Question:
"What are the keys to maintaining an sufficient compressed air system?"
Compressor Troubleshooting Guide
Answer:
Key #1: Preventive Maintenance
"What is the key to maintaining an sufficient compressed air system?" The best reply would have to be -- Preventive Maintenance.
What Is Preventive Maintenance?
According to "Wikipedia": Preventive maintenance (Pm) has the following meanings:
"The care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining tool and facilities in
satisfactory operating health by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and revision of incipient failures either before they occur or before they form into major defects.
Maintenance, along with tests, measurements, adjustments, and parts replacement, performed specifically to prevent faults from occurring."
*Source: from Federal appropriate 1037C and from Mil-Std-188 and from the group of Defense Dictionary of military and linked Terms
Preventive maintenance activities consist of partial or faultless overhauls at specified periods, oil changes, lubrication and so on. In addition, workers can record tool information and deterioration so they know to replace or heal worn parts before they cause system failure.
The ideal preventive maintenance schedule would prevent all tool failure before it occurs.
Benefits Of Preventive Maintenance:
-Improves system reliability and helps keep tool working and/or enlarge the life of the equipment.
-Decreases system downtime and actively helps prevent unbudgeted maintenance expenses from cropping up.
-Decreases the cost of having to replace tool as often.
-Records operational data that can help you troubleshoot an emerging question (called "Data Trending")
Data trending is the recording of basic doing parameters along with pressures, temperatures, and electrical data. For example, a gently increasing climatic characteristic indicates a range of maintenance requirements along with cooler core cleaning, overloading of system and potential mechanical problems. Another example might consist of gently decreasing pressure, indicating increased system flow requirements, reduced compressor doing or increased system leakage. Make sure man is seeing at this data on a quarterly basis. If the data is never reviewed then the advantage is lost.
The Value Of Preventive Maintenance:
To conclude how requisite quarterly air compressor Pm is to you and your business... You need to know what your "down-time" is worth. In some operations, down-time can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars an hour.
There are many misconceptions about preventive maintenance...one being that it costs too much.
This line of reasoning says regularly scheduled downtime for maintenance costs more than operating the tool until heal is certainly necessary...or until the tool breaks. This may be true for some components, but don't forget to think the long-term benefits and savings linked with preventive maintenance that have been previously mentioned.
If quarterly Preventive Maintenance can help sell out unexpected downtime that results in loss of production, time and materials or the ruining of an high-priced plant process--then it is well worth the investment. Not to mention that unscheduled shut-downs can be extended if the accurate tool parts or heal technicians are not effortlessly available.
"How sufficient is your Pm program?"
The acknowledge is: "If your Pm schedule isn't seeing problems, it isn't effective."
Key #2: Corrective Maintenance
Corrective maintenance, regularly called "repair", is conducted to get tool working again
or fix any problems found during Preventive Maintenance.
The customary goal of maintenance is to avoid or sell out the consequences of failure of your compressed air equipment. Pm is designed to retain and restore tool reliability by replacing worn components before they certainly fail.
Key #3: Assessing Your Equipment: When to mouth and when to replace.
Here are some factors to think when assessing your compressed air equipment:
-How requisite is your compressed air equipment? If tool fails, what is the impact on yield or safety.
-What is the age & history of your equipment.
Equipment histories will prove that most failures occur during infancy (newly installed or recently overhauled) and old-age (self-explanatory).
How many times has this tool failed in the past?
-How much do you trust this tool to achieve as designed when scheduled to run?
-Do you need newer technology on your equipment?
Assessing the answers to these questions will help you conclude when your older tool needs fixing or replacing. Preventive Maintenance will help your tool last longer, run better, and save you loads of money in the long haul.
Key #4: Knowing Your tool What It Needs:
-Every piece of compressed air tool should come with a set of Maintenance Instructions and some type of operations& parts manual. Your operators should quote the tool information and keep it handy for time to come reference. If you purchased used tool and don't have the manuals, taste your tool seeder for a copy.
