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eport<br />

A Magazine for the Production Industry 2/12<br />

Dolphin-friendly<br />

Compressed air for offshore noise protection<br />

In the spotlight:<br />

Bergisches Land<br />

High tech<br />

with history<br />

Compressed air for Delphi<br />

Sigma Air Utility<br />

in Wuppertal<br />

Picard: Hard as steel<br />

Durable tools<br />

from Remscheid<br />

Interroll<br />

Conveying systems<br />

made in Wermelskirchen


2<br />

Editorial<br />

<strong>report</strong><br />

Contents Issue 2/12<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com<br />

4-7<br />

8-11<br />

16-19<br />

3 Editorial<br />

4 Car parts aplenty<br />

In the spotlight: Bergisches Land<br />

Wuppertal – Car parts made by Delphi<br />

8 This sheet won’t blow away!<br />

In the spotlight: Bergisches Land<br />

Remscheid – Durable tools made by C.A. Picard<br />

12 On a roll<br />

In the spotlight: Bergisches Land<br />

Wermelskirchen – Conveying systems from Interroll<br />

15 Proper planning cuts costs<br />

Compressed air for automotive workshops<br />

16 Shhhh!<br />

Mobilair 350 provides noise protection for marine mammals<br />

20 High-tech tubing<br />

Compressed air and vacuum at Uniwell<br />

22 News<br />

DHS air main charging system<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren at the 25th international<br />

Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology trade<br />

show: SMM 2012<br />

23 Mobilair 31 with PE enclosure<br />

Imprint:<br />

Publisher: KAESER KOMPRESSOREN AG<br />

Editors: Klaus D. Bätz<br />

Translation: Context Marketing, Canada<br />

Photographer: Marcel Hunger<br />

Print: Schneider Printmedien GmbH, Weidhausen<br />

Reproduction, even in part, is only allowed with the written permission of KAESER KOMPRESSOREN.


Compressed air audit for long-term success<br />

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The<br />

same applies to sophisticated compressed air systems<br />

comprising multiple compressors, dryers, filters, master<br />

control systems, heat recovery, intake and exhaust air<br />

systems and much more. Optimisation of individual<br />

components does not necessarily result in optimisation<br />

of the system as a whole. This can be realised only by<br />

taking a systematic approach, by performing detailed<br />

analysis of every component and examining how they<br />

interact with one another.<br />

The aims of a compressed air system audit are to<br />

maximise uptime, reduce total operating costs (energy,<br />

service and maintenance costs) and to define the optimum<br />

compressed air volume and required compressed<br />

air quality for the given application. To achieve these<br />

objectives, it is necessary to identify potential for improvement<br />

and to understand what measures need to<br />

be taken in order to make those improvements a reality.<br />

The first step is to assess the current situation. This<br />

consists of an inspection of the compressed air station<br />

during which the installation and piping plans are<br />

documented. Any potential for improvement is also duly<br />

noted (for example, lack of heat recovery, no master<br />

control system, insufficient intake and / or exhaust air).<br />

The second step is to measure the actual compressed<br />

Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing.<br />

Thomas <strong>Kaeser</strong><br />

Chairman,<br />

Managing Board<br />

Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing.<br />

Tina-Maria Vlantoussi-<strong>Kaeser</strong><br />

Managing Board<br />

<strong>report</strong><br />

air demand at various times using advanced ADA<br />

(Air Demand Analysis) data loggers. In most cases,<br />

a representative demand profile can be produced by<br />

conducting an analysis over ten days of typical business<br />

operations.<br />

The third step is to evaluate the efficiency of the station<br />

using <strong>Kaeser</strong>’s specialised KESS (<strong>Kaeser</strong> Energy Saving<br />

System) software. This valuable tool makes specific<br />

recommendations regarding the most suitable machine<br />

configuration. The results of the audit regularly determine<br />

average energy savings of thirty percent – often<br />

even more.<br />

The fourth step is to generate a concrete action plan<br />

that outlines the best solution for minimising energy<br />

consumption and maximising uptime for the recommended<br />

machine configuration.<br />

Once complete, these efforts result in more air, more<br />

savings and maximum uptime.<br />

Technical innovation and an ‘in the field’ approach to<br />

achieving real-world customer benefits are amongst the<br />

most important drivers to ensure long-term business<br />

growth as the basis for sustainable economic wellbeing<br />

for all.<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 3


The German headquarters of one of the world’s elite automotive parts suppliers, Delphi, is located<br />

in Wuppertal-Elberfeld. <strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren recently provided a contract compressed air station<br />

designed to supply compressed air for the development and manufacturing facilities fronted by the<br />

