Many Companies use Compressed Air at 7 bar pressure and above in their process.

System Problems when using compressed air generally facilitate the requirement of a suitably qualified compressor engineer who “Understands” the package they are looking inside as invariably the issue is generally “Inside the Box”.

It’s very true that with air pressures of these levels you can literally get away with murder as there is so much energy available to overcome possible system issues.

The same cannot be said when it comes to Low Pressure Vacuum & Blower Systems – 1bar Positive / Negative pressure or there abouts.

With these systems we are working with finite amounts of energy and the slightest change can be the difference between success and failure

Issues with Packaged Units in the low pressure markets are almost always down to Two Elements

1. Human Error

2. Process Issue

This requires a very different approach than with compressed air as Low Pressure Service Technicians then become System Engineers.

This facilitates the need for them to very much think “Outside the Box” (package)

It may well be reported that “The Blower / Vacuum Pump” is Dead – It’s more likely to be a symptom rather than a cause.

It’s also very likely that the report will involve – Well we haven’t changed anything and it’s been like this for years.

A Low Pressure Blower / Vacuum Technician then has to return to their Service Vehicle for the obligatory Sherlock Holmes Deerstalker Hard Hat and Duncan Pipe 😊

Then Walk the line (not like Johnny Cash) whilst discussing with the Onsite what actually occurred.

They are then looking to understand what was and now what is and by doing so establish what has changed to impact the Blower / Vac Unit and caused it to fall over.

Common Faults (not exhaustive) on Vacuum & Pneumatic Conveying Systems include.

1. Extended Delivery Lines

2. Modified Pipework

3. Sticking Diverter Valves

4. Isolation Valve Failures

5. Solenoid Malfunction

6. Product Density

7. Particle Shape / Size

8. Holes in Pipework

9. Physically Damaged Pipework

10. Product dropping out of Suspension

11. Blocked Pipework – Many Reasons

12. System Filtration – Primary & Secondary

13. Process Control Changes

14. Ingress of Moisture – Many Reasons

15. Foreign Matter

16. Material Discharge Rate required V actual

17. Ambient conditions

18. Stationary and operating temperatures in the room

19. Air Inlet Restrictions

All these and many others need to be understood to form the picture.

We then look ”Inside the Box” at all the Standard Potentials a Trained Service Technician would have on his Tick Sheet  

1. Service Record

1. 1. Oil

   2. Filter Condition

   3. Belts

   4. Pulleys

   5. Motor

   6. Coolers

   7. Fans

There are often small changes that add up and aggregate themselves before the Package decides enough is enough and fails.

Often this is an accumulation of many years of these taking place.

In extreme cases this can and does lead to a terminal Issue and possibly creates conditions where a Fire can occur.

Often companies and people have the opinion on Blower / Vacuum Service Technicians and Engineers as a lower species than Compressor Technicians and Engineers.

It couldn’t be further from the truth as a Good Blower / Vacuum Service Technician is much more than it states on his Business Card or Job Description

They are very much a System Engineer First and a Service Technician Second.