Things to consider when choosing your compressed air partner
Granted, all of this is a lot to keep in mind, but it is worth it. The benefits of setting up the optimal compressed air system and operating it in the most efficient manner offers tremendous benefits for any operation.
Fortunately, you don’t have to figure out all of this on your own. The right compressed air partner will help you every step of the way and ensure that you get the most out of top-quality equipment.
But what should you look for in such a partner?
There are different areas in which they should excel.
Perhaps most importantly, you need a partner who understands you, your applications and your industry. This kind of expertise is invaluable.
Without it, you are going to miss out on many savings opportunities. For example, if you are looking for a compressor for a ship, then you need a partner who understands the unique conditions and demands of the maritime sector – the salt water, the different intake air, the constant movement and, of course, the fact that there is no shop nearby where you can just get a spare part.
That means that you do not just need compressed air experts, but rather experts who understand how compressed air fits into your industry.
Obviously, the know-how alone is not enough. You also want to partner with a compressed air supplier who can meet all of your equipment needs.
That means not only every type of compressor, especially those with VSD technology, but also dryers, filters, piping, aftercoolers and cutting-edge controllers.
Some providers will offer a lot of these technologies. However, their portfolio includes mostly standard products that are perhaps slightly adapted for different industries.
That might be good enough if you are looking for a simple compressor to supply air for your workshop.
But what if you need more than that? For example, what if you operate a remote construction site, a mine or a wastewater treatment plant? Then you need the utmost reliability and would be best served with a complete plug-and-play solution that comes in a container.
While it is true that there are many cases and many applications where a standard product can get the job done, there are just as many where there are custom solutions that work much better.
Keep in mind that there are many factors that can impact your air compression and delivery process: From the altitude of your operation to the intake air, the ambient temperature, etc.
At the very least, you need to get your advice from someone who understands all of them.
Ideally, however, you want a partner who offers products designed specifically for your industry.
There is another important (and cost-saving) way in which you benefit from working with one partner who can supply all of the equipment you need: Compatibility.
If you get everything from a single source, then you can rest assured that there will not be any compatibility problems.
In addition, this can significantly decrease your maintenance expenses. When all of the equipment comes from one manufacturer, you don’t need as many visits from technicians from different companies.
That reduces the number of maintenance visits (because one technician can maintain different machines) while increasing your uptime (because you need to pause production for maintenance less frequently).
There is clearly a lot of value in working with a single supplier who can meet your needs, but there is one problem: Do you know exactly what those needs are?
If you do not or are not sure, then the right compressed air partner can help you there, too.
Using state-of-the-art tools and technology, they can tell you exactly what type of equipment you need to optimize your operation.
Even better, the right partner can help you with just about every item on our “Things to consider before you buy a compressor” list – whether that’s assisting you in picking equipment, identifying the right place to set up your compressor or designing your piping.
But that’s not all.
Using cutting-edge connectivity technologies, that partner can also make sure that your equipment performs optimally – and saves you money – while in operation.
Above, we noted how modern controllers can transmit data to the compressor manufacturer, where experts then evaluate it and look for performance optimizations and potential problems.
The last thing you should consider when choosing your partner is how extensive their service network is. That may matter little to a small workshop, but it is crucially important to many larger companies.
Let’s take the maritime business we mentioned earlier. To them, being able to get spare parts or expert maintenance in different countries can make a great difference and avoid expensive delays.
The same is true for countless other businesses that rely on the timely supply of spare parts or expeditious visits from service personnel.
But here is the good news: The search for that partner is easy. Just choose Atlas Copco. We check all of the above boxes. Our compressors are truly revolutionary when it comes to achieving industry-leading efficiency.
The latest generation of our VSD compressors – the VSDS series – is leading the way when it comes to sustainability.
Our dryers are exceptional in terms of effectiveness and a low energy consumption, and our latest controller, the ElektronikonÒ Nano, is the world’s first with over-the-air updates that make your compressor better over time.
Even better is that, thanks to our extensive expertise and experience, we have tailored our products to meet the specific needs of many industries.
That know-how will be beneficial to you every step of the process. With innovative tools like AIRchitect, we can measure your specific compressed air demand and show you how much, down to the dollar or euro, you can save with different types of compressors.
And once that compressor is up and running, we offer innovative connected control and monitoring technologies to always keep an eye on the unit’s performance.
Add to that a wide range of service and maintenance contracts, and it’s easy to see how a partnership with Atlas Copco pays off for you in every stage of your compressor’s service life.
There are two undeniable facts:
Making this process, which is responsible for a significant chunk of the world’s energy consumption, more efficient is one of the challenges of our generation.
But we see an opportunity here. Where a lot of energy is consumed, a lot of energy can be saved.
As you have learned from this e-book, there are savings potentials everywhere. At the same time, there are also pitfalls, such as purchasing the least expensive equipment and then being faced with huge energy and maintenance bills afterwards.
Our products, on the other hand, are already industry-leading when it comes to reducing your energy consumption, saving you money and lowering your total cost of ownership.
And, thanks to the tireless work of our R&D departments across the globe and new connectivity technologies, we will keep developing the most sustainable compressed air products and solutions on the market.
If you want us to put them to use for you, just get in touch with an Atlas Copco representative now.
No matter where you are, there is always one nearby.
Get in contact
