Compressed air consumption of automation equipment

Analysis of compressed air consumption of automation equipment

in automated production, compressed air, as an "invisible power source", is widely used in pneumatic grippers, robots, conveyor lines and other equipment to drive mechanical actions and control technological processes. Reasonable planning of compressed air consumption is essential to improve production efficiency and reduce operating costs. The following is an analysis of the three aspects of dosage influencing factors, calculation methods and optimization recommendations.

1. the Core Factors Affecting the Amount of Compressed Air

1. equipment type and scale
   • number of pneumatic components: The more pneumatic grippers, cylinders, valves and other components in automation equipment, the greater the gas consumption.
   • Device complexity: Multi-axis robots, high-precision assembly lines and other complex equipment, due to frequent action, high control accuracy, gas consumption is usually higher than simple equipment.
   • Production beat: The faster the equipment runs, the more the number of actions per unit time, and the gas consumption increases.
2. Process Requirements
   • pressure demand: Some processes (such as spraying and purging) require high-pressure air, and the air consumption increases with the increase of pressure.
   • Action frequency: High-frequency start-stop (e. g. fast sorting) will significantly increase gas consumption.
3. System leakage
   • leakage points such as loose pipe joints and aging seals may lead to inflated gas consumption. According to statistics, leakage may cause 10%-30% of energy waste.

Calculation method of 2. compressed air consumption

enterprises can estimate gas consumption through the following steps:

1. calculation of gas consumption of single equipment
   • refer to the equipment manual: Obtain the rated air consumption of pneumatic components (e. g. air consumption per cylinder action).
   • measurement method: The actual gas consumption of the equipment is measured by the flowmeter, and the result is more accurate.
2. Production line gas consumption summary
   • add up the gas consumption of individual equipment and increase the margin by 10%-20% to cope with peak demand or future expansion.
   • Example: If the gas consumption of a single equipment is 0.5m & sup3;/min, the total gas consumption of 10 equipment is about 5-6m & sup3;/min.
3. Overall planning of gas consumption of the whole plant
   • summarize the gas consumption of each production line, and determine the capacity of the compressed air system of the whole plant in combination with the efficiency of air compressor, pipeline loss and other factors.

Suggestions on Optimization of 3. Compressed Air Consumption

1. selection matching, avoid "big horse-drawn car"
   • select the air compressor according to the actual gas consumption to avoid long-term low-load operation of the unit and reduce energy waste.
   • analogy: Like choosing an air conditioner for a family, you need to choose the number of horses according to the room area, rather than blindly pursuing high power.
2. Reduce system leakage
   • regularly inspect the pipes, joints and seals, and repair the leakage points in time.
   • Quick couplings with self-sealing function reduce the risk of leakage.
3. optimization of process parameters
   • adjust the rhythm of the equipment action to reduce unnecessary high-frequency start and stop.
   • For non-critical processes, reduce gas pressure and gas consumption.
4. Recycling residual gas
   • recycle exhaust from processes such as purging and cooling for other low pressure demand scenarios to improve energy efficiency.

4. Gas Consumption Reference for Typical Scenarios

by scientifically measuring gas consumption, optimizing system design and reducing energy waste, enterprises can significantly reduce the cost of compressed air and improve the economy of automated production lines.