Designing a Compressed Air System for 24-Hour Operation

Photo caption: Three compressors, twin-tower desiccant dryers and stainless steel pipework, designed so maintenance never stops production.

Some sites never stop. For a facility that runs around the clock, if the compressed air stops, the whole operation stops.

Airlinc Systems designed and installed a system for a major grocery distribution facility that runs 24 hours a day to support online ordering and fulfillments. The brief was simple: the air can never stop. And because the building was seismic rated, the system had to be designed for earthquake protection too. Here's how we made it happen.

Why three compressors?

Compressors need regular servicing. With three units, we can take one offline for maintenance while the others keep the plant running. If a service runs long or a unit is unavailable, the extra capacity has you covered.

The result: maintenance never means stopping production.

Wet and dry receivers

Think of receivers as the system's lungs. We use two, one on each side of the air treatment:

- Wet receiver (before treatment): absorbs demand spikes and lets moisture start dropping out before the air reaches the dryers

- Dry receiver (after treatment): holds a stable supply of clean, dry air ready for the plant

Why two desiccant dryers?

- One dryer stays in service while the other is isolated for maintenance

- Each dryer is a twin-tower design, so drying continues while one tower regenerates

- Filters after the dryers catch any remaining contaminants

- The system delivers a -40°C pressure dew point, very dry air that protects sensitive automated equipment

Why stainless steel pipework?

- Strong and rigid: it holds its alignment where flexible materials can sag or deform over time

- Corrosion resistant: built to last

- Rated above 16 bar: the compressors run at 6 to 8 bar, so there's a big safety margin

- Crimped connections: We use high-quality crimped connections to create strong, consistent joints with a low risk of leakage. Combined with stainless steel pipework, it gives us a robust system designed for long-term reliability.

The challenge: making it all fit

This is the part that doesn't show up on an equipment list.

- Working to the pads: the concrete pads were already in place, so every compressor, dryer and receiver had to fit its designated spot

- Designing in the bypasses: the pipework was laid out with bypasses built in, so units can be isolated without shutting the system down, and everything still had to fit together in the space

- Getting air through the building: we planned the route from the dry receiver right through the facility, which meant core drilling and custom bracketing

- Seismic rating: because the job was seismic rated, all of that pipework and bracketing was designed with earthquake protection in mind

The big picture

What makes this job stand out isn't the equipment list. It's the thinking behind it. Every part of the system was designed so maintenance can happen without interrupting the flow of air.

Sound like your site?

Whether you're upgrading an existing system or planning a new installation, we'd love to hear about your operation. What does your site need to keep running?

Get in touch with Airlinc Systems today and let's design a system around you.