Leak detection and

Published:  05 August, 2010

In order to help businesses improve the energy efficiency of their compressed air systems, rotary vane compressor manufacturer Mattei launched a leak detection and repair service earlier this year, headed up by business development manager John Taylor.

When assessing the energy efficiency of a compressed air system, one of the most important things to check is air leaks.  Compressed air is a relatively expensive utility, but many companies actually waste as much as 50 % of the compressed air they generate serving leaks in the system.  In response, Mattei has established a dedicated leak detection audit and repair service. 

The average cost of Mattei's initial Energy Loss Survey is typically less than 10 % of the overall leakage costs and, being non-intrusive, won"t cause any disruption to a plant or its processes.  When the initial audit is complete and leaks have been identified, Mattei devises a tailored corrective maintenance repair programme, for which it provides detailed financial justification.  

The cost of repair is again usually less than 10 % of the overall leakage costs.  Once improvements have been made, the results are immediate, and most companies will have a payback period of less than six months.  The savings are also long-term, although Mattei suggests the system is checked for leaks at least on an annual basis. 

John Taylor, Mattei’s business development manager, said: "Air leaks have a serious impact on efficiency, and identifying and repairing them can save huge amounts of energy and money, in a very cost-effective way. 

“According to the Carbon Trust, air escaping through a single 3mm hole could cost a business around £700 per year in energy costs.  But a typical compressed air system will have more than just one leak - a medium-size manufacturer will generally have between 200 and 1,000 leaks in their system.  So, for a company using 50m3 of compressed air per minute, we estimate the annual savings would potentially be in the region of £63,000 – but larger compressed air users could potentially make even greater savings.  Therefore opting for a leak detection and repair service can definitely prove to be worthwhile in terms of return on investment.”

Mattei aims to provide the best possible service available and to recommend the most appropriate compressed air solutions for their customers – and the new leak detection and repair offering demonstrates this best practice approach to business. 

For further information please visit: www.mattei.co.uk

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