Maximize Performance and Minimize Downtime of Pneumatic Systems

 

Preventive and Predictive Maintenance

 

Similar to carrying out maintenance tests and oil changes on a vehicle, pneumatic systems also involve typical upkeep to prevent more serious issues down the line. In compressed air systems, it is vital to make certain that lubricators are not left to run dry; filters are cleaned; and all contaminants such as rust, metal shavings, water, and unwanted oils are removed.

 

Predictive maintenance is approximately being proactive, rather than reactive, to avoid component failures, and it is often the work of sensors (available for almost every factory component) that alert you to potential problems. A flow sensor that fits in-line with a Filter Regulator Lubricator (FRL) unit are able to determine blocked filters, while continuous position sensors can be an indicator over time to the wear to which cylinders are exposed.

Compliance and Safety

 

Making sure that a system is compliant with current standards is also important to refrain costly downtime and equipment overhaul. The newly-updated standard known as DIN ISO 8573-1 governs filtration levels. Defined down to the micrometer, it identifies the solids, water and oil that should be split up out to maintain a well-functioning system.

 

Very similar to checking system compliance, undertaking a risk assessment and consulting an administrative body that serves those involved in workplace health and safety are vital procedures to help decrease the risk of workplace injuries. Bringing in light curtains, interlocks, machine guarding or safety exhaust products to block or prevent hazards can be impactful measures in this regard.

Specification and Integration

 

From the start of the specification process, selection of accurately sized equipment saves money and valuable energy, which oversizing wastes. As alternatives to oversizing and waste, look at implementing pressure boosters that allow the flow from a compressor to the largest workpiece, and pneumatic zoning on manifolds that can be used to mix pressures. The simple step of locking regulators prevents workers from adjusting a system’s overall pressure to supply more air to individual workstations which eventually could damage a sealing system, waste energy, or even cause physical harm.

 

Updates in terms of the connectivity of the factory floor are worth considering as well. Low-cost Ethernet connections are more regularly replacing hardwired solutions and associated trunks of cables to provide network-based connectivity across a facility. IO-Link connectivity, to run field-level devices back to the IO-Link master, provides further opportunity for savings in time, wiring, component cost and troubleshooting. On top of that, many of today’s advanced network nodes are able to supply prognostic data for predictive maintenance and in-built sensors to check for shorts, over current, cycle counting, thermal management, among other things.

 

This article is originally posted on tronserve.com