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A leading construction equipment manufacturer in India sought a solution to transform its fabrication and machining operations without increasing operational costs or compromising quality standards. The company deployed ELGis air compressors with variable frequency drive (VFD) to effectively address its airflow demands and boost energy efficiency.

The company is a pioneer in manufacturing concrete preparation, placement, transportation, and recycling equipment. They manufacture concrete batching plants, concrete mixers for transporting readymade concrete to construction sites, concrete pumps, truck-mounted concrete boom pumps, concrete-placing booms, tower cranes, self-loading mixers, and concrete recycling plants. The company caters to the requirements of infrastructure developers and also act as an OEM to various cement companies that offer ready mix concrete. 

Customer challenge

One of their manufacturing facilities can produce 600+ concrete boom pumps, 3,600 concrete pumps, 3,000 self-loading mixers, and 2,500 excavators per year in a single-shift operation. The new unit is poised to strengthen their commitment to the Indian market, focusing on meeting the needs of the infrastructure boom in India and exploring the export potential in Asian and African markets. The new facility will focus on new product launches and support the progression of engineered products from the prototype stage to serial production. The company required a reliable and efficient supply of compressed air to meet its ambitious goals.

In concrete batching plants, air compressors play an essential role in producing quality concrete during the batching operation. Complete aggregate, water, and admixture batching happens using pneumatic cylinders and valves; thus, the compressed air supply should be uniform to achieve the desired quality output. Since the batching plant works outdoors, the compressor also is required to work in a dusty atmosphere with minimal operation and maintenance costs.

Role of an air compressor in production 

The compressor output connected to the filter regulator and lubricator unit is connected to solenoid valves, which actuates the cylinder and valves requiring a uniform air pressure of 6-6.5 Bar. Since a compressor is used for complete pneumatic operation in a batching plant, which calls for the highest level of accuracy in batching of ingredients to have uniformity and consistency in concrete, the selection of the air compressor and compressor tank is essential to ensure uniform air pressure throughout the batch cycles. The cut-off and cut-in pressure adjustment through the pressure switch ensures the compressor switches ON/OFF in the desired time, thereby increasing the life of piston/piston seals, which helps maintain the operating cost under control.

The criticality of compressed air elements 

Compressed air is connected through the FRL unit to operate solenoid valves. The compressor should be able to maintain sufficient air pressure throughout the cycle. Since the batching and discharging of materials happen through pneumatic valves and cylinders, proper functioning of the compressor is critical. Hence, selection and performance should be on par for minimal breakdown times and ensure the batching plant's highest possible productivity.

In the case of concrete pumps, a premium product of the company with flat gate valve systems, compressed air is used for the complete cleaning of pipelines at the end of the concrete. In this case, the compressor should be able to produce constant air pressure so that pipelines can be cleaned in minimal time, preventing the setting of concrete inside. Minimum cleaning helps achieve minimum operation time and reduces overall maintenance costs.

Solution

The client first teamed up with ELGi in 2012 to deploy reliable, high-speed, economical, and energy-efficient air compressors. The leading concrete equipment manufacturer was looking at solutions to transform their critical fabrication and machining operations without increasing operational costs or sacrificing the high-quality standards they are reputed for. The compressed air would be used for the fastening process, surface preparation, painting, cleaning, cutting and boring machines, and short blasting in the assembly area.

Designed to offer great efficiency, productivity, and ease of use, ELGis air compressors met the customer needs on three grounds: performance, reliability, and maintenance. It provided compressed air on demand for better longevity and worked perfectly during busy day-to-day operations. From air intake to air pressurisation and air release, it offered a quiet and emission-free operation. By delivering the best-in-class reliability in the batching plant, ELGi's air compressors enabled precise operational concrete automation and ensured a quicker turnaround.

Customer benefits 

• The deployment of air compressors with variable frequency drive (VFD) addressed the company's varying airflow demands with high energy efficiency, reducing runtime by two hours and unloading hours by eight hours in a day.
• The ELGi 75HP air compressor helped to save 322 kW/hour energy per day, translating into a significant cost saving of Rs 2,898 per day. 
• The VFD installations optimised air flow by varying the compressor's motor speed according to air demand, thus saving energy costs, unlike fixed-speed compressors.
• The VFDs transformed air compressors, traditionally known as power guzzlers, into energy-efficient equipment, bringing down energy costs by as much as 10-15 per cent.

Conclusion

The partnership with ELGi has enabled the customer to focus on enhancing energy efficiency across its production workflow, minimising its carbon emissions, and boosting profitability.