cheaper to buy a new compressor rather than service the old one. Cost was the critical factor. Also, a quieter machine was needed. Industrial Air Systems came to our attention at just the right time and I decided to contact them. We installed the new compressor ourselves but servicing is dealt with by Industrial Air. It's all worked out fine.” - Jason.

The customer kept their old compressor as a standby unit, for use during servicing, and has continued to enjoy excellent service from Industrial Air, stating after the recent service “the technician does a good job”

Wine Grower & Producer – Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Blenheim

Admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:40:00 GMT

With 12 vineyards spread over the Henderson Valley, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough, Babich Wines recently opened a winery in Blenheim processing Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling.
To supply our new production facility, a reliable and cost-effective nitrogen gas supply was needed. For our production size and types of operations, ordering bottles as required with the risk of limited supply was not a sustainable or economical option. The new winery potentially had an increased compressed air requirement as well. The initially installed compressor wasn't the most economical to run. Due to it being fixed speed, it was under-utilised during the off season and under capacity during vintage.

The solution to this was to install our own in-house, Nitrogen Generator system, so that we had a consistently reliable source of N2 gas available 24/7, 365 days a week, and at a much lower cost per M3 than bottled or liquid form. In order to do this, an increased compressed air supply was required. This would involve installing a larger variable speed compressor that operated to match varying air demand. This would bring energy savings, having only to pay for the compressed air used.

After looking at several options, we decided to go with Industrial Air Systems NZ, and their Pneutech brand. They offered a superior package in terms of performance, reliability and life time cost. Industrial Air Systems NZ designed, supplied, installed and commissioned the complete Pneutech nitrogen plant, comprising of a 55kW VSD screw compressor, a standalone refrigerated dryer, a 4/stage auto draining filtration, a PN2 Nitrogen Generator (40M3/h at 99.9% purity) and storage vessels.

Industrial Air Systems was given a very short time frame to have the plant supplied and completely operational, and they did so ahead of schedule. To date the Pneutech compressed air and nitrogen plant has operated faultlessly, delivering consistent and quality gas even during high demand use. Industrial Air Systems NZ continues to service this low-maintenance plant from their Christchurch base, although we do have their 24/7 local call-out service assurance if ever required.

We are very happy with Industrial Air Systems NZ and their Pneutech compressed air and Nitrogen plant installation, and would have no hesitation in recommending them, their products, expertise and back-up support to the industry.

Jens Merkle

Marlborough Winemaker

Engineering - Wellington

Admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 09:36:00 GMT

Ultibend Industries produces high-quality stainless-steel tube bends to the manufacturing, food, dairy and architectural sectors both nationally and overseas, from their New Zealand based manufacturing facility.

Their factory runs several production shifts, and is totally reliant in a consistent, quality air supply.

They engaged the services of Industrial Air Systems for their compressed air supply – this is what their director had to say:

To whom it may concern,

We are very reliant on a high-quality compressed air supply for critical areas of our production process, with reliability and performance of equipment and availability of technical back up and service all being very important to us.

In 2012 various items of our air supply system had reached the end of their useful life and needed to be replaced. After quite extensive research into what was available we engaged Industrial Air Systems NZ to supply and install a Pneutech rotary screw VSD air compressor and compatible dryer into our production facility. The compressor was installed and commissioned by Industrial Air System’s local contract service technician- Richard Perkins.

The new compressor promised significant cost advantages both in capital outlay and ongoing running costs compared to packages we were offered from other suppliers, and the installation was performed very professionally and effectively. We are very pleased with the actual installed performance of the equipment.

I have known the team at Industrial Air Systems NZ and Nick Richards personally for almost 20 years and have no hesitation recommending their advice, equipment and their experience in the compressed air industry, to any company requiring a high level of expertise and reliability.

Graeme Turley

Director

Engineering - Christchurch

Admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 09:32:00 GMT

Davin Industries is very reliant on a high-quality compressed air supply for critical areas of their sheet metal production facility, and prior to 2011 had been experiencing major issues with their current air compressors and supplier.

Being aware of the problems this was causing, through increasing factory downtime, and rising maintenance costs, Industrial Air Systems approached Allan with some suggested solutions to overcome these major issues. A variable speed compressor package was installed to replace an ageing model, and bring optimum savings on power costs.

Davin Industries was very pleased with the results with the compressed air set-up, and further engaged Industrial Air Systems to replace an additional fixed speed compressor two years’ later.

The factory operates several production shifts, and the compressors have no issues keeping up with demand. They have been regularly serviced by Industrial Air Systems own technical team from time of installation and continue to provide an efficient, reliable compressed air supply.

Testament to the great service provided to Davin Industries, further compressed air equipment has been supplied over this period to replace ageing plant as required.

Their managing director, Allan Voss, states the following:

"We have no hesitation recommending Industrial Air Systems NZ; their advice, their equipment and their experience have proven to be both reliable and beneficial to our production facility, and we continue to rely on their services."

Structural Steel Manufacturer – Christchurch

Admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 09:26:00 GMT

Structural Steel Manufacturers, Pegasus Engineering, approached Industrial Air Systems in 2012 for a solution to their compressed air needs. They were building a new state-of-the-art factory in Rolleston, needed compressed air piping, and a large compressor to meet their fluctuating air supply.

After consulting with Gavin at the early design stage, a 180HP compressor was recommended with variable speed drive, to ensure power savings during low-demand periods could be maximized. A refrigerated dryer, filtration and 63mm aluminium ring-main piping system accompanied this to provide class-2 air quality.

The customer stated “The air compressor is quiet and reliable, and on the occasions the compressor required a scheduled service, a back-up compressor was supplied and plugged in, to assure air continuity.

We have found Industrial Air Systems NZ to be an honest, straight forward and reliable supplier, with very good service turnaround, responding instantly to our enquiries.

The Pneutech compressed air plant appears to be of very heavy duty and good quality, and with the company’s expertise and experience, we have been able to equip our state-of-the-art workshop with a high performance and reliable compressed air system.

I am a happy customer and have no hesitation, recommending both Industrial Air systems expertise and the Pneutech compressed air equipment to any manufacturing or processing plant, whose life blood is compressed air.”

Gavin Lawry

Managing Director

Fruit Packhouse – Central Otago

Admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 09:22:00 GMT

Coming soon

Specialist Coatings - Christchurch

Admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 08:34:00 GMT

They purchased a 30HP compressor with variable speed drive, to allow for their fluctuating air demands. Also included was a refrigerated dryer, filtration and air receiver.

Murray has continued to be impressed with the compressed air set up which has provided trouble-free air supply.

Murray says:

"The service crew are excellent to work with. We did our research before choosing to work with Industrial Air Systems and our expectations were met. I can truly say that I'm happy with the overall experience - so happy that I even send other people in need of those services their way. Thumbs up!"