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Oil-free compressors ideal for chemicals, petrochemicals sectors

REMOTE MONITORING
Rand-Air uses an iAccess platform to remotely montior compressor efficiency and maintenance

REMOTE MONITORING Rand-Air uses an iAccess platform to remotely montior compressor efficiency and maintenance

20th March 2015

By: Donna Slater

Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

  

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South Africa’s chemicals and petrochemicals industries contribute substantially to the country’s economy, hence the importance of petrochemicals companies maintaining proactive maintenance and good-quality equipment to ensure sustainability and productivity, says compressor and generator rental company Rand-Air.

Rand-Air sales manager Kim Coetzee tells Engineering News that outsourcing equipment from a company with a thorough understanding of the distinct needs of the petrochemicals and refinery industries is key to ensuring that a refinery operates successfully.

“Appointing an esteemed company with a good reputation to supply rental equipment at petrochemical sites is, therefore, strongly recommended.”

She adds that outsourcing rental equipment enables a petrochemicals producer to focus on its core business while machine maintenance is the concern of the outsourced company.

Coetzee explains that, in the petrochemicals and refinery industries – where compressed air is critical – hiring an oil-free compressor ensures clean, reliable and cost-effective air supply at all times.

She highlights that the most popular oil-free compressor available from Rand-Air is sustainable productivity solutions company Atlas Copco’s PTS916 portable diesel compressor, which provides variable pressure and volume flow. Volume is adjustable from 1 270 cubic feet per minute (cfm) to 1 535 cfm, and pressure is adjustable from 1 bar to 10.3 bar.

A high-pressure oil-free compressor, the PNS1250, provides volume flows of between 1 200 cfm and 1 250 cfm, with pressures adjustable from 6 bar to 24 bar.

Atlas Copco also offers the PTE1500 electric-drive oil-free compressor.

Rand-Air has a fleet of portable oil-free compressors that are supplied to various chemicals and petrochemicals companies in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Rand-Air supplied the oil-free compressors during several major petrochemicals refinery shutdowns in 2014.

“Formulating effective solutions determines the success of a project. “It is, therefore, important to create innovative solutions. Petrochemicals industries depend on the expert advice offered to them by their service provider,” notes Coetzee.

She adds that minimising downtime and maximising production are crucial for the refinery industry. “Using an oil-free compressor assists in achieving these goals by ensuring that there is no risk of contamination, fewer pressure drops because of build-up and guaranteed air supply.

Rand-Air offers on-site servicing of its rental fleet, based on preventive maintenance schedules. Remote monitoring can also be performed using an iAccess platform, enabling Rand-Air to monitor compressor efficiency and maintenance through early warnings for potential failures.

“Using an oil-free compressor offers far more advantages [than] those offered by oil-injected compressors,” says Coetzee, adding that oil-injected compressors are risky in the chemicals and petrochemicals industries.

Refineries should not be losing out on production time because their equipment per-forms poorly,” she concludes.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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