- follow the maintenance guidelines for your equipment.
Basic Preventive Maintenance Check List For
Reciprocating (Piston) Air Compressors:
Before performing any maintenance function, switch main disconnect switch to "off" position to assure no power is entering unit. "Lock Out" or "Tag Out" all sources of power. Be sure all air pressure in unit is relieved. Failure to do this may follow in injury or tool damage.
Daily Maintenance
1. Check oil level of both compressor and machine if so equipped. Add potential air compressor lubricant as required.
2. Drain moisture from tank by chance tank drain valve settled in lowest of tank. Do not open drain valve if tank pressure exceeds 25 Psig.
3. Stop, Look & Listen for any unusual noise, failure to compress, overheating, vibrations or belt slippage and accurate before damage of a serious nature develops.
4. Turn off compressor at the end of each day's operation. Turn off power supply.
Weekly Maintenance
1. Clean dust and foreign matter from cylinder head, motor, fan blade, air lines, intercooler and tank.
2. Take off and clean intake air filters.
Warning
Do not exceed 15 Psig nozzle pressure when cleaning element parts with compressed air. Do not direct compressed air against human skin. Serious injury could result. Never wash elements in fuel oil, gasoline or flammable solvent.
3. Check V-belts for tightness. The V-belts must be tight adequate to transmit the requisite power to the compressor. Adjust the V-belts as follows:
a. Take off bolts and guard to access compressor drive.
b. Loosen mounting hardware which secures motor to base. Slide motor within slots of base plate to desired position.
c. Check the manufacturer's specifications for accurate belt tension. Apply pressure with belt tension checker to one belt at median span. Make added adjustments if necessary.
d. Check the alignment of pulleys. Adjust if necessary.
e. Tighten mounting hardware to secure motor on base.
f. Re-install guard and secure with bolts.
Warning: Never operate unit without belt guard in place. Removal will expose rotating parts which can cause injury or tool damage.
Every 90 Days Or 500 Hours Maintenance
1. Change crankcase oil. Use type and grade oil as specified.
2. Check whole system for air leakage around fittings, connections, and gaskets, using an ultrasonic leak detector or using soap solution and brush.
3. Tighten nuts and cap-screws as required.
4. Check and clean compressor valves, replace gasket valve asssembly when worn or damaged.
Caution: Valves must be reinstalled in customary position. Valve gaskets should be supplanted each time valves are serviced.
5. Pull ring on all pressure relief valves to assure permissible operation.
General Maintenance Notes:
Pressure Relief Valve: The pressure relief valve is an self-acting pop valve. Each valve is properly adjusted for the maximum pressure permitted by tank specifications and working pressure of the unit on which it is installed. If it should pop, it will be requisite to drain all the air out of the tank in order to reseat properly. Do not readjust.
Tank Drain Valve: Drain valve is settled at lowest of tank. Open drain valve daily to drain condensation.
Do not open drain valve if tank pressure exceeds 25 Psig. The self-acting tank drain equipped compressor requires draining manually once a week.
Pressure Switch: The pressure switch is self-acting and will start compressor at low pressure and stop when the maximum pressure is reached. It is adjusted to start and stop compressor at the permissible pressure for the unit on which it is installed. Do not readjust.
Belts: Drive belts must be kept tight adequate to prevent slipping. If belts slip or squeak, see V-belt maintenance in preceding section.
Caution: If belts are too tight, overload will be put on motor and motor bearings
Compressor Valves: If compressor fails to pump air or seems slow in filling up tank, disconnect unit from power source, drain air tank, and Take off valves and clean thoroughly, using compressed air and a soft wire brush. After cleaning exceptional care must be taken that all parts are supplanted in exactly the same position and all joints must be tight or the compressor will not function properly. When all valves are replaced, achieve a timed pump-up test and check to see that it meets facility specifications. Valve gaskets should be supplanted each time valves are removed from pump.
Bottom Line: One of the main keys to maintaining an sufficient compressed air system has been and still is "Preventive Maintenance."
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