Welcome

If you’re reading this, welcome. Welcome to Airflow Compressors Ltd’s very first blog and very first blog post. The purpose of this blog will be to simply keep you (the customer) up to date with everything that has been going on in the Airflow world. There will be interesting case studies from recent jobs we have completed, reviews from customers who have received our services, new product information and much more. There will also be links to our website, where you can book our services and enquire about purchasing our products, and there will also be links to our social media accounts such as twitter, facebook and instagram to make it even easier to keep up to date with us.

Firstly though, let me tell you a little bit about us. Airflow Compressors are a leading supplier of complete compressed air solutions and have been established for over 21 years. We provide an exceptional and highly professional service to a wide range of industries varying from water parks and zoos to leading kitchen companies and food companies. Our combined knowledge and over 100 year experience allows us to offer expert advice and services on all of the leading manufactures such as Boge, Atlas Copco, Compair, HPC, Ingersoll Rand, Alup, ABAC and many more.

But, it doesn’t stop there because in addition to air compressors, we also offer a wide range of additional services and products in the form of vacuum, nitrogen and chilled water systems. Airflow are involved in every aspect of their product range from initial consultation to design, to supply, then onto installation and finally, offering a lifetime competitive maintenance package.

Our team at Airflow Compressors is made up of highly skilled and certified engineers who are committed to providing a top quality and reliable service around the clock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are also fully trained to carry out work on rotary screw, rotary vane and reciprocating compressors, as well as all types of air treatment systems.

In short, Airflow compressors offer quality products combined with excellent technical back up and service. These aspects have made us a major market leader for complete compressed air solutions across the UK. Whats more, our services can be tailor made to suit each and every customers varying requirements and specifications.

From Energy Savings to £££ Savings

Part of what we do here at Airflow compressors believe it or not, is try to save the customer as much money as possible. Shocking, I know. To do this, we go to the customers site, wherever that may be and install data loggers to their machines.

The data loggers, record the performance of the system – air and power consumption – twice a second. This allows us to work out which is the best energy saving combination  and the return on the investment.

Most recently, we helped save a leading kitchen manufacturer thousands of pounds a year. As well as dramatically extending the intervals between compressor overhauls which cuts costs and avoids interruptions to its manufacturing operation.

The customer previously had 2 fixed speed 22kw compressors to serve its 24/7 manufacturing operation and this equipment had only been running for 3.5 years but already needed major maintenance as the manufacturer had recommended overhauls after just 24,000 hours. These compressors also required servicing four times a year. This was proving to be both expensive and disruptive.

As well as this, due to them being fixed speed the compressors were operating with high offload running hours. Offload running meant that these machines continued to run even when they weren’t needed and didn’t produce any air, so they were wasting energy (and therefore money) as well as producing unnecessary carbon emissions.

What the customer needed was a more practical, industrial unit that would also save money. So, we data logged their system so that we could come up with an energy saving solution.

The best option for them , it was decided, was a BOGE C30FD. This space saving machine is designed for long term performance. It offers optimised output volumes with minimal energy consumption, is whisper quiet and the frequency inverter on the compressor matches energy consumption to compressed air demand, which makes it extremely cost effective to run.

The BOGE C30DF only requires servicing at 3,000 hour intervals and only requires overhauling at 42,000 hours, leading to further savings.

The customer was extremely impressed with the build quality, durability and savings of the BOGE compressor. So impressed in fact that they have bought two more for their other factories in the United kingdom.

For more information on how we could save you money on your energy bills, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

In Deep Water

 

Hello blog readers, just a quick update on what we have been getting up to here at Airflow Compressors this week.

Wednesday 15th February was the day we were helping a local tyre company become, well, a little less local. They were moving premises from Leigh to Liverpool and needed our help.

Our mission: to relocate the compressor from their old premises to their new premises. As well as install the pipework for their new building which was to be done by two of our engineers, Tony and Mikey, on the same day.

After making the brief journey to Liverpool Docks, we were greeted by an attendant who proceeded to tell us where we needed to go. Once we had actually gotten inside the industrial park we were made aware that we were in the right place once we saw a fellow Airflow van parked up.

