Generating energy and cost savings while using compressed air

SmartAir and Energy Oy relies on the Vaisala Indigo80 Handheld Indicator to help its customers protect the quality and availability of compressed air across a variety of industrial applications.

Photo of Mikko Nurminen, Walki and Sami Uusi-Erkkilä, SmartAir & Energy by Petri Parikka, Walki

SmartAir and Energy Oy (SmartAir) focuses on generating energy and cost savings for industries that use compressed air, supporting them in the green transition.

“Our expertise covers everything from system dimensioning services to the design of an entire compressed air system all the way to the applications,” says the company’s CEO Sami Uusi-Erkkilä. “We offer several solutions, and they are applied in different ways in different companies, like a surgeon who uses different instruments at different stages of an operation.”

SmartAir’s solutions can generate significant added value by reducing compressed air waste that occurs as a result of compressed air leaks.

“Typically, the energy saving potential is at least 20,000 kWh per year, and often over 50,000 kWh per year,” says Uusi-Erkkilä

High-quality compressed air at the lowest possible cost

For industries that use compressed air, accurate dew point measurement is important for both financial and qualitative reasons. Companies have to balance the need to produce compressed air at the lowest possible cost while maintaining its quality and availability.

To support its customers with these requirements, SmartAir uses the Vaisala Indigo80. The Vaisala Indigo80 is an easy-to-use portable device with an integrated multilingual user interface, color display, and button controls. The device enables reliable spot checking and troubleshooting, field calibration and adjustment, process monitoring, and data logging functionality in the field. 

“The usability of the Indigo80 is second to none, and measurement can be started in the blink of an eye,” says Uusi-Erkkilä. “One of the things I appreciate most about the Indigo80 is its design and simple user interface. I believe technology should serve people and not the other way around – and that’s what this product does. In many cases human observations are the only way that companies can tell if there is a problem with their compressed air system. With the Indigo80 we can collect valuable information, refine it and send it on.”

The Vaisala Indigo80 removes the risk and inaccuracy associated with guesswork and makes sure that dew point readings correspond to reality.

“Dew point measurement in compressed air systems is also important for ecological reasons. Why should we waste energy if we don't even get the required quality of compressed air?” says Uusi-Erkkilä. “Continuous monitoring of dew point enables a quick reaction to problems like excess moisture, which can mean problems with equipment corrosion and unnecessary costs.”

Helping Walki maintain compressed air availability and quality

One of SmartAir’s clients, Walki Oy Valkeakoski (Walki), produces consumer and industrial packaging materials as well as engineered materials for the construction industry. In order to meet their customers’ exacting requirements, the compressed air they use needs to be of the highest quality at all times – meaning minimal contaminants and low moisture to inhibit bacterial growth, which is particularly important for food packaging. The factory runs 24/7 and they have recently invested in new systems to ensure the reliability of compressed air production. 

Walki asked SmartAir to ensure their compressed air meets the requirements of ISO 8573-1, the international standard that defines the purity classes of compressed air. When it came time to implement a solution for Walki, they turned to Vaisala for the key components. 

“The compressed air flow for the entire factory and compressed air consumption of individual lines is measured online,” explains Uusi-Erkkilä. “Similarly, the quality of the compressed air is monitored 24/7 in terms of pressure and dew point. If there are deviations in quality, the operator on duty is notified by SMS. We installed the transmitter to enable this monitoring and can perform field calibration to adjust parameters with the help of a comparison measurement.”

When dealing with the quality compressed air, measuring and responding to small changes in dew point temperature can make a big difference. With the Indigo80, Walki benefits from reliable dew point measurement that increases the life of their compressed air system and improves process quality – while ensuring they meet the demanding requirements of their customers.