A Large-scale Instal... | Atlantic Compressed Air

The following project took place at a major lumber producer located in the province of Quebec.

In February 2021, the company, working in the construction sector, contacted Comairco because it wanted to replace 3 air compressors. They had contacted different suppliers to evaluate several submissions. Comairco’s sales and engineering team quickly arranged a meeting at their site.

Since they were not a current Comairco customer, it was important for our team to visit their facilities in order to fully understand their needs. This walk through of their facilities made it possible to showcase our organization and our products and on the top of this offer a global compressed air solution rather than simply replacing compressors. Replacing multiple compressors simultaneously without affecting the customer’s production is quite a large undertaking. We offered a turnkey project which included; a sales portion, an installation portion, training and an energy subsidy.

This multifaceted approach had an immediate effect on the client and his team responsible for this project. However, he still had to put out tender with the project. Comairco, after further review not only assisted with this but took it a step further: the project called for 3 compressors only, however, Comairco also offered an additional compressor & a compressed air dryer to further complement the system. But why this addition of equipment to the submission?

The Comairco engineering team worked with the data from the air audit previously conducted by an external firm and proposed a solution where the energy savings and subsidies were going to be substantial and justified replacing not only the compressors, but also the existing dryer particularly energy intensive. A fourth compressor has been added to the project. This was not originally intended to be replaced. However, the energy savings and simplified management of replacement parts (all compressors would be of the same brand and model, minimizing inventory of replacement parts as well as planning and maintenance), it was easy to make the case that by replacing the fourth compressor would be a very attractive option.

The customized energy efficient solution proposed by Comairco was embraced by the customer. Subsequently, the compressors were quickly ordered from the manufacturer Sullair. During the waiting period for the delivery of the compressors, several steps were taken, in partnership with the customer, the entire installation phase was meticulously planned. A total team effort of coordinating resources provided by Comairco (mechanical installation, ventilation, start-up, training) and those supplied by the customer (electrician, plant mechanic, general plant labour) worked flawlessly.

The work upstream of the installation made it possible to carry out an installation within the required deadlines, 3 days, and this without interrupting production! During the transition period between the two systems, a portable compressor was connected. An additional portable compressor was also provided to ensure total system redundancy in the event of a problem, the best way to ensure no loss of compressed air during this transition process!

Along with the installation, the Comairco team provided training to the maintenance team responsible for the new compressors. In order for these to work optimally, it is important to have a well-trained team to operate them to their full potential! The compressors have also been connected to each other to be able to communicate and better manage their starts and stops.

The primary utility supplier offered subsidies associated with the purchase of compressors. The forms to obtain these subsidies are often long and tedious to complete. Comairco assumed this burden and had included in its offer total support for the obtaining these generous subsidies. So, with an audit carried out over a period of 14 days shortly after the initial start-up, Comairco took care of all the steps necessary to obtain the energy subsidies. The end result was really appreciated by the customer.

Thanks to the new equipment, the customer is now enjoying an 18% reduction in their electricity bill in connection with their new compressed air system (compared to their old compressors). Energy purchase subsidies covered 42% of total project costs. These figures were significant for the customer to move forward with this project!

If you are also thinking of replacing your inefficient compressed air system and possibly have your utility company help pay for it, contact Comairco without delay, a creative solution could be offered to you and unsuspected savings could be there!

Thank you!

May 2022

A large-scale installation that allows substantial savings!

Technical service