Cambs Compressors Winter 2022 Newsletter

www.cambscompressors.co.uk How to calculate your compressed air running costs Over the ten-year life of a compressor, the cost of energy to run the system far outweighs the capital investment. Do you know the true cost of your compressed air? Compressed air is an essential energy resource in today’s highly automated industrial production. We may not always see it, but compressed air is all around us. Approximately 70% of all companies use compressed air for some aspect of their operations, with around 10% of all the industrial electricity consumed in Europe used to generate air. The cost of compressed air is usually taken as only the electrical cost To calculate the cost of compressed air based on electrical cost alone, use the following formula: Compressor KW Rating x Annual Hours of Operation x Unit Cost of Electricity = COST Generating compressed air as an energy source is expensive, and with sky high electricity costs, why would you not use it as efficiently as possible. With the simple formula above, you can roughly calculate how much you are paying - as well as how much you could be saving. Whether you use this information to make informed decisions about investing in a new high- performing, energy-efficient compressor and system overhaul - or simply to find the small changes and cost savings is up to you. But we’re happy to help you and in most cases this is free. Thailand sales office experiencing record sales Compressed air in quarrying and aggregates Compressed air is the lifeblood of many aggregate processes Compressed air can replace traditional watering to reduce dust as it controls valves and actuators on plant, pneumatic vibrators on the side of silos in concrete and mortar plants and is used in a multitude of downstream applications from sand washing operations, bagging of aggregates and cleaning of filters to powering the workshop facilities and tools. Helping aggregate plants reduce downtime Operating a compressor and maintaining a compressed air system in a quarrying environment and their downstream operations is challenging. One of the greatest compressed air challenges in quarries, asphalt and concrete plants, is water in air lines. This can lead to equipment failure, production downtime and increased maintenance. There are many challenges in quarrying and aggregate production and development of compressed air solutions in the sector typically protect workers, machinery and the environment. Compressor KW Rating x Annual Hours of Operation x Unit Cost of Electricity = COST Annthea Fryer Finance and HR Director, Cambs Compressors Craig Turner DipCAM Service Manager Cambs Compressors Energy prices and the closing window of 130% tax relief Richard puts the overall increase in sales down to the 130% super-deduction capital allowance scheme. This had businesses looking at the potential benefits of an investment in a new compressor. However, the gigantic increases most businesses are facing in their energy costs has tipped the balance, as it was now about how much could the new compressor save them on their electricity bills. Compressed air cost of ownership A well maintained compressor will run for decades, so if it isn’t broke - it typically gets left alone. However, the huge hike in electricity prices has sharply focused every businesses attention on their usage. Compressed air is an expensive utility to produce and many businesses spend £1000’s a month generating compressed air. What’s more in our experience, without good system maintenance, lots of this compressed air is wasted through leaks and inefficiencies. So when we quote cost of ownership, we factor in the running costs over the lifetime of the compressor, which gives a more realistic perspective on the total expenditure. Electricity is now more than 90% of the cost of ownership Over 10 years of operating, 75% of the cost of ownership was the electricity used by a typical industrial air compressor. However, this is thought to have now exceeded to 90% with the substantial increase in electricity prices! Which means if your compressor is old and your airflow system is inefficient, your wasting £1000’s in energy costs. So you could make savings by investing in a high-performing, energy-efficient compressor and system overhaul. Understanding just how much the cost of ownership has shifted, and adopting a more system-based approach, many customers have calculated they can achieve rapid payback on any investment made. Having returned home to Thailand, Richard has closed his biggest compressed air equipment and installation sale to date. Richard Bachini Solutions Engineer, Cambs Compressors