Reducing Energy Costs for Maaco Auto Body Shop

Maaco Logo

Problem

Compressed Air Systems (CAS) was called in for a professional evaluation by the owner of the Maaco Auto Body shop of Orlando, FL. They were an existing customer whom we had greatly impressed in the past; we provided them prompt and professional service when their Atlas Copco suffered a mechanical breakdown. Our team was able to get the compressor back up and running, but now they were considering revamping his aging system with a more modern design.

Maaco’s 30-horsepower air compressor did not provide the same level of reliability as when it was first purchased. Part of the problem was that the heat being expelled from the air compressor’s exhaust was not being ducted out of the compressor area. The excess heat in the compressor room caused the refrigerated air dryer to become derated; this inefficacy prevents the moisture in the compressed air to be removed and ultimately affects the spray painting process.

Solution

Jeff Guzzo, CAS Sales Engineer for the Orlando, FL area determined that two 15 hp Kaeser SM15 air compressors would be an ideal solution. Having two 15 hp compressors would provide a stronger backup along with superior dependability; no shut down would be needed for routine maintenance. A 24-hour lead/lag switch was also installed—this extended the unit’s service life by turning the backup on and off when air was needed. Also, CAS had stated that there would be electrical cost savings lowering his monthly kilowatt usage.

Maaco agreed with our recommendations, and decided that having two Kaeser air compressors for the sake of redundancy and electrical savings made perfect sense. Our installation department quickly began installing the proper ductwork, piped in the new compressors and performed the official start up. One 15 hp compressor was more than capable of supplying enough air throughout the day, and the second backup compressor would engage as needed from time to time.

Result

Maaco was fully satisfied with the new system, which significantly reduced the cost of their electrical bill. Since having the new CAS system installed, they are saving roughly $300 per month ($3,600 per year).