Wireless robotics: where less is definitely more. Ever yearned for a wireless communication system for your robotics? Fed up with cables and their associated breakages and disconnections? Want lower installation and maintenance costs? Well, wireless robotics is now a reality. In fact, it’s been here for some time, providing totally reliable, noise-resistant communication at a growing number of manufacturers that have adopted the completely unique Wireless Unit from SMC. To help anyone who is still hesitant about wireless communication technology, Juanjo Jubete, Wireless Unit Product Specialist, at SMC Spain, addresses a number of common concerns in this short Q&A.   By Juanjo Jubete, Wireless Unit Product Specialist, SMC Spain MARCH 2022 Q1. How can potential users overcome their fear of the unknown in terms of wireless reliability? A1. It’s a common misconception that wireless is not as reliable as wired, but how many wireless systems have we got functioning in our homes? Headsets, landline phone handsets, car keys and computer keyboards to list but a few. Wireless communication technology has become so robust that most of us take it for granted, so why not let our industrial systems take advantage too? In the seven years since the launch of our Wireless Unit, we’ve had no notable problems reported. It has even been standardised as reliable communication equipment at leading manufacturers in the automotive industry. Q2. What if my IT department is reluctant to accept the addition of new external wireless networks, thinking that they may conflict with internal network packets? A2. It’s important to note that our wireless equipment only sends information when necessary, not constantly, in very small network packets. Furthermore, the system incorporates FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) technology, which has been widely proven for many years to work without problems in areas where several devices transmit information in the same bandwidth simultaneously. All of these factors help to ensure robust and reliable communication. Q3. Will wireless communication equipment perform stably and reliably in environments where there is a high level of electromagnetic noise, such as spot welding? A3. The origins of the product’s development are in the automotive sector, whose natural habitat is a sea of electromagnetic noise derived from motors, inverters, heaters, spot-welding equipment, RFIDs and so on. There’s no danger of the equipment being susceptible to failure due to electromagnetic noise. In fact, we know that it’s far more immune to noise than copper communication, almost behaving like fibre optics, but without the associated high costs and delicate care requirements. Q4. What are the optimal industrial applications for wireless communications technology? A4. Although suitable for all industrial sectors, most of the applications to date have been for robots and robot peripherals. The power packs found in systems such as robots and turntables subject the communication cables they carry to extreme twists and turns, eventually causing them to fatigue and break. The result is random system stoppages that often take extensive time to identify and repair, and which will ultimately reappear as they are endemic. With wireless, we can basically eliminate any cables that carry electrical control signals. Part positioning and orientation - Pick & Place - SMC´s EX600 Wireless Unit Q5. Can you set out the most important wireless benefits? A5. Adopting a wireless solution avoids unproductive stoppages derived from loose or broken communication cables or bad contacts. It also avoids failures caused by electromagnetic noise thanks to the better immunity of wireless communication. In addition, cost savings result as there is no longer any need for ultra-flexible cables, special swivel joints, highly protected connectors and so on. SMC´s Wireless Unit – EX600-W Series  

General industrial equipment designers, manufacturers and maintainers can now benefit from the new SMC ZKJ vacuum manifold with PROFINET-enabled communication for remotely controlling and monitoring manufacturing processes. The ZKJ also offers impressive suction flow rate taking its low air consumption and low power consumption specifications into account. Other features include valve protection functionality, IP65 rating and the ability to control up to 16 ejectors with a single manifold. PROFINET communication allows remote vacuum pressure operation, including monitoring the pressure values of individual ejectors and setting suction verification and the energy-saving function. This enhanced functionality leads to better control of the application, makes set-up easy and provides access to more valuable data and on-board product diagnostics. PROFINET's fast start-up function also makes it possible for an IO device to go from power on to cyclic data exchange in 0.5 seconds or less. