The Challenge
A precision engineering plant running four screw compressors had no way to measure air consumption at the branch or machine level. Air leaks — in joints, fittings, condensate drains, and flexible hoses — were suspected but impossible to locate systematically.
The compressors were generating 340 CFM. Actual consumption was around 210 CFM. The remaining 130 CFM — nearly 38% of output — was going nowhere. Three condensate drain valves had failed open and were bleeding air continuously. A flexible hose in one sub-assembly line had a 4mm tear that had been taped and retaped but never replaced. Two joints on the main distribution ring had slow seepage that had been there so long the team assumed it was normal. Energy costs were rising year-on-year despite stable production volumes, and no one could explain why.
What Changed
TuskIQ's compressed air sensor network was installed at 12 branch points and across both compressor outlets. Real-time flow data, pressure differential, and compressor load were visible on one dashboard. Within 48 hours, the system had flagged three abnormal branches.
The ability to see consumption during non-production hours was the critical insight. When production stopped and compressed air demand should have dropped to near-zero, three branches continued drawing — the fingerprint of uncontrolled leaks. Repair teams were dispatched with exact branch locations, reducing audit time from days to hours. Within two weeks, nine leaks had been found and repaired. Compressor output dropped by 22% for the same production demand.
Results
within 6 weeks
at current electricity tariffs
“Compressed air leaks don't announce themselves. They build slowly — one fitting at a time, one failed drain valve, one abraded hose — until the compressors are working at full load to supply a network full of holes. The only way to find them is to measure consumption at branch level and compare it against what production actually needs.”