It was clear to see that our engineers had already been hard at work installing the pipework in the new building. As seen below.

Once we had arrived, the next step was to unload the compressor off the trailer. This was a task that fell to Tony and a forklift truck. Again, as seen below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next destination for the day was Wirral. The journey was quite an interesting one as we were to travel under the River Mersey, yes that’s right, under it. I was a little apprehensive myself but I was reassured this was the quickest (and most exciting(apparently)) way to get to the customers site. As you can see, the Sat Nav shows us ‘in deep water’ whilst in the tunnel.

This task seemed the more simple of the two: remove a hire compressor from their old building that was no longer needed. However, upon arrival, their was a slight issue as we couldn’t find access into their building, there was a slight glimmer of hope though, as their new premises happened to be located just across the road from their old one.

After making our way to their new premises we found a person willing to help us with our enquiry. He explained that he thought we had the code for the door before letting us in to collect the compressor. The compressor was loaded onto the trailer in no time and we were on our way back to Airflow HQ, all in half a days work.

Surprise Installation

On Thursday 2nd February, one of our engineers visited an engineering company in Darwen. After receiving a breakdown call earlier in the week, the original plan was to repair their existing machine. However, once our engineer had taken a look, it became apparent that the cheaper, safer option would be to purchase a new machine altogether.

However, the company were already one step ahead and had invited a sales guy from another company to sell them their new compressor. This sales guy arrived whilst our engineer was still on the premises attempting to get their old compressor up and running.

In the meantime, the sales guy and the MD of the company were in his office enjoying a brew and a sales pitch. Just a normal day. Then, there was the sound of what seemed at first like a car engine starting, the MD couldn’t quite believe it when he turned and saw that our engineer had gotten his old compressor to start up.

In fact, he was so shocked that he interrupted his sales meeting to go outside and take a closer look. This is when our engineer explained to him what exactly was wrong with his compressor and how he had managed to get it to run again. The MD was impressed by this, so impressed in fact that he seemed to forget all about the sales guy who was currently sat in his office waiting for him, as he actually ended up giving our engineer an order for a new compressor!

Upon being asked by the MD ‘how long will it take for you to get me a new machine’ our engineer replied ‘a few hours’. This sealed the deal for the MD and he simply replied ‘go and get it then’. In under an hour, the C7DR270 had been loaded onto the trailer and was ready for transportation.

Teamwork played a part in this particular excursion, though because as our engineer was getting the compressor ready to transport, one of our office based team members was preparing a quote which he could take with him for the new machine.

By 3pm that day, the machine you see above had been successfully installed by our engineer and was up and running.

At Airflow, we pride ourselves in offering complete service from start to finish. So, once their new compressor was in and the old one had been taken out, we took it away for them free of charge. They were just happy to see the back of it, we think.

Once again, a combination of product knowledge, exceptional service and fast response times had put airflow 2 steps ahead even when they started 1 step behind. By being able to fix his problem and tell him how, as well as being honest with him, the engineer gained his trust.

Airflow Saves The Day

Ready For Delivery Less Than 4 Hours After Call Out.

 

  On Friday the 27th January 2017, a prestigious engineering company phoned Airflow Compressors informing us that both their machines had stopped running. One being an ATLAS CopCo and the other an ABAC genesis.

 

 

They also informed us that it was imperative they were up and running again within a matter of hours as the breakdown of these machines had caused them major production issues.

      After the phone call, our Director, Adrian rushed to the site himself to see what the problem was. After careful consideration and a lengthy conversation it was determined that buying new machines was the easiest, safest and cheapest solution in the long run.

 

 

 

Luckily for the company we happened to have a BOGE energy efficient variable speed dry air package instantly available to them from our workshop in Leigh. However, it had been made clear that they needed to be up and running again as soon as possible and so we were on a very tight schedule

  Adrian rushed back to Airflow HQ to load the compressors onto the van ready for transportation. This is usually the process expected to take up the most time, however with the help of our workshop team the compressors were loaded within a few short minutes and ready to go.