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is also boosted as disconnections and recovery times are minimised. Up to 90% less air consumption SMC's ZKJ series vacuum manifold with ejector system reduces air consumption by up to 90% thanks to its energy-saving function. For the adsorption of work pieces with minimal vacuum leakage, the built-in check valve maintains vacuum pressure, significantly reducing the use of compressed air. Here, the integral pressure sensor monitors vacuum pressure and automatically turns off the supply valve upon reaching the set value. If there are leaks, when vacuum pressure falls to the set value, the supply valve re-activates to increase vacuum pressure and maintain the adsorption state. For porous work pieces or other applications where leakage is significant, the valve that controls the ejector from burn-out/breakage is protected by a special valve protection function that switches off the energy-saving control after a pre-set number of activations. As a high-performance vacuum source, ZKJ is a complete product that offers all necessary functions to fulfil the requirements of virtually every customer application, including vacuum transfer systems, automatic assembly machines, packing/unpacking systems, panel conveyors and palletising equipment. Alongside fieldbus communications and energy efficiency, SMC's latest vacuum manifold is highly versatile and saves space with its ability to control up to 16 ejectors from a single device. In addition, the wiring and pipes are integrated on the same side and the use of M12 wiring connectors means that the ZKJ is rated with IP65 protection against dust and water splashes, making it suitable for applications in which environmental operating conditions are a concern. Good vacuum pressure; low noise Available in various nozzle diameters and suction flow rates for use in sectors such as automotive, machine tool, food, beverage, medical, pharmaceutical and packaging, the ZKJ offers good maximum vacuum pressure (-89 kPa) and low noise levels (down to 52 dB) thanks to its high-performance silencer. Importantly, the normally-open supply valve ensures the work piece remains in vacuum in the event of an emergency stop or power failure (assuming air pressure continues), avoiding damage to equipment or employees if it were to drop. Quick and easy maintenance is another advantage, as the position of the ZKJ's vacuum port above the exhaust port makes it easy to replace the filter element, thereby saving on labour costs.

Pneumatic cylinders: drive energy efficiency by switching to 4 bar operating pressure. Climate change, sustainability and energy efficiency have never been so high on the political agenda. The UN’s recent Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK brought the world’s political leaders, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), businesses and scientists together with the aim of accelerating action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The question for those of us at the industrial machinery level, is how can we contribute? Today, I see a new generation of engineers keen on influencing the industrial world in a positive way, creating machines that attain new levels of energy efficiency to help protect the Earth for future generations.   By Séamus Dunne, Actuator Section Technical Manager, SMC European Technical Centre JANUARY 2022 By designing industrial machinery and systems for an operating pressure of 4 bar, rather than 7 bar, end users can cut their energy consumption by up to 29%. With such an enormous environmental benefit on offer, the question is how to turn this idea into reality? SMC’s Industry Projects Manager for Europe, Andy Still, has extensive experience in this area. Check out his article on energy efficiency: ‘Release the pressure’. Here at SMC, thinking about our energy-saving products, we offer both ISO and non-ISO cylinders; each has its own attributes and advantages. ISO cylinders prove beneficial in a variety of different applications which, in addition to their consistency in dimensions (regardless of pneumatic supplier), is why they remain popular for industrial machinery projects around the world. However, if you really want to push energy efficiency to new levels, I’d suggest that non-ISO solutions are the product of choice. Our engineers in Japan are always looking to design more efficient alternatives in order to drive down energy consumption and help OEMs create more sustainable solutions. We believe that more compact and lighter is the way forward for those seeking ultra-efficient solutions. Less material means lighter machines and lower shipping costs. Smaller products ultimately lead to smaller machine footprints. More machine lines can be installed into factories increasing productivity. And, although I can’t state that lighter and smaller always translates into less air consumption, fitting such components to moving parts of the machine can translate into less energy consumption. To give you an idea of the difference between ISO and non-ISO, here’s one example: compared with the SMC C96-C ISO cylinder (50 mm bore, 100 mm stroke), the length of our new JMB series demonstrates an 18% length reduction, while width is 9% less