ultramodern office building at the site.<br />

In the spotlight: Bergisches Land, Wuppertal – Compressed air for Delphi<br />

Car parts aplenty<br />

In 1994, American carmaker General<br />

Motors merged its entire component<br />

manufacturing activities into a single<br />

entity called the Auto Components<br />

Group. In 1995, the name was changed<br />

to Delphi Automotive Systems, and in<br />

1999 the business unit went public as<br />

an independent company.<br />

Development and manufacturing<br />

in Wuppertal<br />

Delphi Deutschland’s headquarters<br />

was once the site of the<br />

long-established Wuppertalbased<br />

company Kabelwerke<br />

Reinshagen. This is<br />

where Delphi conducts<br />

some of its R&D, primarily<br />

in the field of automotive<br />

electrics and<br />

electronics, an ever increasingly<br />

important<br />

sector for systems integrators<br />

and subassembly<br />

suppliers. The proliferation<br />

of digital technology in cars<br />

is driving demand for components<br />

and networking into<br />

previously unheard-of territory.<br />

Starting with safety systems such as<br />

ABS, ESC, autonomous cruise control<br />

or automatic emergency braking, driver<br />

assistance systems such as road sign<br />

recognition, lane departure warning or<br />

lane change assistance or driver awareness<br />

systems, the list goes on and on.<br />

More and more vehicle, entertainment<br />

and information features are now networked<br />

via the Internet, and many carmakers<br />

are buying complete solutions,<br />

which they then integrate seamlessly<br />

into the rest of the car. This includes onboard<br />

networks or wire harnesses that<br />

are not only increasingly complex, but<br />

are becoming heavier and heavier, eas-<br />

ily weighing in at 50 kg for a mediumsized<br />

vehicle.<br />

Quite often we are talking about what<br />

at first glance seem to be very ordinary<br />

components, in spite of all this complexity.<br />

Take seals, for example. After<br />

all, the ubiquitous electronic parts are<br />

not located centrally on a circuit board<br />

in a cosy environment; instead, they are<br />

installed on wheels and axles, exposed<br />

to the heat of the engine block and exhaust<br />

system or the icy chill of winter<br />

winds hitting the fast-moving car. In<br />

spite of all these hazards, every single<br />

device, sensor or actuator must remain<br />

reliably connected under all operating<br />

conditions, sending and receiving data<br />

with 100% accuracy and remaining<br />

equally reliably connected to its power<br />

supply – and of course over the entire<br />

span of the vehicle’s many years of operation<br />

and the hundreds of thousands<br />

of kilometres it travels.<br />

So, if they are to continuously do their<br />

job of sending and receiving without<br />

being impacted by external factors, not<br />

only must the quality of the wires and<br />

connections be first class, but so too<br />

must the ports through which the wires<br />

run. Each of these openings – in the<br />

floor panel, the bulkhead between the<br />

engine and car interior, and the doors,<br />

etc. – requires a precisely fitted seal.<br />

Hatches battened<br />

The shape of these seals varies widely<br />

depending on the job to be done, as<br />

do the properties of the material used.<br />

They are made using a two-component<br />

silicon production process at Delphi’s<br />

Delphi’s Wuppertal headquarters is<br />

home to both the main development<br />

centre and a production plant.<br />

4 Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 5


second production facility at the Wuppertal<br />

site. The seals are automatically<br />

produced from special silicon blends in<br />

all colours of the rainbow on injection<br />

moulding machines packed closely together.<br />

Some seals are subsequently<br />

deburred in huge tumbling machines.<br />

This is where the main air take-off point<br />

for a new compressor station is located<br />

and where three <strong>Kaeser</strong> ASD 57 rotary<br />

screw compressors do their job. The<br />

compressed air they generate passes<br />

to three TD76 <strong>Kaeser</strong> energy-saving<br />

refrigeration dryers and on to an air receiver<br />

which acts as a buffer. From there<br />

it flows via the air distribution network<br />

to the air consumers that use the air for<br />

work, control and cleaning applications.<br />

Delphi buys the compressed air at<br />

a fixed price. The compressed air<br />

station itself is operated by <strong>Kaeser</strong><br />

Kompressoren under the terms of a<br />

Sigma Air Utility contract. The user,<br />

Delphi, is guaranteed availability of the<br />

most energy efficient and reliable compressed<br />

air supply possible at all times.<br />

Furthermore, this type of agreement<br />

saves money. Delphi has no investment<br />

costs other than the floor space required<br />

and no associated assets to book on<br />

the balance sheet. The cost of the compressed<br />

air purchased under the fixed<br />

price contract can immediately be written<br />

off as an operating expense. And the<br />

icing on the cake: The company needs<br />

no staff to operate the station, enabling<br />

it to focus on its core competencies. It<br />

goes without saying that <strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren<br />

looks after all maintenance<br />

and service, true to the promise <strong>Kaeser</strong><br />

makes to its customers: More air, more<br />

savings.<br />

Author: Klaus Dieter Bätz<br />

Contact: klaus-dieter.baetz@kaeser.com<br />

The new compressed air station mainly supplies the many<br />

automated silicon seal moulding machines.


8<br />

In the spotlight: Bergisches Land, Remscheid – Compressed air for C.A. Picard<br />

This sheet won’t blow away!<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com<br />

