Most assembly plants use compressed air to power actuators, grippers, tools and other equipment. The source of that "free" power, the compressor, is housed in its own room in an isolated corner of the plant, out of sight, out of mind.
Unfortunately, that lack of visibility often leads assemblers into costly mistakes, warns Roger K. Baker, a senior engineer with ComEd (Oakbrook Terrace, IL), the electrical utility serving northern Illinois. When a compressed air system has trouble meeting the demand for air, plant management typically tries to solve the problem by raising the air pressure, installing another compressor, or adding air storage.