and weight is 39% lighter. Notably, it is possible to deliver air consumption savings through the use of intermediate bore sizes. For instance, to move a workpiece with a weight of 37 kg, a cylinder with a bore diameter of 43 mm or more is required (if operating at 5 bar pressure). Previously, a conventional 50 mm diameter bore would have been the closest option since the next smallest size, 40 mm, has insufficient output. However, with the newly released JMB cylinder in 45 mm diameter bore, sufficient output is available while also saving air due to a 0.4 L (ANR) reduction in air consumption compared with the 50 mm variant. SMC´s JMB Series – Offers intermediate bores Customers frequently tell me they want more compact cylinders that still offer optimal performance while also reducing energy requirements. Unfortunately, achieving these optimisations and the high levels of energy consumption savings that the climate crisis demands, is extremely difficult within the constraints of ISO 15552. Although we of course continue supporting customers with an extensive range of ISO cylinders and options, we’re advancing the development of other cylinder ranges - such as our JMB series - to satisfy market demand for more compact and energy-efficient products. We are at a time of critical decision-making for the entire planet. Let’s make the right choices. Additional graphical data Air consumption can be reduced by optimal size selection EXAMPLE In order to move a workpiece with a weight of 37 kg, a bore size of Ø 43 or more is required. Previously, a Ø 50 bore size would have been the closest option since the next smallest size, the Ø 40, has insufficient output. However, with the newly released bore size of Ø 45, sufficient output can be obtained while also saving air due to a 0.4 L (ANR) reduction in air consumption compared with the Ø 50.   ∗ Conditions/Supply pressure: 0.5 MPa, Load factor: 50 % Current bore size output NOTE 1 - Supply pressure: 0.5 MPa, Load factor: 50 % When the intermediary bore size of Ø 45 is used NOTE 1 - Supply pressure: 0.5 MPa, Load factor: 50 % AIR CONSUMPTION - Ø 50: 2.2 L (ANR) − Ø 45: 1.8 L (ANR) = 0.4 L (ANR) 18 % reduction Air cylinder and ISO 15552 Cylinder dimension & weight comparison Compared at ø63-200 mm stroke  For CO2 emissions reductions of our ISO cylinders versus their Non ISO alternatives, please check the Sustainable Management of CO2 catalogue here.

A new polypropylene type pump from SMC has been designed to withstand the harshest manufacturing processes, delivering production reliability that lead to cost and energy savings. The PA5000 process pump from SMC is so abrasion resistant that it is guaranteed a long life managing at least 50 million cycles. Thanks to its polypropylene body, it can withstand the corrosive effects of moving water, acids and alkali fluids.  The PA5000 also uses up to 53 percent less air to generate energy savings. Its clever design also features no sliding parts in wetted areas, which not only reduces particle generation but makes it easy to clean, as well as simple and quick to maintain, saving both time and money. A spokesperson from SMC said: “At SMC we are always looking at ways to improve our solutions to deliver enhanced performance and reliability. Our new process pump does just that – it’s durable and robust, offering long lasting efficiencies and flexibility in difficult operating conditions.” The PA5000 is adaptable and suitable for a range of industry sectors including water treatment, pulp and paper, chemical, semi-conductor, machine tool and print, paint and varnish applications.  It is compact and lightweight but achieves high dispensing volume and self-primes, making it an all-round flexible and reliable component. For more information about the PA5000, please visit SMC’s New Product Section at www.smc.eu

SMC has added to its gripper range with the launch of the MHM, which uses a magnet to handle workpieces. Ideal for workpieces with uneven surfaces or featuring holes, the MHM provides machine operators with reliable and safe handling and reduced cycle times that increases productivity. SMC, the worldwide leading expert in pneumatics, has launched a magnetic gripper that helps customers transfer workpieces with irregular surfaces, where prior to now it was difficult to gain sufficient absorption using a vacuum pad.     With a holding force of up to 1000 N, the MHM keeps hold of the workpieces even when the air is shut off, giving peace of mind when it comes to reliable and safe movement of workpieces.  Furthermore, with a residual force of 0.3 N or less, cycle times are reduced and productivity output is improved. A spokesperson from SMC said: “Thanks to the close working relationship we enjoy with our customers, it became apparent there was a need to develop a gripper for workpieces that vacuum pads could not accommodate.  The magnetic MHM fills that void, and the initial feedback has been really positive thanks to its clever design that offers flexibility, cost savings and reliability.” Suitable for a range of transfer applications, the holding force of the MHM can be adjusted by changing the distance between the magnet and workpiece by the adjustment bolt. Made from Fluororubber, the bumper prevents damage to the workpieces, delivering cost savings.  The bumper also prevents the workpiece from slipping during operations, improving safety.  Featuring three mountable surfaces and the option to mount auto switches, the MHM offers flexibility and greater process control.   For more information about the new MHM, please visit SMC’s New Product Section at www.smc.eu

