Services Archives

Increase paint transfer efficiency

Written by Christopher Richmann on January 9, 2023. Posted in Aerospace & defense, Coating & Finish Systems, Coating & Finish Systems, Coating & finishing systems, Coating application equipment, Featured, Uncategorized. Leave a Comment

Paint transfer efficiency is critical to your industrial painting, whether you’re painting ambulances, marine vessels, pallets, or something else. Increasing the transfer efficiency saves money and meets state and federal regulations. Plus, it could even make your workforce more productive.

What is paint transfer efficiency?

Commonly referred to as “TE,” transfer efficiency is a calculation of how much paint spray covers a component, and how much is wasted. The higher the percentage, the better. But achieving high TE rates is extremely difficult, especially if your team is using mismatched, older, or insufficient equipment.

Understanding the standards

There are two standard models used for measuring transfer efficiency when painting equipment and parts:

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). This test simulates a conveyor system and generally results in percentages below 50%.
European Standard EN 13699-1 (EN). The EN test is performed by simply spraying a pattern in the middle of a large part.

The ASTM test almost always results in lower percentages than the EN technique does. For example, a test using the ASTM method may result in a transfer efficiency of 25 to 35%, while the same equipment under the EN test may show 70 to 80%.

Regardless, you must increase transfer efficiency at all times.

Why transfer efficiency?

High transfer efficiency is important for a few reasons. First, it’s essential to your bottom line. Suppose you have a transfer efficiency of 15%. This means for every $1,000 in paint, you are essentially using $150 while wasting $850 of paint. If you spend $10,000 coating a line of components, you would waste $8,500! Increasing the TE to an ASTM rate closer to 50% will create significant cost savings.

Second, better transfer efficiency reduces VOC emissions and waste. So it’s better for the environment. But … it’s not just important for air quality or to keep paint run-off from reaching water sources. Keeping your transfer efficiency high will help you stay within regulatory requirements. Learn more about federal standards. As you might imagine, some states (we’re looking at you, California) have stringent laws to protect people, land, and wildlife, including offering paint recycling programs with incentives.

Lastly, having a process and understanding how you’re using the equipment, including taking metrics for paint, increases productivity. That means you could paint more products in less time!

How to optimize transfer efficiency

There are many ways to enhance your transfer efficiency numbers, but the most important one is having the right equipment. Optimized equipment for painting, coating, and finishing will help increase transfer efficiency, especially if you have a paint booth or system recommended by knowledgeable industry experts.

Your coat and finish team should also be properly trained. Training team members on proper spray distance, angle (perpendicular coating), and trigger timing will all help your overall transfer efficiency, while also improving product consistency and increasing profit. This can be achieved only through consistent and ongoing training and assessment.

Luckily, Elevated provides that training and documentation, ensuring your entire workforce understands what to do and how to do it. We even offer parts service, replacing parts when you need them.

**Get help from experts and the right equipment**

Elevated Industrial Solutions is your source for top-quality coating and finishing equipment. Using the right tools and accessories is critical for maximizing transfer efficiency. Not only do we have spray systems, parts, and paint booths available from trustworthy partners, but our team has been implementing coating and finishing solutions across the U.S. We train and provide documentation so your team feels confident and productive.

Let us visit your site and give recommendations.

eric pressley - air compressor service tech

Meet service technician Eric Pressley

Written by Christopher Richmann on October 28, 2022. Posted in Air compressors, Compressed Air, Compressed air systems, Employees. Leave a Comment

Eric Pressley is one of the many distinguished service technicians working for Elevated Industrial Solutions, formerly Palmetto Compressors. He’s an important member of the team with profound technical knowledge, outstanding experience, and a passion for service. It’s why Jason Acker (Elevated’s general manager in South Carolina) was thrilled to hire him in June of 2022. Bringing nearly a decade of experience and a lifetime of service, Eric helps our customers maintain effective compressed air systems.

Expertise in compressed air

Eric works with the entire compressed air system, including low-pressure and high-pressure blowers. He can examine a plant’s current system and find ways to improve efficiencies, save money, or make the compression system more effective. One of his favorite activities is helping to save companies’ energy. It’s why Eric is often the frontman for plant managers and owners, whether facilities need subtle changes or a complete overhaul.