 

 

 

 

So, after entering the address into the Sat Nav (once Adrian had figured out how to use it, with Dean our National Sales Executive’s assistance) Airflow were on the way to save the day, BOGE C15 FD in tow.

 After arriving on site in under an hour from setting off, the compressors were delivered successfully and as a result, the customers were thrilled. So thrilled in fact that they signed up to a 5 year maintenance plan to back up their 5 year 42,000 hour warranty.

 

Airflow’s overall response time from start to finish – so from when we first received the call to the compressors being successfully delivered on site – was under 4 hours. This perfectly illustrates the fact that Airflow Compressors is fully equipped and more than capable of delivering exceptional service even when given a near impossible time frame.

Carbon Trust Green Business Fund

Energy efficiency support, energy assessments and funding for small and medium sized businesses in England, Scotland and Wales. 

Airflow Compressors are now an accredited supplier for the Carbon Trust and have access to ‘The Green Business Fund’.

What Is It? 

The Carbon Trust Green Business Fund is the brand new energy efficiency support service for small and medium sized companies, providing direct funded support through energy assessments, training workshops, equipment procurement support and up to £10,000 capital contribution towards your energy saving equipment purchase.

Energy Opportunist Assessment

The carbon trust are offering energy assessments to small and medium sized businesses (companies with fewer than 250 employees) to help them identify energy saving opportunities, and to develop a robust business case for the purchase of the appropriate equipment. Carbon trust may provide this support remotely via telephone and email, or on – site.

Workshops

A series of workshops are planned to help small businesses work out how best to identify the energy saving opportunities available to them. Advisers will be running these workshops with small groups of local businesses to show them how to make the most of this opportunity.

A Financial Contribution Towards Your Energy Saving Equipment

The Carbon Trust Green Business Fund is offering a capital contribution of 30% of the project cost (up to a max of £10,000) to small and medium sized businesses, who could benefit from financial support when buying energy saving equipment.

This could mean up to £10,000 towards a new compressor system for your factory/warehouse, to help you rise to the challenge of becoming a greener business.

This support is available for a limited period on a first come, first served basis. The minimum total size of the project must be £2,500 and equipment can be purchase from us, Airflow Compressors as we are a properly accredited company for the Carbon Trust.

Apply now to The Green Business Fund

 

BOGE Launch New Range

Enough about us. Why don’t we tell you about some of our products, well here you go. BOGE have launched a brand new range, just for you. If you don’t know who BOGE are already then you might want to go and give our previous post ‘A Proud Moment‘ a read before continuing with this one, as it will give you a little background information about the company.

Here is a little bit of information on BOGE first of all. BOGE are a leading supplier of industrial compressed air systems. Manufactured in Germany, their products are of a high quality and with over 100 years of knowledge and engineering expertise, you are provided with the perfect quality compressor formula.

The launch is an extension of BOGE’s popular ‘C’ range including a selection of new screw compressed air stations. The innovative C4(D)R to C15(D)R received mounted models are specifically designed for situations that require reliable, energy efficient compressed air supply but where space is limited.

The principal behind construction of the new models is intelligent yet simple. All major components are integrated into the airend block and all maintenance parts are arranged so that they are easily accessible and are easy to service. By arranging the machines this way, so that all the essential parts are in one compact module, pipework and connecting leads can be removed and so pressure losses are avoided. This boosts the efficiency of the systems and guarantees high operation reliability.

These machines can also be equipped with a refrigerant dryer, frequency control or heat recovery technology for even further efficiency gains.

In addition, ease of use has also been prioritized in these machines. Information can easily be read off the high resolution colour display. The touchscreen buttons also make it exceptionally simple to operate with the compressor also featuring super silencers to ensure the compressor will run extremely quietly. In fact, so quietly that the compressors are able to be used in much closer proximity to workplaces than would normally be possible.