The monitoring of multiple lines within a plant has become easier thanks to SMC’s new PSE200A 3-screen display, multi-channel digital sensor monitor. SMC’s latest addition to its Sensor and Switches range centralises the monitoring of various sensors using an IO-Link compatible 3-screen monitor.   Any sensor that consumes less than 50 mA and an output of 1-5 VDC can be connected to the PSE200A, offering an all in one solution for monitoring every aspect of line production from pressure to flow and electrostatics to temperature. It has four channels, so up to four sensors can be connected at the same time, significantly downsizing the space required for installation.   A spokesperson from SMC said: “The PSE200A series meets the needs of our customers as it saves costs, improves overall process efficiencies and machine availability due to being IO-Link compatible.  It can be used as a hub between the IO-Link master and sensors, converting analogue data to a digital format which increases data availability that can be accessed remotely any time, any place. “It can also detect the pressure differential between two points, so the ‘clogging’ status of filters on two different lines can be monitored remotely at the same time, allowing for smart FRL and preventative maintenance, which is an important requirement for our customers.” Additional design benefits of the PSE200A include being able to change the field settings while checking the measured values, where up to three sensors can be shown simultaneously thanks to a 3-screen display.  Furthermore, it features a user friendly, quick 3-step setting with snapshot function. For more information about the PSE200A, please visit SMC’s New Product Section at www.smc.eu

In response to working closely with its customers and identifying a need for space optimised and cost efficient solutions, SMC launches its JSY 5-port Solenoid Valve with the shortest valve width in the world at 6.4mm. Automation solutions provider SMC has created the narrowest 5-Port Solenoid Valve  currently available. At just 6.4mm, the new JSY is more compact and lighter than other solutions, making it extremely practical and adaptable for use in a range of applications where space is at a premium. One of the most outstanding features of the JSY is that, despite its compact size, it can achieve an incredible flow rate of 179 to 1551 l/min. The valve is also designed to deliver high levels of productivity. Thanks to its speed, cycle times are decreased and productivity is increased, which makes it a great addition for installations where improving efficiency is key. In addition, the valve consumes just 0,2W or less, helping to reduce the overall power in the system and subsequently the heat generated in the electrical cabinet, which together lead to cost savings. In addition, JSY offers high degrees of versatily so that the valve block can be configured in the best way for the installation. Different types of connectors can also be assembled to suit the customer’s needs, making installation quicker. A spokesperson from SMC said: “We understand what our customers want and have a clear commitment to weight optimization. Designed to fit everywhere, the new JSY doesn’t compromise on quality. While it may have the shortest valve width in the world, this compact solution delivers impressive performance.” Its compact size and high flow levels makes JSY practical and adaptable for use in a wide variety of applications, especially for robotics, such as painting and welding appications. It is ideal for moving parts, like rotary or indexing tables, as well as in tool changes in robot arms. JSY is available in three sizes: JSY1000, with a 6.4mm width; JSY3000 with a 10mm and JSY5000 with a 15 mm width. For more information about the JSY range please visit SMC’s New Product Section at www.smc.eu

