Machinery does not last forever, and that also applies to air compressors. At Brunvoll, we use air compressors in the machine and assembly department, including sandblasting. Because of age, wear and tear, and the need for extensive and expensive repairs, we decided to replace all compressors at our Volda factory in 2024.
Until the time of replacement, we had five compressors that supplied the entire factory with air: Four units of 25kW compressors and one unit of 60kW compressor. These had regular downtime, which meant we had to pause production until they were up and running again. The CNC machines would then stop in the middle of the machining cycle, with possible critical consequences for the produced parts.
The old compressors have now been replaced with new, modern, reliable and more efficient ones: Two units of 30kW, frequency-controlled compressors for the factory and one unit of 45kW compressor for sandblasting. This new configuration both increases capacity and lowers energy consumption. The new compressors have a frequency-controlled motor, allowing the machine to adjust compressed air production as needed, saving energy. In addition, constant pressure in the air system minimises power consumption and reduces wear on the compressor. We estimate that this will save 20% of energy used for air compressors at the factory.
We will establish a 5-to-10-year property strategy during the first half of 2025, which will also look into savings related to energy consumption.
Statement from Brunvoll Volda Technology and Planning Supervisors Einar Nybø & Torstein Kvistad:
No one works directly with the compressors as they supply the entire factory with compressed air. But for Torstein and Einar, who are responsible for operating and maintaining the machines in production, it is reassuring that we do not have stops/downtime in production due to a lack of compressed air. This helps to ensure safe and stable production. We often had stops and problems with the old and worn-out compressors.
