VSD compressor reduces energy costs in the handicraft industry

In the handicraft industry, compressed air is utilized as a versatile tool for a variety of crafting and fabrication processes. It powers airbrush systems for intricate paint jobs on materials like ceramics and fabrics, providing a smooth and even application that is essential for detailed decorative work.

Additionally, compressed air is used to operate pneumatic tools which assist in carving, cutting, and shaping materials such as wood and metal, making the process faster and more efficient. The use of compressed air in these tools helps artisans achieve precision and finesse in their work, essential for creating high-quality handicrafts.

This application not only enhances productivity but also helps maintain a clean working environment by using air jets to clear away dust and debris from work surfaces. Every year the handicraft sector produces and exports handicraft worth billions:

• Woodware at Rs. 3,061 crores
• Embroidered & crocheted goods at Rs. 2,334 crores
• Miscellaneous handicrafts at Rs. 3,770 crores
• Hand-printed textiles and scarves at Rs. 1,128 crores
• Imitation jewellery at Rs. 6,850 crores
• Art metal wares at Rs. 1,824 crores

Artisans within the handicraft industry make use of a wide variety of tools powered by compressed air to create their handicraft, ranging from pneumatic guns and sanders to drills, joining machines, CNC, and double-sided planers.

However, the segments of the handicraft industry utilizing such tools in India face multiple challenges including long downtimes, poor reliability, lack of awareness of VSD, multiple installations of air compressors, and often limited access to service support.

A handicraft manufacturer

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The client in question was using three air compressors of another brand in their production facility and facing challenges to gain energy efficiency from the existing compressed air system.

In order to help them, our air experts conducted a flow pattern study to understand their compressed air requirements better and provide the right energy efficient compressed air solutions to address their challenges.

During our study, our air experts understood that the average flow requirement was 300 cfm with a minimum flow requirement of 100 cfm.

This study also provided an important insight related to their fluctuating load patterns. As per our study and subsequent report, our team informed the client about VSD (Variable Speed Drive) technology (VSD air compressor) which is highly recommended in such fluctuating load patterns for high energy efficiency and savings.

The VSD air compressors have the ability to adjust the compressor’s operating speed to match air production to demand in real-time.

Based on the compressed air requirement of the plant, an Atlas Copco GA55 VSD air compressor was recommended which can cater to flow capacity requirements ranging from 55 to 371 cfm.

This air compressor model is capable of completely fulfilling the customer's compressed air requirements with 25% additional energy savings.

In most industrial operations, the demand for compressed air fluctuates, which was the case for our customers.

As such, the VSD air compressor was a match made in heaven. Because VSD compressors only run when needed, they allowed our customer to achieve substantial energy savings - around 3.0 Lacs per year - while also decreasing the sound level and the compressed air temperature at the outlet valve.

As per our suggestion, they also connected their machines to the Atlas Copco SMARTLINK platform. By doing so, they gained access to live key operational data of their compressed air machines translated into clear insights about the machine’s uptime, energy efficiency, and machine health. This allowed them to further increase their energy savings while at the same time achieving optimal efficiency and maximum availability.