Industrial Utility Efficiency
This article examines how industrial facilities can quantify the return on investment associated with disciplined filter change scheduling. By connecting pressure drop, energy consumption, maintenance costs and equipment longevity, facilities can move from reactive maintenance to measurable operational control.
Vacuum pumps are used for a wide range of applications in a variety of industries, but not all vacuum pumps are created equal. Before selecting a vacuum pump, take a look at the following questions. Knowing the answers will not only help you streamline your purchasing timeline, it will also ensure you get the right vacuum pump for your application.
Vacuum chucks and holding devices have been used in many industries for a variety of purposes, from lifting packages to holding items for machining. With the introduction of CNC routing machine-tools for mass production (of wood furniture, plastics and other non-magnetic materials), there was a need to clamp-down large work pieces on the flat router tables. Mechanical clamping was not an option as it caused damage to the work pieces and didn’t satisfy the need to quickly place items on the table and clamp instantly.
Multiple vacuum pumps can be running mostly “dead-headed” in the many production systems that don’t require constant flow. Any system that evacuates a small volume and then holds a product down while it is being machined, or sucks a bag shut to seal will spend the majority of its time not moving much mass of air. This type of operation is found everywhere in secondary wood processing, machining, food packaging, and many other industries. Anywhere vacuum is used as a motive force or to evacuate a small volume repeatedly. This article will apply to any of these types of systems- and not apply to constant-flow vacuum applications in the process industries.
ADA Möbelfabrik, headquartered in Anger, Austria, is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of furniture. Upholstered furniture, beds, mattresses and slatted frames are produced for the Austrian market and for many other European countries in two shifts, using modern manufacturing techniques. The vacuum supply required for securing items to the CNC machining centers is provided via a central vacuum plant produced by Busch. By opting for this vacuum system, ADA has integrated an extremely economical and reliable vacuum supply into the production process.
When it comes to industrial vacuum pumping applications, whatever material is involved in the process generally gets ingested into the vacuum pump. It’s an inherent issue with any industrial vacuum application, whether it’s simply moisture from inlet air, or something more tangible (i.e. dust, debris, etc.). Harsh vacuum applications — such as those that involve corrosive acids, excessive moisture, or dust particles — can wreak havoc on a vacuum pump’s reliability. This holds especially true for oil-sealed vacuum pumps, rotary vane pumps and piston vacuum pumps.
"The most impressive feature of this year’s PROCESS EXPO was the tremendous quality of customers in attendance," said Gil Williams, Chairman of the Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) and President of Poly-clip System USA and Canada. “During the show we were able to meet with a number of important customers and sit down with prospects that we are confident will lead to new sales in the short to medium term, helping us close out 2015 on a strong note and jump start our sales efforts in 2016.”
For 165 years, Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum has developed and supplied vacuum pumps, systems, standardized and customized vacuum solutions, and after-sales services for a wide range of industrial and research-based applications. In these fields of industry, Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum offers low, medium, high and ultrahigh vacuum pumps, vacuum systems, measuring gauges and instruments, leak detectors, valves and fittings, as well as consulting and engineering for complete vacuum solutions.
We were fortunate enough to speak with Keith Webb, the Application Engineering Manager at MD-Kinney, to learn about the company and its manufacturing equipment. During our discussion, we talked about the company’s blower and vacuum technologies, common markets and applications, and MD-Kinney’s custom-engineering capabilities. Webb even touched on some trends in energy management regarding blower and vacuum systems.
“What is the best type of oil to use in my vacuum pump?” is a common question for sure, and one that may often yield confusing and conflicting answers. The rule of thumb is that it is always best to follow OEM recommendations, but why do they recommend the lubricants that they do? For the purpose of this article, we will focus on some of the general industrial vacuum pump applications and their lubricant choices.
Bringing a New Technology to an Established Market Segment
Atlas Copco recently released a new series of oil-sealed rotary screw vacuum pumps specifically designed for the rough vacuum utility market. Their new vacuum pumps, called the GHS VSD+ Series, boasts a unique technology that is relatively uncommon in the rough vacuum utility market, namely variable speed drive (VSD) controls. According to Jerry Geenen, Atlas Copco’s VP and Business Line Manager of the company’s Utility Vacuum Division in North America, there are not many, if any, companies that utilize VSD technology in their vacuum pump products.
