Compressed air made easy

lifting and holding turning and pressing without compressed air there's no holding or moving this form of energy is a must for industrial production the problem is 97% of the energy used to produce compressed air is lost as waste heat that's why team technique a company that makes machines for the automotive medical and solar energy sectors uses a special device to produce this form of energy a compressor draws in fresh air here an electric powered auger compacts the medium the compression creates heat but unlike normal compressors this one doesn't let the heat go to waste the heated air flows into a heat exchanger providing warmth to the company's heating system the compressed air is then conducted into a steel container where it's available for production according to need this air compressor uses about 70 percent of the electrical energy input compared to only about three percent for compressors that use no waste heat the southern German company uses compressed air to power tools such as pneumatic screwdrivers and grinding pencils among others only with the help of compressed air do these instruments reach the necessary torque because of this and other uses the fluid energy form is distributed through extensive pipelines in many companies the problem is lost due to leakage team Technic uses a special ultrasound microphone to track down leaks the mic detects exact sources of the sounds made by air seeping out of tiny holes sounds that are inaudible to the human ear that way the tiniest leaks in pipes and joints can be quickly found and repaired there are further simple measures that help minimize loss in many companies several air compression systems work independently of each other a simple valve can be used to turn off parts that aren't used during late shifts extra shifts or on weekends that also prevents further leakage from those parts team technique not only uses the fleeting form of energy for machine production the company also uses compressed air to power its own machines and it's taken on an important function in the use of gripping systems for the operation of special vacuum grippers vacuum air is made from compressed air to reach a high level of efficiency the company uses an energy efficient vacuum ejector in its machines the compressed air flows over a so-called venturi injector here it's accelerated to the speed of ultrasound pulling along the surrounding air that creates under pressure in the adjacent part of the ejector a sensor continuously measures the pressure as soon as the necessary under pressure is reached the vacuum can grip a component part such as a solar cell if the pressure continues to sink the stream of compressed air is interrupted by a valve and a stop valve seals the area with the under pressure airtight the gripper can hold the component part as long as needed without more air flowing over the venturi injector that saves energy if the component is released the valves open a direct path for the compressed air to reach the gripper that allows precise control over the gripping process down to the exact millisecond the use of vacuum objectors creates two advantages in our machines first we lower the amount of compressed air we use since the vacuum ejector shuts off when it reaches the necessary gripping power the second advantage is that we avoid damaging the solar cells because of the precision we use in gripping them the use of efficient technology not only helps to save energy it also increases the quality of production for lifting and holding as well as turning and pressing

Channel: VDI Zentrum Ressourceneffizienz

Views: 54,704

Rating: 4.9097066 out of 5

Keywords: ressource efficiency, climate protection, global responsibility, raw materials, sustainability, sustainable production, energy, material

Id: SmWJW5kiJiE

Length: 6min 42sec (402 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 07 2014