Regular maintenance is the key to reducing lifetime maintenance costs. From the outset, if maintenance cost is a criterion of initial compressor purchase, then the client must look outside the box! An optimized, energy-efficient compressed air system will require the least maintenance:
Compressors that are correctly specified for the application will naturally require less maintenance since they will be performing optimally and efficiently (hp per cfm) – offload running costs, and therefore stop-starts, can be eliminated.- Opting for a quality engineered compressor will also ensure minimal maintenance requirements. For example, the Boge S series screw compressor modular concept assures an uncluttered cabinet and a simplified service-friendly layout. As a result, Boge screw compressors need fewer components than conventional models; this saves on service and spare parts costs and increases availability and operating reliability.
- Integrating a compressed air management system is a further measure that can be taken to ensure that only the most energy-efficient supply of compressed air is used, providing an ongoing audit to track system changes in order to maintain optimum efficiency.
- Ensuring the integrity and quality of the actual maintenance work required will also impact on the related costs. Opting for trained and authorized manufacturer service technicians, as well as using only genuine spare parts and approved lubricants, will affect long-term maintenance-related costs.
- A common cause of poor efficiency is the use of spurious aftermarket spare parts. Not using the manufacturer’s genuine parts, such as oil filters and separators, can drastically alter compressor specification and efficiency. This in turn will create additional maintenance requirements.
- The client should also consider the compressor’s recommended operating hours between service intervals. Frequency of maintenance required will also be affected by the quality and longevity of consumables proposed by the service provider (e.g. OEM parts vs spurious aftermarket parts).
- Initial choice of lubricant will also impact on lifetime maintenance costs. As an example, the service regimen of a lubricated screw compressor will vary depending on whether a mineral or synthetic lubricant is used. Lubricant choice affects the operating hours recommended between service intervals; mineral lubricants will require more frequent service visits.
Short-Term Savings, Long-Term Expense
Cutting maintenance costs by reducing maintenance frequency on existing compressor systems may seem a plausible solution to reduce short-term costs in light of increased energy and business costs. But beware! Cutting out regular prescribed maintenance will lead to increased costs in the long term. The integrity and efficiency of a compressor will be jeopardized, with unnecessary premature wear and tear to parts as well as a reduction in the air quality as possible outcomes, if a recommended service schedule is not followed.
Poor air quality leads to increased costs in other areas of the business. For example, using an inefficient compressor to power a paint spray system may result in a paint job with inconsistencies and blemishes. Additional materials and resources may be required to touch up or repaint the end product. Moreover, a compressor running inefficiently uses more energy, increasing compressed air-related electricity bills.
In fact, the notion that regular maintenance doesn’t matter is one of the most common misconceptions we have come across. This idea is a throwback to the days when the piston compressor was the only way of generating compressed air. Today’s modern screw packages are totally different. Properly maintained, they are reliable and efficient workhorses, but without regular maintenance they quickly become unreliable. Initially the problem may be with petty control issues -- intake or solenoid based, perhaps. In the unluckiest situation, poor maintenance may cause premature air-end failure, and then the real cost is counted!
To keep costs to a minimum when planning a compressor maintenance program, consider how many hours a day the compressor operates, what the prevailing site conditions are, whether a mineral or synthetic lubricant is used, and whether the compressor is brand new or a used machine.
It is a fact that caring for your compressor optimizes its efficiency and reliability. Choosing the correct OEM consumables and following the recommended service schedule will ensure that the compressor’s integrity is maintained and its efficiency retained, keeping maintenance, consumables, and energy costs to a minimum. Opting for a prescribed maintenance plan for your compressed air system will certainly assist in reducing your business costs in the long term.