04 Excelon
®
Plus Air Preparation
Compressed Air Systems
Compressed air is a safe
and reliable source of
energy provided it is used
and treated correctly.
Compressed air is often wrongly
assumed to be a cheap or even 'free'
source of power. At point of use,
compressed air is approximately the
same cost as natural gas, that's why it's
vital to install the correct equipment to
condition and control the air supply.
Safety
As soon as air is pressurized it has the
potential to cause damage to equipment
or personnel, so controlling that pressure
using shut off valves and regulators, which
can be fixed and locked is paramount.
Containing the air in the reservoirs for
air treatment also needs to be done
safely. Correct assembly of the filters
and lubricators after service is also
paramount as a loose bowl can be very
dangerous even at the lowest pressures.
Safety should always be the first
consideration when designing
compressed air systems.
Cost reduction
A well designed air preparation assembly
ensures costs are optimized by:
• Keeping leaks to a minimum
• Including isolation valves for
rarely used parts of a system
• Correct use of pressure regulators—only
use the pressure needed for the job
• Using appropriate levels of filtration
– over filtering costs money!
• Simplifying circuits - reducing
pressure losses
• Correctly sizing air preparation
– reducing pressure losses
