“My goal is to keep downtime low to ensure consistent production and meet all of our contract deadlines in a timely manner. Expel has been the perfect tool for the job.”  – Mark Henderson, Maintenance Manager, Tarmac.

They installed one Expel unit before a dust extractor filter on the concrete mixer, which they had to replace regularly. Damp compressed air was causing the dust particles to stick, which caused the filter to clog and need replacing. Expel reduced the site’s downtime and expenditure on replacement dust filters by eradicating water from the airlines. A set of 8 dust filters cost the site around £700-£800 to replace.

Recognising Expel’s money-saving and production-boosting potential, Mark Henderson was eager to deploy more units across all 19 sites. He knew he had found the solution to address issues caused by compressed air contaminants. Henderson installed Expel across the newly acquired and rundown Euromix sites, which required reliable equipment to enhance productivity. Expel proved to be the perfect tool for the job.

Mark Henderson realised that Expel could eliminate the need for a refrigerant dryer on aggregate sites. Although Charlton was operating without a dryer, Henderson contemplated fitting one to address the contamination issues the site was experiencing. However, he was sceptical about installing a dryer, as sites with dryers still suffer from issues.

“Even the sites with refrigerant dryers still have water problems in compressed airlines. For instance, solenoid valves on the bin doors have been sticking.”  – Mark Henderson, Maintenance Manager, Tarmac.

Most compressed airlines at aggregate sites are long, allowing water vapour to condense before it reaches the point of use. Additionally, a refrigerant dryer does not remove oil-emulsion fluids or solid particulates, which also causes problems with pneumatic equipment. Expel is a 3-stage compressed air filter capable of removing ALL these liquids and particulates to 1 micron. Therefore, a dryer is no longer required because Expel does a better, more cost-effective job when installed correctly.

Expel proved incredibly successful. When placed correctly, it allows sites to switch off dryers and eliminate contaminants from compressed airlines.

The Results:

No Dryer Required: Expel eradicated the need for a refrigerant dryer at the sites. Therefore, the site saved the cost of purchasing, running and maintaining a dryer.

Reduced Costs: Expel eliminated production downtime costs caused by liquid water, oil emulsion fluids, and solid particulates in compressed airlines. The site no longer spends money on replacement dust filters, which cost around £700-£800 for a set of 8 filters. The site also saved the cost of replacing elements for traditional filters and several thousands of pounds of installing dryers.

Reduced Environmental Impact: Expel does not require replacement filter elements and drastically reduces the amount of damaged equipment. Therefore, Expel considerably reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfills. By choosing Expel, the site has reduced energy consumption and the Global Warming Potential (GWP) caused by refrigerant gases. Furthermore, Expel filters do not contain saturable internal elements, meaning the pressure bar drop does not increase.

Reduced Downtime: Expel stopped problems caused by liquid water, oil emulsion fluids and solid particulates, boosting the site’s productivity.