Fit for the future –<br />

a Bergisches Land tradition:<br />

What started as a small<br />

grinding mill on the banks of<br />

the Morsbach River is now<br />

a global enterprise offering<br />

durable machine tools, extrusion<br />

systems and associated<br />

services.<br />

Ironworking is deeply rooted in the history<br />

of Bergisches Land. The same goes<br />

for the Morsbach River valley. Since the<br />

late Middle Ages, the region has hosted<br />

countless water-driven grinding mills<br />

that were once used to put the finishing<br />

touches on the iron and steel tools<br />

forged using local ore and coal, mostly<br />

under contract, before being sent on<br />

their way. The river itself flows between<br />

the Remscheid district of Hasten and<br />

Cronenberg in Germany to the Wupper<br />

River – the lifeline of Bergisches Land –<br />

forming the border between Remscheid<br />

and the Wupper valley (avid readers<br />

may remember that this district became<br />

a borough of Wuppertal in 1929, and is<br />

also where machine-tool maker Stahlwille<br />

is situated – ref. <strong>Kaeser</strong> Report<br />

1/2009).<br />

Carl-August Picard was amongst those<br />

who operated a grinding mill here in the<br />

mid-nineteenth century. He was so successful<br />

in fact that he soon began buying<br />

up adjacent grinding mills. His company<br />

eventually became a renowned global<br />

player, yet remains privately owned and<br />

firmly rooted in Bergisches Land. The<br />

unfaltering high quality of the company’s<br />

products and services has made it<br />

one of the best-in-class internationally.<br />

One type of product Remscheid-Hasten<br />

Durable machine tools and moulds<br />

are Remscheid-Hasten-based C.A.<br />

Picard’s specialty.<br />

is known for in particular is durable<br />

machine-tool components for the limesandstone<br />

industry and for foundries.<br />

Others include stamping tools with<br />

unique properties and wear characteristics<br />

and press tools for the electronics<br />

industry, all of which guarantee users<br />

reliability and production uptime they<br />

can count on.<br />

Fit for the future:<br />

The founder’s spirit can be sensed in<br />

every factory workshop. This was clearly<br />

evident the minute we entered the<br />

plant with Lutz Pflugrad, the Energy and<br />

Technical Procurement Manager. We<br />

see a young lady concentrating intensely<br />

to move glowing metal components<br />

from an annealing oven into a quench<br />

bath using a push rod, and evidently<br />

satisfied she is able to perform the task<br />

perfectly every time under the watchful<br />

gaze of her teacher.<br />

“Well you know, that’s just the way we<br />

do things here,” says Lutz Pflugrad.<br />

“Sales apprentices should learn about<br />

manufacturing. Knowing what goes on<br />

there strengthens ties to the company<br />

as a whole.”<br />

Granted, only small, specially shaped<br />

tools are hardened in the particular annealing<br />

ovens installed here. Larger<br />

components are hardened in automated<br />

annealing ovens and are subsequently<br />

oil or air quenched.<br />

We also notice gas flames flicker behind<br />

the small metal oven; it’s a flare of residual<br />

gas. Semi-finished iron products<br />

are hardened here by adding carbon<br />

in a gas-fired oven to make them suitable<br />

for their particular application later<br />

on. These ovens are part of a high-tech<br />

manufacturing system, with sophisticated<br />

sealing and cooling systems for the<br />

mechanical turning equipment.<br />

After walking only a few steps through<br />

the factory, it becomes quite clear that<br />

considerable expertise and decades of<br />

experience are embedded in this sheet<br />

steel by the time it has reached the final<br />

stage of manufacture and has the<br />

right shape and surface finish. Just so<br />

that there is no misunderstanding: The<br />

sheet steel we are talking about here is<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 9


The compressed air station is<br />

installed in a production room and<br />

supplies air on a contracting basis<br />

for the factory’s equipment, including<br />

grinding centres that have their<br />

own air receivers (right).<br />

up to three or four centimetres (1 1/8 to<br />

1 1/2 inches) thick.<br />

Some stress relief please!<br />

The supplied sheets, which come as<br />

plates directly from the rolling mill, must<br />

first be relieved of the inevitable tension<br />

induced by the rolling process. Plates<br />

still under tension are dimensionally<br />

unstable and can therefore not be used<br />

as stock to be shaped in forges and<br />

presses.<br />

Straightening machines that can take<br />

thicknesses up to 3.1 millimetres (just<br />

under 1/8 inch) are used to relieve<br />

stress, but human experience is still<br />

needed when they turn out the work<br />

pieces. Only a trained specialist can determine<br />

whether the sheet steel emerging<br />

from the machine is actually stressfree.<br />

Thicker plates must still be handled<br />

manually. This work is done in the manual<br />

straightening area, where highly experienced<br />

personnel use special tools<br />

to hammer out the tension in the steel<br />

plates on anvils, exactly the same way<br />

it was done when the company was<br />

founded. Automated systems that can<br />

replace the knowledge and expertise<br />

these specialists have are yet to be developed.<br />

Moreover, the same applies to the operators<br />

of the wide variety of grinding<br />

centres. This is where the sheet steel receives<br />

its specified surface finish before<br />

final processing. Some of the grinding<br />

centres operate according to principles<br />

that were borrowed from particleboard<br />

manufacturing systems. The work piece<br />

is shifted back and forth under the compressed<br />

air driven grinder to make it as<br />

smooth as possible. These systems are<br />

amongst those that use the largest volume<br />

of compressed air, which is why<br />

they come with their own top-mounted<br />

air receiver. And when the sheet steel<br />

leaves the grinder, it’s time once again<br />

for the traditional Bergisches Land human<br />

touch. No machine can emulate<br />

the expertise required to simultaneously<br />

clean the grinding oil off the sheets and<br />

examine the quality of the grinding work<br />

using trained eyes and hands.<br />

Compressed air is everywhere<br />

– and economical thanks to<br />

contracting<br />

Whether the application be hardening,<br />

grinding, milling or assembling<br />

– nothing works without compressed<br />

air. That’s why compressed air is at<br />

the heart of all of the action. The new<br />

compressed air station is situated right<br />

beside the hardening shop. Three ASK<br />

47-T <strong>Kaeser</strong> rotary screw compressors<br />

with integrated energy-saving refrigeration<br />

dryers deliver compressed air to the<br />

facility. Because they replaced a number<br />

of old compressors, the capacity of<br />

which no longer met requirements, a<br />

number of critics voiced concerns about<br />

higher powered compressors generating<br />

more noise than the existing ones.<br />

These fears were quickly allayed however<br />

by the super-silent performance<br />

of the <strong>Kaeser</strong> units. In fact, the background<br />

noise from the adjacent factory<br />

workshops is significantly louder than<br />

the almost inaudible compressed air<br />

providers. <strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren owns<br />

