LOCAL provider of portable air and power Rand-Air was recently asked to hire two diesel oil-free compressors to a local facilities management company, for use at the end-customer’s local motor vehicle manufacturing plant.
The plant has become the nerve centre of the company’s South African operations. Over the past four decades, it moved from operating as a production plant assembling vehicles with limited customisation possibilities for the local market only, to a facility, capable of producing customised cars for discerning customers across the globe.
“Although the hire was to the facilities management customer, the request for our services came from their customer in turn; to which we have hired compressors a number of times previously,” said Marinda Enslin, the Rand-Air Sales Representative responsible for the hire.
“The customer required two of our largest Atlas Copco 1500 cfm compressors over a period of some two weeks. We immediately sprang into action and were able to deliver the compressors the same day that they were requested,” she said, pointing out that the compressors are noteworthy in that they are truly oil-free.
“This is something which was vital for this end-customer, as the compressed air is being used by the automotive manufacturer’s paint shop. While other companies might offer oil-free compressors, their air output does not have the same 100% contaminant-free air quality which our Class-0-rated oil-free compressors have. A contaminant in the paint could have very serious consequences,” Enslin said. “With the number of vehicles that are produced at the plant, were a contaminant to find its way into the paint, the consequences for the manufacturer could be serious indeed. With a production capability of up to 75 000 units a year, and over 85% of all vehicles produced destined for the end-customer’s international markets in the USA, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Canada, the South African plant has to meet the highest international quality standards.”
The two oil-free Rand-Air compressors allowed the plant to continue manufacturing motor vehicles while its own compressor was out of service for extended maintenance. Before the compressors were delivered to the plant, they were first scrupulously checked by Rand-Air’s skilled technicians.
“No machine goes out of our yards unless it has been through a rigorous checking schedule,” she said, adding that with all Rand-Air machines, when they reach a certain number of operating hours, are automatically replaced. “This way our customers, when they hire from us, have an ‘as new’ rental experience.”
When the two compressors were delivered to the motor vehicle manufacturer’s facility, they were also accompanied by a Rand-Air technician who made sure the coupling of the compressors to the plant’s reticulation went smoothly. “However, because we supplied diesel compressors, connecting them was a very simple ‘plug and play’ operation.”