He holds certifications and training in Garden Denver oil-free systems, refrigerated air systems, and Sullair air compressors, to name a few. And of course, he’s also knowledgeable about Kaeser Compressors, one of Elevated’s premier vendors. His background is so thorough, Eric was featured in Compressed Air Best Practices, highlighting his work refitting a racing shop with modern, high-efficiency, consistent air compression.

Air compressors aren’t new to Eric. Both his mother and father worked in the compressed air industry, so Eric has an understanding that goes beyond his nine years of on-the-job experience. With a family legacy in the industry, years of helping companies with their compressed air systems, and training in all aspects of air compression, Eric knows a thing or two about air compressors.

Commitment to our nation

His passion for compressed air isn’t the only reason Elevated employees are so proud to have Eric on the team. He’s been a member of the United States Air Force since 2012 and remains a member of the Air National Guard, currently holding the rank of Technical Sergeant. He specializes in preventative maintenance and repairs, as well as logistics and leadership in the military. So, his mechanical know-how doesn’t just help our customers; his skills help the U.S. government!

As a member of the Air Force, Technical Sergeant Pressley has been deployed to Qatar and Kuwait. He’s also provided hurricane relief in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Dedication to our veterans

Even outside of the military, Eric continues to help his community. It’s a passion of his and yet another reason the Elevated team is proud to work with him.

Eric acts as the state lead for the South Carolina chapter of The Fallen Outdoors, an organization with the mission of connecting Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines with like-minded individuals along with teaching them a skill and passion they can continue for a lifetime. The group helps wounded or disabled military personnel regain their life and purpose as well as assisting those with mental illnesses to refocus and regain balance.

It’s a mission near and dear to his heart. If you follow him on LinkedIn, you’ll no doubt see him participating in activities regularly.

South Carolina air compressor service

If you’re in South Carolina or the Dayton-Cincinnati area and you want to work with dedicated, service-oriented professionals like Eric, contact Elevated today. We take pride in hiring quality service technicians and other people who fully understand air compression systems for large- and small-scale operations. Expertise is important, but we also hire fantastic individuals that have a passion for helping others.

Let us partner with you to find the right solutions for your business. We’d be happy to conduct a walk-through to understand what your facility needs as well as make recommendations to save you time and energy, reduce costs, and get your compressed air systems running at peak efficiency.

The importance of air compressor preventive maintenance

Written by Tami Matthews on June 10, 2022. Posted in Air compressors, Automotive, Compressed Air, Compressed Air, Compressed air systems, General, Manufacturing. Leave a Comment

To preserve the condition of your air compressor, preventive maintenance is crucial. A consistent maintenance program can spare you from the expense, inconvenience, and downtime that can come along with air compression damage or failure.

The right vendor should make it easy to get maintenance, with a schedule ready for your facility based on its environment, run time, and more.

What is preventative air compressor maintenance?

Standard air compressor maintenance involves updating the hardware, changing out the lubricant, and other related tasks. Although standard maintenance is essential to your air compressor’s function, it doesn’t necessarily prevent future damage.

Preventive maintenance, on the other hand, focuses on identifying problems before they start to impact the entire system. During a preventive maintenance appointment, your technician will inspect all of the main system components to pinpoint any concerns. See what’s included in preventive maintenance.

What are the benefits of preventive air compressor maintenance

Cost-efficiency

Emergency repairs are generally more expensive than preventive maintenance. By the time emergency repairs are needed, you may need to shut down your facility (meaning costly downtime) as well as hire an experienced technician. The repairs themselves may be more costly, too, such as parts that may be difficult to acquire.

By identifying potential problems before they require an emergency repair appointment, you can avoid a major, unexpected expense.

Longevity

Preventive air compressor maintenance can help extend the life expectancy of your air compressor. Given that replacing an entire air compressor system is often expensive and disruptive to daily operations, a longer lifespan translates to long-term savings.

Avoid downtime

Preventive maintenance can help you avoid production coming to an abrupt halt and workers who are unproductive. Although a maintenance appointment may seem like downtime, unforeseen downtime is far more costly.