The new Impact Blow Gun (IBG) from SMC is the most energy efficient on the market, using up to 87% less air than any other standard blowing gun. SMC is set to ‘clean up’ the blow gun market thanks to the launch of its IBG, which blows with a much shorter and stronger air pulse than existing commercial blow guns. Production in process industries with particle generation or refrigerated processes, and where noise is not an issue, such as forestry, machining and heavy industry, is optimised thanks to IBG’s performance, which is as much as 97% quicker to use than the competition. Significant energy savings are also achieved due to the small amount of air required to create a fast and stable, high pressure air blow, that will effectively clean away metal chips, dirt and water droplets. Also thanks to its built-in air tank, the IBG achieves a peak pressure that is three times greater than SMC’s previous VMG.     A spokesperson from SMC said: “We are always seeking ways to help our customers achieve greater productivity and energy efficiencies and the IBG is a fine example of our design innovation. The dirt particles generated by many industrial processes affect machinery performance and impacts productivity as stoppages are needed to clean affected components. For our customers this is a huge, time consuming and costly process. Our IBG resolves these problems by significantly reducing cleaning operation time and speeding up production.” The IBG offers flexibility as its peak pressure can be regulated with five different levels available, to meet the needs of various processes within a plant. For more information about the IBG, please visit SMC’s New Product Section at www.smc.eu

The technical challenge of sustainable packaging. The trend is clear, and there is no going back. Consumer environmental and sustainability concerns, in terms of plastic pollution and the rise of Circular Economy principles consciousness compel the packaging industry towards a more ethical packaging. This means using material easier to recycle like monolayer plastic or paper and reducing the quantity of material used. Moving towards sustainable packaging brings technical challenges to packaging machines. Furthermore, ensuring higher sustainability goes through higher efficiency. How? Keep on reading.   By Jorge Salgado, Food & Packaging Industry Manager, SMC Spain AUGUST 2021 By 2030 all plastic packaging within the EU will need to be recyclable or reusable. It will concern all kinds of packaging, for primary to secondary packaging, where paper-based materials are often utilized: plastic bottle blow moulding, rigid tray hot stamping, sealing with films or all kinds of bags with flexible material. Less material or new material, the problem is the same. Processes must be more accurate, better controlled, and easy to set-up. Multi-layer plastic in the spotlight as the main way to address plastic pollution Conventional multi-layer composite films are complex and expensive to recycle because of the need to separate the different film layers. Polymer-based multilayer packaging materials are commonly used in order to combine the respective performance of different polymers, the advantages that they bring to packaging are numerous. However, because of their poor recyclability, most multilayers are usually incinerated or landfilled, counteracting the efforts towards a circular economy. Additionally, many countries do not have the necessary recycling systems and processes in place to recycle complex laminates. By contrast, monomaterial films are fully recyclable as all layers are made of the same type of plastic. Concerning the manufacturing process, the transition from multilayer to monomaterial involves some changes. Today, operators have to manually adjust their process and to do some tests before launching the full batch. It must be mentioned that operators need a real know-how as there is no modelling tool enabling to set parameters (time, temperature, pressure…) according to the material property. Process modelling might even be impossible as materials will change from one batch to another. After all the objective is to recycle and re-use plastic, but composition changes as we mix different sources, sometimes directly on the factory floor, and because the more a plastic is recycled the more it will break its carbon chain and material properties. These settings are complex and time consuming and they may change from one batch to another according to the material, even for very similar productions! Another specific problem with monomaterials to consider is the required sealing technology, especially in high-speed range. Operators need to adjust parameters like sealing time, temperature or pressure. For a film, heat sealing has to be aligned precisely to prevent damage to the heat-sensitive outer layer while ensuring the sealing integrity of the inner layer.  What about paper-based solutions? Another superior sustainable alternative are the paper-based solutions. The higher eco-friendliness of this alternative lays mainly in the end-of-life perspective. Once in the environment, paper-based packaging can break down within months, but plastics can take decades or even centuries to degrade. Much of this finds its way into the sea. According to the European Environment Agency, 82% of the litter collected on European beaches is plastic, while only 2% is paper or cardboard Furthermore, the paper recycling rate across Europe already at about 80%. In term of process, sealing is of course also a challenge as it involves accurate adhesion technologies. The biggest problem might be however the cardboard particles which may generate failures and loss of performances.  