and operates the station – which is<br />

controlled by a Sigma Air Manager for<br />

maximum energy efficiency – under the<br />

terms of a Sigma Air Utility contract and<br />

delivers the omnipresent and essential<br />

compressed air as transparently as<br />

possible.<br />

Because the user receives air under the<br />

terms of <strong>Kaeser</strong>’s contracting service,<br />

there are no upfront costs – in this case,<br />

not even for a dedicated building – and<br />

no assets to be booked on the balance<br />

sheet. Better still, the compressed air<br />

costs represent an immediate tax writeoff.<br />

A further advantage is that the user<br />

does not need to allocate valuable resources<br />

for system maintenance and<br />

operation. Last, but not least, it is in the<br />

contracting service provider’s best interests<br />

to ensure that the compressed air<br />

system operates as efficiently and reliably<br />

as possible.<br />

Author: Klaus Dieter Bätz<br />

Contact: klaus-dieter.baetz@kaeser.com<br />

Stress-relieving of thicker plates is<br />

still carried out manually<br />

10 Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 11


A new <strong>Kaeser</strong> compressed air<br />

station ensures that everything<br />

rolls smoothly at Interroll in<br />

Wermelskirchen<br />

On a<br />

roll<br />

In the spotlight: Bergisches Land, Wermelskirchen –<br />

Compressed air for Interroll<br />

Interroll is one of the world’s leading suppliers of key internal<br />

logistics and automation products for applications in food<br />

processing, airport logistics, postal services and many other<br />

sectors.<br />

Almost everyone comes across Interroll<br />

conveying products on a daily basis,<br />

without even knowing it. Whether you<br />

are placing milk, bread, cheese, sausages<br />

or tomatoes on the belt<br />

at your local grocer’s<br />

checkout counter,<br />

empties<br />

for recycling<br />

on the roller conveyor or your bags on<br />

the belt when checking in at the airport,<br />

the conveyor is most likely made by<br />

Interroll. Internal logistics systems used<br />

to move tools, semi-finished goods and<br />

components from one work station to<br />

another are yet another Interroll specialty.<br />

The company can also offer “that bit<br />

more” when it comes to goods conveying,<br />

as evidenced by the fact that the<br />

drum motors Interroll manufacturers<br />

to drive the conveyor belts have diameters<br />

up to 800 mm (about 30 inches)<br />

and are rated as high as 132 kW (about<br />

100 HP). They start at 113 mm and<br />

0.18 kW respectively. In other words,<br />

Interroll products are not only used to<br />

move small parts, modules and containers<br />

in say the food industry or electronic<br />

goods manufacturing sectors, but also<br />

in the automotive industry. The products<br />

made in Wermelskirchen, Germany,<br />

and Interroll’s other worldwide facilities<br />

are generally classified as “conveyor<br />

belts”.<br />

And just like compressed air systems for<br />

large factories, transportation systems<br />

used in manufacturing can only be effective<br />

and efficient if they are a) individually<br />

tailored to suit the application and<br />

12 Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 13


) designed, planned, manufactured<br />

and installed as a complete system.<br />

No wonder Interroll relies extensively<br />

on vertical integration with individual<br />

manufacturing facilities specialising in<br />

clearly defined product categories.<br />

For example, the factory in Wermelskirchen,<br />

the small town in the Bergisches<br />

Land region of Germany where<br />

the company was founded, primarily<br />

makes the rollers that are synonymous<br />

with the company’s name, from both<br />

light alloys and plastics. These rollers<br />

are then used in other operations areas<br />

to provide the basis for a whole host of<br />

conveying and transportation solutions.<br />

Manufacturing is largely mechanised<br />

and automated, and the work is done<br />

in bright, spacious, recently renovated<br />

and expanded plants. Sophisticated<br />

machining centres, most of which were<br />

developed in-house and built to the production<br />

engineers’ specifications (as is<br />

almost always the case in such situations)<br />

work quickly to cut, shape and<br />

flange the raw materials.<br />

The cycle of these machines determines<br />

the facility’s compressed air<br />

demand, which is now met by a new<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong> compressed air station. Four<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong> rotary screw compressors are<br />

