Cleveland , OH –Parker Hannifin Corporation announces a product to the North American market that’s designed to address emerging trends like Energy Savings/Sustainability. The new Air Saver Unit is suitable for use in both new and existing factory floor air nozzle and air guns applications that allow uncontrolled blow-offs.
Based on energy audits conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 95 percent of compressed air systems present opportunities for saving energy. More than 30 percent of a plant’s air costs can be associated with inappropriate uses of or artificial demand for compressed air, which can cost a typical end-user plant a minimum of $110/year, assuming 90 percent compressor efficiency:
1cfm = 1/4 HP = 0.207KW @ $.60/KWh = $110/yr
Air audits Parker has conducted have revealed that the use of uncontrolled blow-offs is one of the top air consumption issues on factory floors. In a blow-off application, compressed air is directed through an air nozzle to provide a steady stream of air at a part for any of a number of reasons: to dry the part, to remove debris from the part, to blow it off a conveyor, etc. In these applications, it’s common to discharge air continuously, even when no part is present.
The Parker Air Saver, which was introduced in Asia and Europe previously, already has documented success stories to its credit. The Air Saver generates a rapid pulse of air rather than a continuous flow, which offers two major benefits:
• It reduces compressed air costs by as much as 40 to 50 percent over typical constant flow applications.
• It improves efficiency. Unlike a continuous stream of air, the pulsed air blow strikes the work repeatedly, improving the efficiency of the air blow for drying and removing debris.
The Parker Air Saver also offers several other benefits:
• It reduces the level of greenhouse gases produced (CO2 emission associated with production of compressed air).
• It can be easily installed into existing pneumatic systems with no additional PLC programming required.
• It offers a quick return on investment (ROI).
• It aligns well with corporate sustainability programs and objectives.
• The Air Saver is available in port sizes ranging from M5 (5 CFM flow) to 1¼-inch (530 CFM).
• Other features include adjustable pulse frequency and duty cycle, a silicon-free grease version for paint shop applications, and an on time/off time adjustment needle. Contact Parker Hannifin for more information on this product and air saving application programs to help document energy savings using this product.
For more information, visit http://www.parker.com