Page 5 - Industrial Technology Extra 12th October 2020

axis CNC centres each month, products destined
for a wide variety of industry sectors and
projects. The components can be as varied as
metal fittings for stairlift equipment assembly,
corner fixings for airport lighting systems, or
essential aluminium parts for architectural
fenestration systems.

Essential air supply
To maintain this versatile output, Fabricon
Design operates an investment strategy of
continually upgrading to the latest developments
in CNC milling machines. But, to fully exploit
equipment capability, a reliable and adequate
supply of compressed air must always be
available as an integral part of the machines’
operation.
The air supply is required to operate the
clamps and valves on the CNC machines as well
as provide motive power for a battery of auto
saws. At the same time, compressed air is used
to control equipment temperature during dry
cutting procedures.
This air requirement became even more
critical when new production equipment was
installed. As Fabricon Design’s compliance savings with a 5-year payback from an upgrade
manager, Rebecca Lee-Panton explains: “We plan recommending a new compressed air system.
needed to replace the existing old, fixed-speed The installation would include an Atlas Copco GA15
11kW compressor because it didn’t have sufficient VSD+FF rotary screw compressor with integral
capacity to meet the demands from the new CNC refrigerant dryer, together with a 900 litre-air
machinery. We studied the compressor market, and receiver, quality air and condensate treatment
invited Atlas Copco to come to the site, look at our ancillaries. It also advised a modification to the
existing installation, monitor the system’s distribution pipework system to form a complete
performance and report back with their ring main, connecting two manufacturing areas with
recommendations.” new AirNet pipework, in order to improve air
pressure and flow throughout the workplace.
The upgrade plan Rebecca Lee-Panton stressed that the integrated
A week-long iiTrak study of the regular compressed dryer feature of the GA machine was particularly
air usage pattern revealed the need for the existing significant: “The air supply needs to be bone dry
compressor's replacement and its relegation to when in contact with electrical equipment to
standby duty. Calculations indicated long term prevent any potential corrosion problems.”

October 2020 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA • p5