Editorial

A & B Air Systems and BEKO TECHNOLOGIES have helped lower costs at a leading European food manufacturer. Their customers are most of the leading high street food chains.

The quality of compressed air is always an important topic in food production. At one site there are 2 compressor systems; the high quality oil free and dried to  -40°C pressure dew point for the air which is in contact with the product and a general purpose stream for operation of pneumatic components which comes from  lubricated compressors with filters to 0.01ppm oil carry over and +3°C pressure dew point.

Compressed air is said to be responsible for approximately 10% of the power usage in the UK and other mature economies. BEKO TECHNOLOGIES are a leading company in the treatment of compressed air and management of condensates. Another major part of the business is measurement systems. BEKO TECHNOLOGIES are well equipped with experienced technical sales personnel to help businesses improve their efficiency of compressed air usage. We have put together a list of top tips:

In the field of condensate technology, there is also news at the COMVAC HANNOVER 2013 at BEKO TECHNOLOGIES: the upgrade version of the BEKOMAT 31, 32, and 33 condensate drains with improved serviceability.

The upgrade version of the BEKOMAT 31/32/33 series has an integrated service indicator which informs you of upcoming maintenance in a timely manner. The employment of a multi-voltage power supply unit for the energy supply from 85 to 265 Vac, at 50-60Hz, reduces the variants. With the higher protection class IP67, the condensate drains are not only reliably protected against the admission of dust, they are also sealed to such an extent that temporary submersion in water will not damage them. Therefore, they are an ideal solution for the most severe ambient conditions.

At the COMVAC HANNOVER, BEKO TECHNOLOGIES presented the innovative variant of the EVERDRY FRA-V 2000C adsorption dryer. The special feature of this design is the modular concept, which allows for the separation of the adsorber containers from the pipework module, and for the reconnection in just a few steps. Through this structure, even larger plants can be packed in standard sea containers. This drastically reduces the transport and packaging costs and offers optimum protection to the plant during long sea journeys.

FAST
Thanks to a smart design and low weight materials, AIRnet can be installed 70% faster than conventional systems.

EASY
AIRnet pipes and fittings are assembled in just a few steps by a single installer, without the need for heavy machinery.

RELIABLE
The durable, corrosion-free AIRnet pipes and fittings come with a 10-year warranty. Low friction and seamless connections minimize pressure drop.

Key benefits:

• Recovers up to 94% of the energy of the compressor shaft power resulting in huge tangible savings
• Reduces your CO² emissions
• Plug & Play concept with all major mechanical parts pre-mounted in the canopy
• Easier access to compressor, motor and thermostatic valve housing for easy maintenance

He ain’t heavy, he’s my big BEKOMAT brother

BEKO TECHNOLOGIES are the experts in condensate management for compressed air systems. The photograph shows the normal filter or air receiver drain in the foreground together with its giant twin brothers BEKOMAT 9’s about to be shipped to a client with specialised and difficult condensation collection requirements. As market leaders for this technology BEKO TECHNOLOGIES have a complete range of products suitable for turbo, piston compressors, extreme conditions of climate or location and large flows.

The Food and Beverage Grade Compressed Air Best Practice Guideline 102 is available from the British Compressed Air Society and contributing members such as BEKO TECHNOLOGIES. This best practice guideline has been produced because compressed air is a utility and as such its provision is normally included in the pre-requisite programme rather than the HACCP process.  There was also an opportunity to review and update the guideline.

The iPad 3 from Apple is still on the road to success. Now our clients can take advantage of an application from BEKO TECHNOLOGIES. Since last year on Apple's App Store our popular customer magazine BEKOWORLD (24,000 readers in Germany) is available for free – we have now completed the English edition of the magazine. The application has an additional value from its almost complete downloadable stock of brochures and operating manuals. 

The digital processing of the magazine and brochures also allows the integration of multimedia elements such as audio, video and links to current web content. For example an animated "how-does-it-work" which you'll find inside the BEKOMAT brochure.

Surely it’s easy there are fridge dryers for 3°C Pressure Dew Point and desiccants for anything below that? In principle “Yes” says Chris Norris UK Service Manager for BEKO TECHNOLOGIES. “There are umpteen different ways to take it further than this simple rule. The client should ask himself several questions such as:-

• What will be the lowest temperature in the system?
• Does the equipment requiring dry compressed air have a specification for dewpoint?
• What will be the flow and the variations?
• Is power available?
• What is the budget?
• Does the budget include for installation
• Will the addition of this piece of equipment and possibly filters mean raising the pressure because of inevitable pressure loss through a system
• Will my compressor go to this higher pressure