installed in a dedicated building constructed<br />

during the recent modernisation<br />

program. Three ASD 37 (22 kW)<br />

compressors and an ASK 27 (15 kW)<br />

unit deliver air to a TE 141 series energy-saving<br />

refrigeration dryer for treatment<br />

before it enters the compressed<br />

air network via a 2000-litre air receiver.<br />

The Sigma Air Manager 4/4 master<br />

control system ensures that all of the<br />

components within the compressed air<br />

station operate in harmony and deliver<br />

maximum efficiency at all times. Moreover,<br />

the exceptional performance of the<br />

new compressed air system has helped<br />

achieve annual energy cost savings in<br />

the five figure range compared with the<br />

previously installed equipment.<br />

From a humble garage to the<br />

rest of the world<br />

Founded in a garage in Wermelskirchen,<br />

Bergisches Land, Germany, the company,<br />

which now boasts 1,500 employees<br />

and a global network of development,<br />

Interroll products are ubiquitous – although not always<br />

immediately noticeable<br />

manufacturing and sales expertise, is<br />

a world market leader in the materials<br />

handling market. Interroll is listed on<br />

Switzerland’s SIX Swiss Exchange.<br />

What began with the making of small<br />

injection-moulded rollers in the garage<br />

of the company’s founders, Hans<br />

vom Stein and Dieter Specht (who<br />

were 22 and 23 years old respectively<br />

at the time), grew to become a global<br />

enterprise with over 23,000 customers<br />

throughout the world. The company<br />

mainly supplies conveying systems<br />

components to regional systems<br />

manufacturers and OEMs and delivers<br />

modules and subsystems to numerous<br />

international companies. In the internal<br />

logistics arena, Interroll focuses on the<br />

food industry, airport logistics, courier,<br />

express and postal service companies,<br />

logistics service providers, as well as<br />

other industry sectors.<br />

Author: Klaus Dieter Bätz<br />

Contact: klaus-dieter.baetz@kaeser.com


Proper planning<br />

cuts costs<br />

Compressed air for automotive workshops<br />

Inflating tyres, changing wheels, car body work, painting<br />

– without compressed air, an automotive workshop comes<br />

to a standstill. Reason enough to closely examine the compressed<br />

air supply and make sure it meets the shop’s needs.<br />

Compressed air accounts for the lion’s<br />

share of energy costs in any workshop<br />

setting, regardless of how it is generated.<br />

Therefore, in view of continuously<br />

soaring energy prices, compressor<br />

and air treatment system efficiency is a<br />

key consideration, alongside reliability,<br />

when choosing the right compressed<br />

air solution for your needs.<br />

Needless to say, the volume and quality<br />

of the air required are determining<br />

factors for the compressed air supply<br />

system. Rotary screw compressors are<br />

the best choice for applications that require<br />

high quality compressed air; for<br />

example, for painting. If necessary, they<br />

can be operated at full load around the<br />

clock, unlike reciprocating compressors.<br />

And thanks to modern controllers<br />

like the Sigma Control 2, rotary screw<br />

compressors also operate efficiently at<br />

partial load.<br />

However, workshops that require more<br />

sporadic use of smaller volumes of<br />

compressed air, for tasks such as inflating<br />

tyres, changing wheels and car<br />

body work, are better served by stationary<br />

reciprocating compressors such<br />

as <strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren’s Eurocomp<br />

series.<br />

Compressor sizing<br />

Different rules apply when sizing a<br />

rotary screw compressor and a reciprocating<br />

compressor for an identical<br />

compressed air demand. For example,<br />

a <strong>Kaeser</strong> SX 6 rotary screw compressor<br />

with a rated motor power of 4 kW and<br />

a free air delivery of 480 l/min at 10 bar<br />

(optimum duty cycle: 100%) would be<br />

suitable to cover an assumed compressed<br />

air demand of 475 l/min.<br />

If a reciprocating compressor was to<br />

be used, a <strong>Kaeser</strong> EPC 1100-500 with<br />

a rated motor power of 5.5 kW would<br />

be suitable. Due to its optimum duty<br />

cycle of 70% its displacement capacity<br />

of 715 l/min would meet the required<br />

compressed air demand of 475 l/min<br />

(475/0.7 = 678.6).<br />

Compact and ready to use<br />

Complete packages are attractive for<br />

compressed air demands between<br />

300 and just over 1000 l/min. <strong>Kaeser</strong><br />

Aircenter packages, which comprise a<br />

rotary screw compressor, refrigeration<br />

dryer and an air receiver, save significant<br />

effort and expense when it comes<br />

to design, planning and installation.<br />

Because Aircenter packages have an<br />

exceptionally compact footprint, there<br />

is always a niche somewhere on site<br />

where they can generate, treat and<br />

store compressed air. The reciprocating<br />

compressor equivalent of an Aircenter is<br />

the Airbox Center package.<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong>’s Easy-fit-System is a preassembled<br />

package that combines a rotary<br />

screw compressor, refrigeration<br />

dryer and 150 L to 500 L internally coated<br />

Easy-fit air receiver. All valves are<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong> offers a wide range<br />

of application-tailored reciprocating<br />

compressors for automotive<br />

workshops<br />

preassembled and leak tested. The<br />

package also includes two precisely<br />

fitting hoses.<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 15


16<br />

Shhhh!<br />

Mobilair 350 provides noise protection for marine mammals<br />

Offshore wind farms play a valuable role in the so-called energy shift.<br />

However construction of the wind turbines, which are over 150 metres tall, can have a serious<br />

impact on sound-sensitive marine wildlife due to the noise associated with pile-driving work for the<br />

foundations. This is where compressed air, and a lot of it, is making a real difference.<br />

