Case study
Compressed air leaks in a stamping operation
Compressed airManufacturing: automotive, plastics & rubberMetal Fabrication & Finishing
Permanent monitoring revealed compressed air continuing to flow into an otherwise idle factory overnight.
A stamping factory’s compressor kept cycling overnight while production was idle. We follow pressure, compressor load and off-shift flow together to make the losses visible and help the team prioritize leak repairs.
What the data showed
Explore the chart to inspect the readings.
| Interval | Compressor 1 (kW) | Compressor 2 (kW) |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 74 | 43 |
| 00:30 | 68 | 45 |
| 01:00 | 72 | 43 |
| 01:30 | 69 | 44 |
| 02:00 | 69 | 47 |
| 02:30 | 68 | 42 |
| 03:00 | 70 | 42 |
| 03:30 | 74 | 45 |
| 04:00 | 74 | 46 |
| 04:30 | 73 | 45 |
| 05:00 | 73 | 45 |
| 05:30 | 71 | 46 |
| 06:00 | 85 | 58 |
| 06:30 | 90 | 59 |
| 07:00 | 89 | 63 |
| 07:30 | 85 | 61 |
| 08:00 | 86 | 62 |
| 08:30 | 90 | 58 |
| 09:00 | 88 | 58 |
| 09:30 | 88 | 59 |
| 10:00 | 88 | 62 |
| 10:30 | 90 | 61 |
| 11:00 | 86 | 58 |
| 11:30 | 90 | 60 |
| 12:00 | 89 | 61 |
| 12:30 | 88 | 62 |
| 13:00 | 90 | 60 |
| 13:30 | 88 | 61 |
| 14:00 | 85 | 61 |
| 14:30 | 90 | 64 |
| 15:00 | 87 | 62 |
| 15:30 | 91 | 62 |
| 16:00 | 89 | 60 |
| 16:30 | 86 | 63 |
| 17:00 | 90 | 59 |
| 17:30 | 87 | 62 |
| 18:00 | 89 | 64 |
| 18:30 | 85 | 63 |
| 19:00 | 88 | 61 |
| 19:30 | 88 | 60 |
| 20:00 | 86 | 60 |
| 20:30 | 88 | 58 |
| 21:00 | 90 | 64 |
| 21:30 | 86 | 60 |
| 22:00 | 69 | 42 |
| 22:30 | 71 | 47 |
| 23:00 | 73 | 45 |
| 23:30 | 72 | 42 |
| Before | A compressor that cycles all night for no production |
|---|---|
| After | A leak-repair list ranked by measured loss |
Background
A Tier 2 automotive stamping factory uses compressed air during production. When the presses stop, air continues to flow into the idle facility and the compressor keeps cycling. Our starting point is the overnight period, when the equipment’s air demand can be viewed alongside the absence of production.
The problem
Escaping compressed air has no smell, and the sound of a leak is difficult to pick out over a stamping press. The compressor compensates by running longer. Without a view of pressure and load over time, that extra operation can become part of the routine without anyone seeing where the air is going.
How we found it
We use a header pressure transducer and compressor current monitoring to follow pressure, runtime and load. Off-shift flow trending shows demand after production has stopped. Reading those signals together makes the continuing air use visible and shows how the compressor is working to maintain pressure through the night.
What changed
The team has a leak-repair list ranked by measured loss. That gives maintenance a basis for deciding where to work first, with the overnight trace showing the demand they are trying to address.
The lesson
Compare off-shift demand, runtime and pressure as repairs progress. Those readings show the effect of maintenance and identify air use that still needs investigation.
What changed
Before
A compressor that cycles all night for no production
After
A leak-repair list ranked by measured loss
20–30%of compressor output
The commonly cited leakage share in industrial compressed-air systems.
Where to go next
Compressed airNatural gasMetal Fabrication & FinishingBuilding Materials, Concrete & Aggregates
A furnace over-cycling, seen on the air and gas traces together
A heat-treating operation
Short-cycling that neither the gas bill nor the air system showed alone.
2 utilitieson one chart
Compressed airWaterFood & beverage processingBulk Handling & Rail Logistics
More than $150,000 a year, taken out on the dashboard data
PDI Bulk
Metering PDI Bulk's water and compressed air showed where both were going, and within weeks the general manager had taken more than $150,000 a year out of operating costs on process adjustments alone.
$150,000per year
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