Containerised Compressor Solutions from O’Neill Industrial Remove Complexity from Projects –
The delivery of a containerised air compressor solution has brought significant benefits to an animal nutrition manufacturer based in Cork.
Owned by Dairygold and Glanbia, Nutribio produces animal nutrition products for a global customer base. Maintaining high quality production at all times is essential for the company to meet client demands. However, an ageing compressed air system was putting this at risk. It was time for an upgrade.
Francis Burton, Facilities Manager, Nutribio, explains “Our plants compressed air was supplied by ageing equipment. It was becoming unreliable and bringing a risk to business continuity plus, depreciation over the years meant increasing maintenance costs and reduced energy efficiencies. These were business critical issues that needed immediate attention. Our air compressor system needed to be operational at all times.”
Project Criteria
Nutribio worked with compressed air specialists O’Neill Industrial to design and install a system that would meet their future compressed air requirements efficiently and cost-effectively. Two key considerations were central to the proposed solution: Firstly, space was at a premium and decommissioning the old system was potentially complex. Secondly, the company had a preference for leasing as opposed to buying the equipment.
The Solution
Following a full audit of the existing compressed air system and the needs of the plant, O’Neill Industrial recommended the installation of an Ingersoll Rand Next Generation R-Series Rotary Screw Air Compressor (R9ON) complete with an Ingersoll Rand DIN-A Series Air Dryer, Filter Bank and Air Receiver. But as space in the plant room was limited and keeping the plant operational was imperative, the equipment was supplied in an industrial container situated outside the plant.
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By using a converted industrial container to house the compressed air system, Nutribio avoided many logistical headaches. The new system was easier to plan, design and implement because it wasn’t being installed in the existing compressor room where older equipment would have to be decommissioned and removed. In addition, the time it took to design and test the containerised compressor room was significantly shorter than the traditional approach.
O’Neill Industrial designed and engineered the container in advance of the delivery and install. The 20ft container was customised with a personnel door and roller shutter door, intake and exhaust galvanised ductwork off the compressor, lighting, cabling, stainless steel chequer flooring. The equipment was piped using Prevost aluminium pipework.
Mr O’Neill said, “Containerised compressor solutions are becoming more common as they reduce complexity and offer flexibility in terms of location. The controlled environment means a bespoke compressed air system is easier to design, install and importantly, maintain.”
“The solution we provided to Nutribio clearly demonstrates how hassle-free compressed air can be. We put the compressed air solution in a purpose-built container, dropped it to their site and commissioned it. This was done with zero interference to normal plant operation. Nutribio pays a fixed monthly fee which includes a total responsibility maintenance package,” Mr O’Neill continued.
Remote Monitoring – Internet of Things
The new compressed air system has been very successful to date, delivering improved reliability and energy efficiencies. In addition, it has given Nutribio peace of mind as the performance of the system is monitored by O’Neill Industrial through the Ingersoll Rand Xe-Series Compressor IP enabled Controller and a patented IoT (Internet of Things) platform that allows secure two-way access to remote IP-enabled equipment. With this software, O’Neill Industrial has remote connectivity to the compressed air system at Nutribio. This allows them to proactively monitor the systems performance, receive email notifications of alarms and trips, schedule maintenance calls, etc.
Commercial Leasing – FE€CAP (Fixed Expenditure Compressed Air Package)
To meet the second key criteria of the project, O’Neill Industrial provided the solution to Nutribio under their FE€CAP Contract Leasing programme. The benefits of leasing the equipment in contrast to buying can be multiple. For Nutribio, it means they have a fixed cost contract for 5 years covering all maintenance and emergency call-outs thereby giving them a solution that delivered reliability and peace of mind.
From an accounting point of view, there are no surprises. There is no significant drain on working capital and the fixed-rate funding makes budgeting easy as they have clear sight of future expenditures.
Commenting on the success of the installation, Francis Burton said, “O’Neill Industrial provided us with a turnkey solution in a container while minimising disruption to our business. Their knowledge, support and hardwork in replacing the old system were invaluable to us. The contract leasing arrangement means we’re effectively outsourcing the management of the system, so this allows us to concentrate on our core business.”
ENDS