Close to 30 German wind farms have<br />

now been approved for construction<br />

and countless others are in the planning<br />

stages. Standard practice in Germany,<br />

unlike other European countries, is to<br />

build the systems far out to sea in re-<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com<br />

gions where the water is very deep. This<br />

requires driving steel piles into the seabed<br />

for the foundations. The aim is to<br />

minimise the noise generated during the<br />

construction phase of these offshore<br />

wind farms in order to better protect ma-<br />

rine wildlife, particularly porpoises (harbour<br />

porpoise). Porpoises can hear frequencies<br />

between 1 and 150 kHz and<br />

use ultrasound to navigate.<br />

The sound waves produced by the piledriving<br />

operations for the wind turbine<br />

foundations can disorient the creatures<br />

and permanently damage their hearing.<br />

Up until now, there was no truly effective<br />

noise mitigation method that could<br />

be suitably integrated into this sophisticated<br />

approach to installation, which<br />

is particular to Germany. To obtain construction<br />

approval in other European<br />

countries that have already installed<br />

major wind farms off their coasts, builders<br />

need only use various temporary<br />

measures to keep the marine mammals<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 17


at bay during construction. For example,<br />

buoys equipped with sonar (pingers)<br />

emit acoustic signals prior to installing<br />

foundations and allegedly keep the marine<br />

mammals away. Observers monitor<br />

the construction areas and check the<br />

effectiveness of the buoys.<br />

Sound-protection with bubbling<br />

Since air bubbles reduce the propagation<br />

speed and intensity of sound waves<br />

in water, bubble curtains surrounding<br />

the pile-driving operations can effectively<br />

mitigate noise propagating to the<br />

surrounding area. Weyres-Offshore<br />

technicians onboard a special vessel<br />

place compressed air hoses around the<br />

underwater construction site. <strong>Kaeser</strong><br />

M 350 series portable compressors installed<br />

onboard pump compressed air<br />

into the hoses lying on the seabed. The<br />

compressed air escapes from holes<br />

along the entire length of the hoses, creating<br />

a curtain of air bubbles that forms<br />

an effective acoustic barrier for sound<br />

waves.<br />

The Weyres-Offshore system was tested<br />

for the first time in September 2011<br />

during installation of the met mast for<br />

the North Sea East project. Prepara-<br />

tions are currently underway to construct<br />

48 foundations for this project.<br />

Weyres-Offshore owns two vessels,<br />

Beka-3 and Jestan-5, each equipped<br />

with two 1,100-metre long bubble curtain<br />

hoses. The hoses are pressurised<br />

prior to installation. Four of <strong>Kaeser</strong>`s<br />

new Mobilair 350 portable compressors<br />

are installed aboard each ship<br />

and deliver thirty-four cubic metres of<br />

compressed air per minute at 8.6 bar<br />

gauge to each system. The airend, with<br />

energy-saving Sigma Profile rotors, is<br />

driven via a loss-free direct coupling by<br />

a Mercedes-Benz diesel engine with a<br />

Weyres-Offshore makes the<br />

compressed air hose reels in<br />

Daleiden/Eifel, Germany. The<br />

M350 compressors were installed<br />

on Beka-3 in early summer<br />

(bottom and right)<br />

rated power of 260 kW at 1650 RPM.<br />

This engine also features low carbon<br />

emissions technology and an exhaust<br />

scrubber equipped with an SCR catalytic<br />

converter, which means that it is already<br />

compliant with the COM 3B emission<br />

standard.<br />

The bubble curtain can be activated as<br />

soon as the gigantic self-elevating working<br />

platform known as a jackup vessel<br />

is firmly standing on its movable legs,<br />

which on modern rigs can reach down<br />

to the seabed up to seventy-five metres<br />

below. After the pile-driving operations<br />

have been completed, the equipment<br />

can be hauled back into the vessel without<br />

disrupting any of the wind farm’s<br />

other construction operations.<br />

Prepared by: Weyres-Offshore/<br />

Klaus Dieter Bätz<br />

Contact: Klaus-Dieter.Baetz@<strong>Kaeser</strong>.com<br />

10 18 Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 11 19


High-tech tubing<br />

Compressed air and vacuum at Uniwell<br />

Uniwell Rohrsysteme GmbH &<br />

Co. KG develops and manufactures<br />

high-quality cable<br />

protection and fluid handling<br />

systems for the automotive<br />

industry and the mechanical<br />

OEM and plant engineering<br />

sector.<br />

Just north of the former Lower Franconian<br />

county town of Ebern, in a rural<br />

setting on the eastern border of the<br />

Haßberge region, lies a spick-and-span<br />

industrial operation which at first glance<br />

seems as unassuming as its products.<br />

The latter, although largely invisible, can<br />

be found in anything to do with cars and<br />

in many household appliances, from the<br />

washing machine to the coffee machine.<br />

And even when you can see them, for<br />

instance hand-held shower hoses or the<br />

lines to the wash basin tap, it’s hard to<br />

believe the sophisticated manufacturing<br />

technology that is embedded in these<br />

products.<br />

One look inside the Uniwell facility is<br />

enough to convince anyone - the variety<br />

of multi-faceted products that can be<br />

created, almost like magic, from thermoplastics<br />

is simply amazing.<br />

That the cable protection and fluid handling<br />

systems cover a vast number of<br />

applications is reflected in their shape<br />

