An Ohio tool and die company worked with DIRECTAIR® to improve compressed air efficiency for energy savings.

Kuttler Machine, an Ohio-based tool and die manufacturer, struggled with significant downtime and quality issues due to its air compressors.

The company operated three rotary screw air compressors for its sand blasting operation. One unit was a 100 HP no-load unit, and the other two units were 75 HP modulating compressors. During operations, all three units operated continuously, significantly increasing energy costs. In addition, water in the system contributed to the problems.

After conducting an air audit to better understand the issue and manufacturing requirements, the OTC Industrial Technologies team recommended switching to a compressed air as a utility solution, DIRECTAIR^®. In the process, the service would replace the older air compressor units and monitor usage.

The new system used two Atlas Copco GA90 125 HP rotary screw air compressors, one variable speed drive (VSD) and one fixed speed unit. With both units managed by DIRECTAIR^® the new energy-efficient units with better controls and monitoring would reduce energy usage and improve uptime and reliability.

With the installation of DIRECTAIR^® monitoring and the new Atlas Copco units, Kuttler Machine now has a guaranteed supply of compressed air that matches its requirements and needs at the lowest possible cost. The water causing the downtime and quality issues has been eliminated. Overall, the new system has significantly reduced energy use.

The DIRECTAIR^® service provided Kuttler Machine $22,000 in energy savings. In addition, its energy company provided an additional $22,000 reimbursement for the energy efficiency improvement, doubling the first-year savings from the solution.