Less plastic altogether The third trend in sustainable packaging involves packaging redesigning to reduce the quantity of material. Here manufacturing tolerances are smaller and precision, repeatability are essential. Summarizing, this switch to sustainable packaging will involve better precision and better control of the processes to anticipate problems. It will also require a speed-up in production changes. Moreover, meeting ethical packaging objectives, could end up generating an extra-cost of 30 or 40%. This is our proposal to counteract this challenge.  Think about OEE! Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a very practical way to prepare and mitigate the challenges of the next decade. Manufacturing only good parts (quality), as fast as possible (performance) with no stop time (availability). Sustainable packaging will for sure put OEE on the ropes. It will increase all these production losses, as setting times are longer and product quality is harder to maintain. This issue will affect machine-builders, but also end-users who are often upgrading or revamping their machinery, instead of investing in a new production line. For example, if the sustainable packaging alternative is paper-based, this encloses pollution and related risk of failure, compromising product quality. For instance, it requires the installation of cylinders with lube retainer in order to maintain a grease film on the piston rod surface and to prevent entry of dust or other pollutants. These cylinders improve by 4 the number of operating cycles. We propose the use of vacuum systems with integrated in-line air filters and lock mechanism or transparent bowls. Furthermore, an adequate selection of the vacuum pad material can reduce line stops. A last alternative to ensure quality in paper dust environment is to switch to the cyclonic vacuum technology where a positive pressure is supplied to the ejector side of vacuum end-effector to eject powder. However, there are other non-sustainable-related-packing issues, associated with product quality that if addressed can increase OEE, and assist in alleviating the extra cost and hassle that the eco alternatives bring to the manufacturing process. Addressing overall product quality – some examples Start-up rejects Plastic wrap, foam packing, or labels cling and attract dust and dirt, causing misapplication or contamination to pharmaceutical and food packaging. Industrial ionizers are the primary tools for static elimination, neutralization, and control. They are available in bar, nozzle and fan types to better accommodate a variety of production spaces that have accumulated static electricity problematic to manufacturing processes.  Production rejects For plastic bottle blowing and sealing, temperature control is one of the key parameters enabling to maintain quality and to ease set-up time. SMC will provide with a full range of solutions to handle this when it is about cooling the plastic or the sealing after production. They can be controlled digitally. Increase performance with digital control The star solution for addressing performance are digital sensors and connected devices. We rely on a wide portfolio to digitalize all components, to ease production change over, reduce set-up time and that allow configurations to be saved. Sensors and switches that help to implement effective predictive maintenance and check the whole system performance in real time. Every detail counts to reduce downtimes and maintain operating parameters and thus precision and quality High quality sealing. Flow or pressure switch enabling real time monitoring to avoid unplanned maintenance and to guarantee actuators performance. Actuators with metal sealing featuring less wear offering maintenance free operations and stable performance.  Tubing can be improved with a CAD tool to minimize cable length and associated losses in pressure and precision. Additionally, colour tubing will ease installation and maintenance while reducing potential errors.  Before the marking, rotary units can be used for a perfect positioning and blow amplifiers to prepare the surface, offering great return on investment.  Standard magnetic switches which can be adapted to any of our actuators.  Speed controller, maintenance or settings can be done in a much faster way: forget about the screw to adjust the flow and use its user-friendly wheel for a clear display of the value.  Valves, SMC also provides valve systems which allows one valve to change without interrupting the operation of the valve island (hot swap).  On the top of this, practical training will enable operators to quickly solve simple problems. Plastic pollution is an issue to be addressed by all members of society. As consumers and as manufacturers we are sustainably conscious. However, this is going to involve many manufacturing challenges in the next 5 to 10 years. These challenges materialize in machine modifications, higher costs and production uncertainties, which as discussed, can be eased by addressing OEE. At SMC we rely on local packaging trained teams ready to support our customers in the transition to sustainable packaging.