and design. It would be impossible to<br />

make them without an equally diverse<br />

array of custom-designed production<br />

processes. The latter have one thing in<br />

common though – they require a lot of<br />

air and vacuum.<br />

The lion’s share of the compressed<br />

air literally flows “into the tube”, which<br />

would not even exist without the supporting<br />

effect of compressed air. In simple<br />

terms, the air presses the walls of<br />

the more or less endless hollow body<br />

that emerges from the extruder nozzle<br />

against the contour of the tool, thus<br />

creating the desired shape. Where it<br />

becomes really interesting is wherever<br />

the tubes or hoses require complex multiple<br />

layers, reinforced walls, enormous<br />

electrical insulation capabilities or noncircular<br />

cross-sections.<br />

All the products are subject to the strictest<br />

quality specifications, from stability<br />

under load and the ability to maintain<br />

their shape, right down to the durability<br />

of the labelling.<br />

The input material for all products ranges<br />

from extrudable polymer granulates<br />

to high-temperature materials. In order<br />

to meet more stringent material specifications<br />

related to UV stability, fire protection<br />

and electrical insulation characteristics<br />

(e-/hybrid cars), as well as to<br />

improve environmental properties, Uniwell<br />

constantly develops new recipes<br />

that are subjected to rigorous testing.<br />

A new compressed air station, recently<br />

installed during a major expansion<br />

of the manufacturing facility, includes<br />

three <strong>Kaeser</strong> rotary/vacuum blowers<br />

that work tirelessly to reliably convey<br />

the granulate to the extrusion systems.<br />

The raw material, driven by vacuum,<br />

flows into the respective extruder line<br />

reservoirs, where compressed air mixes<br />

it one more time to ensure that it flows<br />

as evenly as possible during production.<br />

Compressed air and vacuum<br />

from two combination stations<br />

The rapid growth of the company,<br />

which was founded in 1990, is clearly<br />

evident from the various construction<br />

phases in the manufacturing and storage<br />

halls – plus the fact that a second<br />

compressed air station, complete with<br />

vacuum systems, had to be added to<br />

upgrade the production facility’s existing<br />

compressed air system. In the new station,<br />

three <strong>Kaeser</strong> ASD 47 rotary screw<br />

compressors deliver compressed air to<br />

two energy-saving TE 141 refrigeration<br />

dryers for treatment before it is temporarily<br />

stored in a 2000-litre air receiver.<br />

Three <strong>Kaeser</strong> BB68c vacuum blowers<br />

generate the vacuum required to convey<br />

the granulate. Jens-Peter Saße is<br />

responsible for operating supplies and<br />

plant construction at the site. An experienced<br />

compressed air specialist, he<br />

is much more satisfied with the performance<br />

of these machines than with the<br />

one in the first “hybrid compressed air/<br />

vacuum station”, a somewhat long-inthe-tooth<br />

side channel blower whose<br />

operating noise is unmistakable. In contrast,<br />

the <strong>Kaeser</strong> rotary screw compressors<br />

operating in the same room hardly<br />

make a sound – not even the veteran<br />

CS 76, which continues to be tied into<br />

the “team” via the Sigma Air Manager<br />

and was installed when the factory first<br />

opened. Its year of manufacture, 1992,<br />

can be deciphered from the nameplate,<br />

and the number on its operating hours<br />

counter passed the 50,000 mark quite<br />

some time ago. It was initially the sole<br />

source of compressed air for the first<br />

production hall. Nowadays its workload<br />

is shared by two additional <strong>Kaeser</strong> BSD<br />

72 rotary screw compressors, whilst two<br />

TD 51 refrigeration dryers are responsible<br />

for treating the air.<br />

After touring Uniwell’s manufacturing facilities,<br />

you view the many inconspicuous<br />

parts used in cars and mechanical<br />

equipment, not to mention things we<br />

use daily, through different eyes. And<br />

you can’t help knowing a little bit more<br />

about how much development work and<br />

high-tech manufacturing goes into “simple”<br />

hoses, pipes and tubing.<br />

Author: Klaus Dieter Bätz<br />

Contact: klaus-dieter.baetz@kaeser.com


eport – News<br />

Permanently reliable compressed air quality<br />

DHS air main charging system<br />

Compressed air dryers and filters are<br />

designed to accommodate the flow<br />

velocities in the compressed air system<br />

at load. After the system has been<br />

shut down for a while, there is little resistance<br />

from air main pressure when<br />

the compressors are restarted. The<br />

compressed air flow velocity may then<br />

be higher than the design rating of the<br />

filters and dryers. <strong>Kaeser</strong>’s new DHS<br />

series air main charging systems prevent<br />

loss of pressure and are therefore<br />

essential in order to reliably maintain<br />

Compressed air ahoy<br />

specified compressed air quality.<br />

They ensure that the air<br />

treatment components<br />

operate at optimum performance<br />

at start-up following air system<br />

shut down.<br />

One of two operating modes can be selected:<br />

1. for stations with several treatment<br />

lines and 2. for systems with only<br />

one treatment line.<br />

The integrated electronic control unit is<br />

designed to communicate with master<br />

control systems. A high visibility LED<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren to attend SMM 2012, the 25th international shipbuilding trade fair.<br />