Here is some further technical detail for those who may want to find out more:

BOGE	Pressure	Effective Delivery Volume 50 Hz	Motor Power	Dimensions W × H × D	Weight
Type	barpsig	m3/mincfm	kWPS	mm	kg
C 15 DR	8116	1.74061.4	11.015.0	1920 x 830 x 1990	575
C 15 DR	10145	1.53054.0	11.015.0	1920 x 830 x 1990	575
C 15 DR	13190	1.33047.0	11.015.0	1920 x 830 x 1990	575

  Confidently controlled:

The base control unit with LC display and pressure sensor system is included as standard. However, the focus control 2.0 unit is also available as an option, with its integrated efficiency indicator indicator, BOGE leakage monitor and even an RFID input.

  Perfectly Integrated:

The C series compressors are intelligently designed with all of the essential components integrated in the compact module. The lack of hoses and connection pipes makes is practically impossible for leaks to occur.

Highly Efficient:

High air delivery rates achieved with particularly low power input. This is the trademark of the special BOGE airend of the C series compressors. The top efficiency ratings are also partly due to the intelligent arrangement of the components.

   Effectively United:

Where space is at a premium: the C (D)R series combines a dryer and tank on a remarkably small floor area and runs with gratifying quietness – which means it can be used directly at the workplace.

For full pricing and availability please do not hesitate to contact us.

New Air Center Officially Open

(above) Andy Burnham, Local MP with Airflow’s MD’s.

Having successfully traded on Lord Street since 1996, moving premises was a big step for Airflow, but a long overdue one. Although it was tough leaving the old building behind, after all, this was the building where it all began, the very first headquarters for Airflow Compressors all those years ago, the team knew it was time for change. Times have changed, we needed a modern premises to fit with these times, another issue was the fact that we were expanding as a business, and so we were beginning to need more and more space.

 

So, in 2014 it was decided that it was time to bite the bullet. That was when we were handed the keys to Units 7 & 8 Platt Fold Industrial Estate. On first inspection, it was clear there was work that needed to be done. Valehall Building Services were called in to completely renovate the new premises into a bespoke unit to suit our 20 office staff and our service engineers perfectly. A new sales and trade counter was also built to allow airflow to achieve continued growth and prosperity in the future.

 

It took a while, but eventually everything was up and running and the staff could start to make their move over. The move over was a mammoth task in itself, however after a month of back and forth’s and transfers we were in.

 

On Friday the 24th June 2014, we had our grand opening. We were delighted to invite Andy Burnham, local MP into Airflow to declare our new premises ‘open for business’. After cutting the ribbon himself, Andy Burnham enthused about our local business and we were able to thank him for his time and his interest in the company.

 

After taking on more local staff, Airflow’s Directors Roy Woods and Adrian Sims decided that it was indeed the right time to sell their old premises to Hatchard Developments, who plan to re-develop them into flats and retail units.

A Proud Moment

A very proud moment for Airflow. The image above shows the MD (Roy Woods) accepting the ‘BOGE Platinum Partner’ Award last year.

The award celebrates and recognizes Airflow’s high level of business with BOGE and high standards of service and technical support that it has provided for its customers.

BOGE Compressors only awards Platinum Partner to it’s most prestigious distributors, with a small, but elite number now existing in the UK.

The award highlights the importance of the relationship between both parties, and any distributor that achieves Platinum Partner status is seen as an extension of BOGE.

Since the initial creation of a partnership with the major German compressor manufacturer, BOGE in 2013 for the Lancashire and North Wales areas, Airflow have experienced rapid growth.

As a result of this, BOGE UK have rewarded airflow compressors with the Manchester and Greater Manchester areas in the hope to encourage and continue this rapid growth and expanse across these additional regions for both technical sales and aftermarket services.

BOGE’s partnership programme rewards it’s dedicated partners through a point system that gives dealers exclusive benefits. As a platinum partner, Airflow Compressors will receive more favorable terms of trading including additional technical support from BOGE that will improve quality of service for local customers even further.

Roy said “This is a really great moment for Airflow, and its lovely to know that our hard work is paying off and being acknowledged”.

The BOGE partnership programme is open to any distributor that sets up a myBOGE account online and meets the membership criteria.