ZEISS AirSaver Lowers Compressed Air Consumption
Innovation from ZEISS saves money and is good for the environment
(PresseBox) (Oberkochen, )Even if air itself is free, compressed air is not. The Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce puts the figure for the annual power consumption of compressed air systems in Germany at 14 billion kilowatt hours, with around seven percent of industrial power consumption being used to create compressed air. ZEISS realized several years ago that there was room for improvement in this area, for the environment as well. AirSaver is the result: "With this technology, the consumption of compressed air by measuring machines can be considerably reduced. This saves money and also lowers CO2 output, which enables operators to manufacture more ecologically," says Andrezj Grzesiak, who is in charge of Bridge Systems at ZEISS Industrial Metrology.
Intelligent system
This technology virtually makes the decision for operators if it makes sense to shut down the measuring machine or not. "ZEISS AirSaver notices how long the machine has not been used and automatically turns off the compressed air supply after a freely configurable period," states Grzesiak. The measuring machine is immediately operational as soon as a CNC measuring program begins or the joystick on the control panel is moved.
The savings vary based on the respective operating environment, e.g. one-shift or multiple-shift operations. "From an economic standpoint, ZEISS AirSaver pays for itself in just a few months. It is a benefit to the environment from day one," says Grzesiak. In the mid-term, reducing compressed air consumption can lead to even greater ecological savings, e.g. because companies' compressed air generation systems can be smaller: "This reduces power usage and lowers maintenance needs," adds Grzesiak.
ZEISS AirSaver is immediately available for the ZEISS PRISMO navigator and ZEISS ACCURA II coordinate measuring machines. This innovation will become gradually available for all other ZEISS measuring machines that work with compressed air.