North Pacific Industrial Coatings reduces energy costs and lowers emissions with ELGi

October 13, 2022 10:36 am

Two previous-generation air compressors were replaced with one variable-speed ELGi EG200V-125, potentially saving 100,000 kW of electricity per year.

ELGi North America, a subsidiary of ELGi Equipments Limited, one of the world’s leading air compressor manufacturers, announced today that North Pacific Industrial Coatings (Coatings), a Kent, Washington-based commercial painting company, selected an EG200V-125 to support its blasting and painting operations. The new ELGi compressor will provide a reliable source of compressed air for the company and potentially save 100,000 kW per year.

Coatings worked with ELGi distributor Evergreen Compressed Air (Evergreen), based in Renton, to analyze its air compressor operations that support the heat and sandblasting of steel that is used in prefab construction, mezzanine structures, staircases, and more. The company had been using two 200 hp rotary screw air compressors. Their old age had become a factor — frequent breakdowns were resulting in expensive service bills and halted production, which decreased the company’s operational uptime. Additionally, their older and less efficient design was contributing to high energy bills.

Evergreen technicians collected multiple weeks’ worth of data Coatings compressors using specialized, electronic loggers. The results were analyzed with custom software that showed exactly when Coatings energy use was spiking — specifically, certain shifts on specific days and times. Evergreen’s analysis showed that Coatings could potentially save 100,000 kW per year of electricity by switching to a single variable-speed air compressor. Plus, a new air compressor would provide reliability and uptime benefits, along with a new warranty and support services.

“Compressed air is critical to our blasting operation at Coatings, and we wanted to pursue new equipment that would be more reliable, supported by best-in-class warranty, and also enable us to optimize our energy use,” said Roger Moshier, Production Manager at Coatings. “ELGi and Evergreen proved to be ideal partners for this strategy. The solutions were based on hard data. We were able to identify the exact scenarios in which our electricity demand spiked and choose a new air compressor that solved our unique challenges.”

Evergreen recommended an EG200V-125 — an ELGi EG Series 250 HP Rotary Screw Compressor with Variable Speed Drive. The design of this compressor enables operations at extreme temperatures — from cold to hot, and from dry to extremely humid conditions, leading overall to higher reliability in industrial settings. Its high-efficiency air ends are equipped with unique η-V profile rotors that have a 4/5 lobe combination, enabling it to run at low rotor speeds. This design reduces pressure losses, and together with OSBIC (oil separation by impact and centrifugal action), its 3-stage separation provides best-in-class oil contamination reduction (<1ppm) and excellent energy efficiency.

The entire process of installing the new EG200V-125 was completed in one day, and the company saw immediate results. The new compressor reduced power consumption by varying the motor speed, eliminating frequent load-unload cycles. The energy savings from its new air compressor combined with the energy company rebate will enable Coatings to recoup the cost of its ELGi compressor in just two years.

Evergreen provides ongoing support to Coatings, handling equipment checkups and maintenance. In addition, ELGi provides a 48-hour uptime guarantee backed by ample parts supplies and a nimble maintenance team. ELGi provides a five-year package warranty period, the longest in the industry, with lifetime air end coverage.

“Uptime is critical to our operations,” Moshier said. “With the quality we are seeing from the new ELGi compressor along with the support that Evergreen has already provided, we expect to see our uptime metrics increase while avoiding critical breakdowns. Evergreen and ELGi are very easy to do business with, and they went the extra mile to make the project a success for us. This has reassured our decision to go with the EG200V-125.”

For over 60 years, ELGi has offered a complete range of compressed air solutions from oil-lubricated and oil-free rotary screw compressors and oil-lubricated reciprocating compressors to dryers, filters, and downstream accessories. ELGi does business in over 120+ countries and is proud of its 2 million+ satisfied customers.

For further information please visit http://www.elgi.com