Release the pressure. The subject is more than serious. Pneumatic equipment accounts for about 20% of all factory power consumption and there is a proven way to improve energy efficiency: reduce the operating pressure. SMC explains how companies can achieve this objective and thus fall in line with manufacturing’s most important current trend. By Andy Still, Industry Projects Manager, Energy, Europe MARCH 2021 For most industrial plants, typical operating pressure (or main compressed airline) is between 6 and 7 bar. However, by simply lowering the pressure to 5 bar, facilities can reduce their energy consumption up to 15%, while dropping the pressure to 4 bar offers savings of up to 29%. The global understanding of pressure reduction is that it will affect performance. Although this statement is true for some equipment, it must be said that most workstations will keep running normally. Industrial companies cannot afford loss of performance or time stop in their operation, so they need a safe and reliable way of reducing pressure. With this thought in mind, at SMC we have devised a solution based on comprehensive system analysis at the outset of the project. The objective is to make sure that first the available power is utilized in an optimized way and second to smooth the demand peaks. Identification of the main problems In just a few days, without interrupting operation, an audit is carried out. There are many facets to this analysis. A first step is to evaluate the compressor operation and address the filtration components to ensure the system will not exhibit any pressure drops and deliver consistent flow across the entire pneumatic circuit. SMC determines air quality by carrying out a dew point analysis and collecting a particulate sample of the compressed air. Then, we also undertake ultrasonic leak detection; tagging, photographing and cataloguing each leak, with a short ROI if repaired. Finally, our experts investigate any equipment exhibiting increased air demand, and identify compressed air inefficiencies and energy costs. These initiatives help to determine existing conditions and minimum pressure requirements for the plant’s compressed air system. SMC can then provide recommendations/solutions, including the estimated costs to eliminate inefficiencies and assure system reliability when reducing the pressure. Industrial companies can lower the operating pressure without fixing every issue. The order of priority must be the elimination of leaks, the smoothing of pressure peaks and finally the improvement of the energy efficiency of each of the components. Permanent leak elimination Today, some plants suffer from 20 to 50% leakage rates due to poorly maintained compressed air systems. We identify all leaks and fix them accordingly, by correcting seals or tubing for instance. But this action only offers a temporary improvement. Further leaks will inevitably occur and small leaks will eventually become larger ones. There needs to be a policy in place that assures leak repair as an ongoing, continuous project. A leak detection system is highly recommended as it avoids future leakage costs and wasted energy.  Smooth demand peaks by upgrading the components which consume the most and optimizing the regulation As part of SMC’s role to identify any equipment that generates high demand, the primary consideration should be air blow systems as these account for 42% of global consumption and offer the potential to compromise entire system continuity. To help counter this issue, we can provide a solution that reduces air consumption up to 85%, generating shorter but higher impact-pressure peaks. A second option is to replace the air blow system with a mechanical alternative, if possible. This choice involves a small investment, but the return is fast due to the high consumption of air blow equipment. It is also important to consider vacuum systems, which represent 9% of global consumption. Here, a vacuum unit featuring SMC’s energy-saving digital pressure switch enables plants to reduce air usage by 93%. Smart regulation with appropriate valve technology also serve to balance the circuit, reduce peaks and allow the use of lower pressure when possible. For instance, actuator return strokes can often function with a lower operating pressure, sometimes 2 bar or less. A step beyond: eliminate all inefficient components to achieve 75% less energy consumption Achieving the previous steps, almost all industrial plants should be able to reduce operating pressure without any risk. A next step, and not such a complicated one, will be to optimize any single machine components. Small improvements in cylinder performance generate big gains. As a result, our experts consider the stroke, the fittings, the mounting and certain other adjustments to achieve optimum performance with the lowest energy consumption. We specify the best actuator for the application, including cylinders sized exactly to the load. It is of the first importance to ensure that all components have the correct sizing, which is where SMC can offer expert advice. Our company is the only supplier on the market providing intermediate size options in order to deliver best-fit solutions for every application. Further advice will include the potential adoption of low-energy consumption components, such as air-saving circuits, pressure reducing components, or switch-off power. The installation of a digital gap checker in machining applications (for workpiece placement confirmation) can also make a notable difference as it provides a 60% reduction in air consumption. This detection principle ensures a flow rate of 0 L/min when the workpiece is seated in its fixture. The combination of reduced operating pressure and system improvements brings huge savings in energy consumption, usually around 75%. SMC has a dedicated Energy Efficiency team which provides differentiation via its constant presence on the factory floor, from where it offers customer assistance from the initial analysis phase, to final implementation. Our skilled teams have accumulated the necessary knowledge and experience to lower system pressure without risk. Industrial companies should move now to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve significant savings.