A major container manufacturer has installed Sierra's Model 240 Innova-MassĘ multivariable vortex mass flow meters on air compressor lines to help them evaluate the efficiency of blow mold machines in their plant. The manufacturer melts PET chip and extrudes it through blow mold machines to produce plastic bottles for the beverage industry. Plant engineers needed data on compressed air usage to help them reduce utility and production costs.
Four compressors control header pressure to the production area, and are cycled to meet the air pressure requirements of the molding units. The main high-pressure line feeds seven 1.5 inch pipes to each of the machines, which are dedicated to a specific size and type of bottle. By monitoring each of these lines, the plant engineers can accurately allocate production costs, and develop a new control strategy for compressor staging.
The Model 240 was selected as the best solution for high velocity, high pressure airflow monitoring. The instrument's multivariable measurement capability provides more process information for analysis, and wide turndown gives the plant engineers critical data on variable pressures. Furthermore, the installation cost of a single device with outputs for flow, temperature and pressure was found to be significantly lower than installing a volumetric flowmeter with ancillary pressure and temperature transducers.
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