REF · 006-TEXT07 / Textile · Plastics

Compressed air for textiles and plastics processing

Variable flow, optimized energy.

Textile (air-jet weaving, finishing) and plastics (bottle blowing, extrusion, injection) industries share a common trait: compressed air consumption varies strongly with machine cycles. A fixed-speed screw with no demand runs unloaded and still draws 15 to 35% of its power while producing nothing, according to the US Department of Energy Sourcebook: hence the value of permanent-magnet variable speed compressors.

Technical challenges

What needs to be solved.

01Adapt air flow in real time to the variable demand of machines (weaving, injection or blowing cycles) to minimize partial-load losses.
02Eliminate the idle hours of a fixed-speed compressor, which still draws 15 to 35% of its power while producing nothing (US DOE Sourcebook), with a permanent-magnet variable speed drive.
03Recover compressor heat to preheat finishing baths, process water, or workshop ventilation air.

CEZIUM technologies

Our technical answer.

These processes share one trait: air demand swings sharply from minute to minute. A fixed-speed machine wastes energy there.

PM VSD screw

5.5 to 250 kW

Speed follows demand continuously: no more load and unload cycles, and pressure held within a narrow band.

33 catalogue models

PM VSD rotary vane

7.5 to 45 kW

For smaller flows, the same variable-speed principle in a compact, quiet format.

8 catalogue models

Two-stage screw

22 to 250 kW

When part of the load is steady, carry it on a two-stage machine and let variable speed absorb the swings.

27 catalogue models

Standards & certifications

Applicable standards.

ISO 50001ISO 9001CE

Compliances are verified case by case according to the selected model and audit scope. Complete documentation provided with each machine.

Air quality

The classes usually required

Textiles and plastics rarely demand the strictest classes, except on product contact. The priority lies elsewhere: energy.

ISO 8573-1 classes commonly met at each point of use, for guidance.
Point of use	Particles	Water (dew point)	Oil
Air-jet weaving and production machines	Classe 2	+3 °C (classe 4)	Classe 1
Injection, extrusion, automation	Classe 3	+3 °C (classe 4)	Classe 2
Blow moulding and tools	Classe 4	+3 °C (classe 4)	Classe 3

FAQ

The questions we are asked

Is a variable-speed machine always cheaper to run?

No, and that is a common misreading. On a steady, sustained load a well-sized fixed-speed machine does just as well, sometimes better. Variable speed wins when demand fluctuates, because it removes load and unload cycles. The right indicator is not installed power but the consumption profile over a real week.

How do you measure that profile before choosing?

By logging air consumption over a representative period, production cycles included, rather than reasoning from installed power. Many installations are sized on a peak that never actually occurs; a few days of logging shows it and often changes the machine chosen.

Can compressor heat serve finishing baths?

Yes, and it is one of the best uses in textiles, because the heat demand is permanent and close to the compressor room. A lubricated screw compressor returns its heat through the oil circuit, which makes the exchange simple. The limiting factor is almost always the distance to the point of use.

Going further

Worth reading before deciding

Permanent magnet VSD: what the drive really saves

What a permanent magnet drive changes on a varying load: idle hours removed, and the annual gain to be worked out from your own load profile, across 6 typical power ratings.

Compressor heat recovery: up to 84% of the electricity can be reused

A screw compressor converts electricity into compressed air… and into heat. That heat accounts for 80 to 93% of the energy consumed, and 50 to 90% of that heat can be recovered to heat a building or a process. Method and calculation.

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