A sudden failure of your air compressor system could completely halt your day-to-day operations. Unlike a preventative maintenance appointment, which you can schedule at your convenience, you won’t have time to prepare for this downtime. For many businesses, the cost of a complete air compressor breakdown is unmanageable.

Energy efficiency

Over time, air compressors may start to run at a lower capacity than usual or require more energy to reach the required output. Preventive air compressor maintenance will help keep you aware of any issues that are compromising the system’s energy efficiency. You can then amend these issues to improve the system’s efficiency (and save on energy bills).

Schedule your maintenance today!

All of the above may seem far-fetched, but the Elevated Industrial Solutions team has seen this happen. One customer didn’t keep up with their maintenance plan and called us when it was an emergency. (Read the case study.)

Elevated Industrial Solutions has preventive maintenance plans for your business in Northern Kentucky, Southern Ohio, Northern Ohio, Eastern Indiana, Michigan, and South Carolina. Let us help you find the plan that works for your facility and team.

emergency service for your air compressor signs

Signs your air compressor may need emergency service

Written by Tami Matthews on May 10, 2022. Posted in Air compressors, Compressed Air, Compressed Air. Leave a Comment

Your air compressor needs to be working properly for efficient, productive operations. However, routine, professional maintenance is essential to keeping your compressor in excellent condition.

Of course, there are signs your compressor needs preventive maintenance. The following air compressor signs are dire and may indicate you need more extensive service or even emergency service.

Declining or abnormal air pressure

If you notice that your compressor is frequently providing inconsistent air pressure, or if the air pressure has sharply declined, you need to call a technician. Inconsistent air pressure indicates that your compressor’s parts may be succumbing to wear and tear.

Decreasing air pressure, on the other hand, is a sign that you may have an air leak. An air leak will force your machine to use more energy to run, leading to higher energy bills. A skilled technician can locate and fix the leak to restore your machine’s energy efficiency.

Noisier

Although air compressors tend to be loud while running, if your compressor is making more noise than usual, it probably needs to be serviced. A loud air compressor may have loose parts, be poorly mounted, or have crankcase issues.

Moving more

Air compressors vibrate. But some compressors can vibrate so much that they’re nosier and shake. A vibration analysis can help determine what’s going on and why. If your compressor is moving more than usual, it’s a good time to call for service.

Overheating

The average air compressor’s optimal operating temperature range is 50℉ to 85℉. If your air compressor becomes very hot while operating or even shuts down from overheating, you should schedule a maintenance visit ASAP. Overheating can significantly damage your air compressor.

Hard to start

A brand-new air compressor should power up immediately or almost immediately. If your compressor now takes a long time to power up, you should have it looked at by a professional. Taking a long time to turn on can indicate that the air compressor is starting to break down.

Elevated can service your compressor

Don’t panic. Our trained expert team can help with any compressed air issue you have. For those emergencies, we’re available 24 X 7 in Ohio, South Carolina, and Michigan.

Signs your air compressor needs service

Written by Tami Matthews on January 21, 2022. Posted in Air compressors, Compressed Air, Compressed Air, Compressed air systems. Leave a Comment

There are lots of signs your air compressor needs service — it’s dripping oil, it’s smoking, it’s noisier than usual, etc. Those are obvious. But there are times when your compressor needs service and it’s not as obvious. Here are a few:

Run-time or calendar

signs your air compressor needs service infographic

Consider run-time as part of your preventive maintenance. We recommend annually or every 2,000 hours, whichever comes first.

Weather

Extreme weather can cause big problems to your air compressor, either when it’s too hot or too cold. One tip for hot weather: try power washing your air compressor.

Plant conditions

Dirty, dusty, and other poor environmental conditions can cause issues with your air compressor. For these environments, we recommend more frequent service.

Higher costs and energy

Another good time to get service or an audit is when you notice higher-than-expected energy bills. You may even think you need a new compressor when you need to determine what’s wrong with your current setup. Easy ways to determine include an air demand analysis, leak audit, or other analysis to investigate the culprit.

Contact us for service

At Elevated Industrial Solutions, we provide maintenance and audits before your air compressor becomes an emergency. Our technicians have experience taking care of every major brand of compressor. And we service locations across the tri-state area – Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana – as well as South Carolina.

We even have 24/7 service for emergencies. (We just hope it doesn’t come to that!)