Maintaining a contaminant-free Air Compressor system is vital for food and beverage manufacturers. But the reality is that the air systems used by such manufacturers often contain contaminants—like oil vapor, microorganisms, and particulate matter—making their products a potential health risk.
Atlas Machine and Supply’s Andy Poplin has over 30 years of experience in every aspect of the compressed air industry, including best practices for maintaining contaminant-free systems. He sees it as his mission to alert manufacturers to the precautions available to take. So, what can be done?
Andy says the answer is simple. The first step is recognizing compressed air as a food ingredient, and then establishing a safety/quality process. Development of such a process makes sure that all parts of the air system being used--whether oil-free or oil-flooded—are regularly and properly maintained. Proper maintenance, advises Andy, is critical and not only includes the compressor itself, but also its related system components, such as air dryers, particulate filters, and oil removal filtration.
Another important step towards having a contaminant-free Air Compressor system is using the proper-grade lubricant. Such lubricants can vary greatly and using the wrong one can definitely affect the quality of the product being produced, as well as the life of the Compressed Air system. He also advises incorporating continuous air monitoring and periodic air-quality sampling as part of a compressor system’s maintenance routine. Such early detection is essential in keeping the compressed air being produced absolutely free of impurities that could be transferred to the products being manufactured.
Andy is passionate about sharing his expertise with manufacturers reliant on Compressed Air to produce their products. His long-time career includes every aspect of the compressed air industry.
Andy has shared his expertise at approximately 100 workshops and conferences, such as the nationally-recognized Best Practices Expo where he made a presentation on maintaining contaminant-free Air Compressor systems. He currently serves as the Corporate Sales Director for Atlas Machine and Supply, Inc.—one of the most successful Compressed Air distributors in the United States.
Find out how the Atlas team can assist you in improving the quality of your Compressed Air. Contact Andy by clicking the button below. He's standing by to help.
