Compressed air at the farm is fed from a workshop to a packing line 100m across the farmyard through underground airlines. The cold environment and distance involved results in a drop in dewpoint temperature. This was resulting in a condensate problem and wearing of hand tools and pneumatic components in the line; in addition to the line freezing in extremely low temperatures.

Workshop manager, Mathew Jordan, wanted an environment where he could sure of getting dry air without the need for investment in costly dewpoint suppression technology. He asked for a demonstration of the compressed air water removal product, Dropout, available through Sheffield-based pneumatics expert PCL. On witnessing just how dry the compressed air was downstream of Dropout, Jordan ordered and installed two units – one in the workshop at the compressor end, and the other at point of use in the farm’s packing line.

He said: “The results are astonishing. The Dropout PDO600A units were installed in March 2013 during probably the coldest winter ever, and we left our water trap in line to monitor for visible water condensate in the system. Since then we have had no water condensate in the system, and zero related breakdowns in either the packing line or our workshop. This includes the feed to our plasma cutting machine, air tools, and compressed air equipment.

“I am amazed just how good this product is. As well as achieving dry air and eliminating costly down time and pneumatic failures, we have extended the life of our air tools and are now able to clean and reuse air filters on our plant, saving us additional unnecessary cost.”

Andrew Bird, MD at Dropout Europe, said: “Even those investing in multiple technologies such as refrigerant dryers, water separators, filter with staged efficiencies and coalescing filter have no guarantee that the air consumed at point of use will be dry. In fact many sellers claim that with a refrigerant dryer you still fundamentally have a wet system. Dropout provides a more efficient and cost effective solution to drying compressed air, and requires zero maintenance, consumes zero power, no consumables, no harmful CFC gases, and is available in a variety of flow rates to suit individual applications. We feel that we may have finally found a credible alternative to conventional dryers.”

Dropout is sold into installations which include, petrochemical, health, agriculture, automotive and general manufacturing.