Cambs Compressors Newsletter Autumn 2022

Cambs Compressor Engineering Ltd, 22 Edison Road, St Ives, Cambs PE27 3LF Tel: 0800 0029601 Email: [email protected] Web: www.cambscompressors.co.uk Compressed Air Equipment Design & Installation Solutions Compressor & Compressed Air System Maintenance C o m p r e s s e d A i r S y s t e m s , D e s i g n , S u p p l y , I n s t a l l a t i o n a n d S u p p o r t If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please email [email protected] Summer 2022 - phew what a scorcher! As we pass from the summer to autumn, it’s worth noting the impact of the record breaking temperatures have had on your compressed air systems. How did the warmest temperatures on record impact on your compressor? June 2022 saw the warmest temperatures on record over the world’s land areas – and for the first time on record, temperatures in the UK have exceeded 40°C. Did you know for every 4°C increase in the intake air temperature, if unregulated, your compressors efficiency drops by 1%. This is because cooler air is denser and reduces the load on the compressor. If your compressor is poorly ventilated, overdue a service, it could be much worse! If your air compressor gets too hot, it may require longer durations between usage cycles. This is because the internal components are probably taking longer to cool down between each cycle. Heat- degraded internal mechanisms can also cause the compressor to stall during startup and ultimately take longer to get into full operational mode. Helping to improve the efficiency and lifetime of existing equipment With preventative maintenance and proper care, you should be able to keep your compressor in good working order for a long time. So if you’ve been putting off regular preventative maintenance, you should give us a call on 0800 0029601 now. 40ºC Food-Grade Compressed Air Standards Food and Beverage Grade Compressed Air Best Practice Guideline 102 Food Safety Laws and Prevention A critical component of the manufacturing, processing, packing, transporting and storing of food is ensuring that the compressed air is suitable for use in food and beverage applications. The focus of food safety and the laws governing it, is prevention rather than reaction. In other words, do not allow contaminated food products to ever reach the consumer’s table. These standards and codes do not define acceptable quality thresholds for compressed air used in food-related applications. Ensuring compressed air is contaminant free and safe for use Food safety laws are ambiguous with respect to acceptable levels of contaminants in compressed air for food applications. The ambiguity places the burden on the manufacturer, for determining and defining exactly what is considered suitable compressed air quality for their product. Identify your risk, manage it, and monitor it. The British Compressed Air Society has developed a useful document to offer advice to those seeking assistance; Food and Beverage Grade Compressed Air Best Practice Guideline 102. The purpose of this document is to make recommendations to the food and beverage industry on suitable air quality levels and advise the structure of a monitoring and verification program. Risk prevention, which first starts with proper planning. A good starting point is preparing a HACCP plan (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) to identify the critical control points at which compressed air is in either direct or indirect contact with food. Establishing critical limits for these control points and establishing the proper processes for monitoring, testing, improving evaluating, and recording data on these control points. Conduct a Hazard Analysis Determine the Critical Control Points (CCP) Establish Critical Limits Establish Monitoring Procedures Establish Corrective Actions Establish Verification Procedures Establish Record- Keeping and Documentation Procedures Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) 1 2 3 4 7 5 6 Direct Contact Process whereby compressed air is in contact as a part of the production and processing including packaging and transportation of safe food production. Indirect Contact Process whereby compressed air exhausted into the local atmosphere of the food preparation, production, processing, packaging or storage. These definitions for Direct and Indirect contact appear in the BCAS best practice guidelines.