The prestigious international SMM trade<br />

fair (Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine<br />

Technology) was held from the 4th –<br />

7th of September 2012 in Hamburg,<br />

Germany. <strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren was<br />

amongst the many exhibitors and was<br />

showcasing its wide range of products<br />

designed specifically for use on oceangoing<br />

vessels.<br />

Whatever the purpose, service air or<br />

compressed air for special applications<br />

such as nitrogen generation, there is<br />

always lots to do for compressors installed<br />

on ships. Reliability is of course<br />

a key feature of <strong>Kaeser</strong>’s marine compressors<br />

which are also certified by all<br />

marine industry authorities. In addition<br />

to reliability, the need for optimised energy<br />

efficiency is becoming increasingly<br />

important, especially in view of continuously<br />

rising diesel fuel prices. <strong>Kaeser</strong>’s<br />

marine-duty DSD, DSDX, ESD and<br />

HSD series rotary screw compressors<br />

meet all of these requirements and<br />

more.<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren also has specially<br />

adapted rotary blowers in its marine<br />

product portfolio, which can be used,<br />

for example, to supply air to wastewater<br />

treatment systems onboard cruise<br />

ships. Rotary blowers are also used in<br />

anti-heeling systems that serve to maintain<br />

trim during loading and unloading.<br />

displays operational status and potential<br />

alarm indications.<br />

The control algorithm developed by<br />

<strong>Kaeser</strong> Kompressoren gradually opens<br />

and closes the system using pulsewidth<br />

modulation and thereby suppresses<br />

pulsation in the compressed air<br />

distribution network.<br />

Britain’s coastline<br />

Photographer Michael Marten has been travelling along Britain’s coastline since 2003 to take<br />

pictures from the same spot at high and low tide at intervals of sixteen to eighteen hours.<br />

The photos show how the cliffs along the coastline, sandy beaches and industrial estuaries<br />

have evolved under the influence of time. His photo essay “Sea Change” is well worth a<br />

look: fifty-three pairs of photos document the changing tides on a clockwise journey around<br />

the island.<br />

Michael Marten, Robert Macfarlane: Sea Change<br />

Hardcover, 30 x 24.5 cm, 126 pages, 115 colour photos<br />

Kehrer Verlag, Heidelberg, EUR 40.00<br />

New: Mobilair M 31 with PE enclosure<br />

Versatile compressed air powerhouse<br />

Lightweight , powerful and efficient: The new Mobilair 31 (M 31) portable compressor.<br />

A true powerhouse hides beneath the<br />

M 31’s scratch and corrosion resistant<br />

rotomolded polyethylene sound enclosure.<br />

Directly driven by a water-cooled<br />

Kubota turbo-diesel engine, the rotary<br />

screw compressor airend, with its energy-saving<br />

Sigma Profile rotors, delivers<br />

3.15 m³/min of air at 7 bar – more than<br />

enough to operate two twenty-kilogram<br />

breakers or other tools, such as pneumatic<br />

chisels, spaders, impact moles<br />

or sandblasting equipment. 7, 10, 12<br />

and 14 bar versions of this easy to manoeuvre<br />

compressor are also available<br />

to meet a wide range of requirements.<br />

The options don’t stop there however:<br />

The Mobilair 31 can be equipped with<br />

an integrated aftercooler and centrifugal<br />

separator to provide a dependable supply<br />

of cool dry air and even a 6.5 kVA<br />

generator if required.<br />

There are no worries when it comes to<br />

those cold morning starts either: Fitted<br />

as standard, <strong>Kaeser</strong>’s patented Anti<br />

Frost Control protects air tools from<br />

potential damage caused by freezing<br />

and corrosion.<br />

In addition, the wide-opening soundproof<br />

enclosure allows quick and easy<br />

access to all maintenance points.<br />

A stationary version of the versatile<br />

M 31 with a sheet steel enclosure is<br />

also available for specialised applications<br />

and can be easily installed, for example,<br />

on the cargo bed of a truck.<br />

Report 2/12 – www.kaeser.com 23


KAESER KOMPRESSOREN AG<br />

P.O. Box 21 43 – 96410 Coburg – GERMANY<br />

Tel.: +49 9561 640-0 – Fax: +49 9561 640130<br />

www.kaeser.com – e-mail: productinfo@kaeser.com<br />

MOBILAIR 31<br />

Versatile compressed air power for construction sites<br />

Compressed air quality<br />

You choose, depending on your application:<br />

Use the standard patented Anti-Frost-<br />

Control to prevent freezing or the optional<br />

compressed air treatment package to provide<br />

a dependable supply of cool – or reheated –<br />

dry, compressed air.<br />

Compact power plant<br />

An optional on-board brushless 6.5 kVA<br />

synchronous generator turns the M 31 into<br />

the perfect construction site power plant.<br />

Compressed air and electricity are supplied<br />

in parallel.<br />

Powerful and efficient<br />

A powerful energy-saving team comprising<br />

a durable Kubota diesel engine and a<br />

KAESER rotary screw compressor airend<br />

delivers 3.15 m 3 /min at 7 bar. 10, 12 and<br />

14 bar versions are also available.<br />

Compact. Powerful. Versatile.<br />

www.kaeser.com<br />

Elegant and tough<br />

The advanced double-walled soundproof<br />

enclosure made of no-corrosion, rotomolded<br />

polyethylene is impact-resistant, scratchproof<br />

and durable. The wide-opening sound<br />

enclosure ensures excellent component<br />

accessibility.<br />

Classic styles<br />

A stationary version with a slim zinc<br />

phosphate, powder-paint-coated steel<br />

enclosure is also available. Its operating panel<br />

is positioned lower down on the unit, making it<br />

easier to use from a truck cargo bed.

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