Are you wondering what compressor technology will be like in 20 years’ time?
Compressors are always getting better, and that process has only gotten faster over the last few years. More of the biggest compressor manufacturing companies are working hard to create quantum leaps forward when it comes to the future of compressor technology.
Innovations are essential for commercial compressors. Some companies, like Carrier, have been known for innovation since the beginning. In the last decade, other companies have made innovation a bigger part of their market strategy.
Not that long ago, innovation in compressor technology was limited to whatever it took to improve operating efficiency and ensure the unit could meet upcoming environmental standards. While those are both critical, they’re only the beginning. Compressors are getting a whole lot more exciting, with never-before-seen features.
At the same time, compressor manufacturers are using remanufacturing for two major purposes:
- Ensuring older makes and models can be remanufactured, keeping legacy equipment in service.
- Reducing the amount of waste dedicated to manufacturing, especially new compressor cores.
Remanufacturing compressors means that you can save time and money. Compressor manufacturers are now actively supporting compressor remanufacturing by making it easier for compressor remanufacturing brands in the United States to access compressor cores – which are used as the basis of a newly remanufactured unit.
Whenever you get a remanufactured compressor, you can rest assured it will have all of the same features and capabilities as a new unit from the OEM. In fact, OEMs often use remanufacturing rather than producing a new unit in response to your order. This fact is hidden by the relationship OEMs have with wholesalers.
With a remanufactured commercial compressor, the unit you receive must meet all performance standards and environmental standards that were in force when that make and model was new. However, only your remanufactured commercial compressor has the potential to exceed all of those standards.
What Can You Look Forward To in The Future of Compressor Technology?
The future of compressor technology is almost here, and it looks bright. Some of the trends that are already in the compressor market will only get better with time. And the brand new ideas in compressor technology that will soon become reality are just as exciting.
Let’s take a look at just a few of the terrific new directions the future of compressor technology might take:
More Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence is the biggest story of today’s technology landscape. It seems like AI is showing up literally everywhere – from vehicles to home appliances and beyond. We’re also seeing the start of that in the world of compressor technology. AI has two powerful applications for compressors in the near future:
- Tying compressors even more closely and more effectively into building management systems (BMS).
- Using predictive analytics to alert technicians to potential problems before fault conditions develop.
Building management systems are becoming a must in many industries. They give facilities leaders a way to further reduce energy consumption, manage maintenance more effectively, and reduce system downtime. Today’s BMSs are getting even better at carefully orchestrating the environment to maximize efficiency.
At the same time, predictive analytics are coming to the fore. Predictive analytics leverage the power of AI to connect the dots between millions of different data points—from all similar compressors in service, not just your own—to warn when operating conditions change in a way that suggests problems later on.
These small changes would never come to a maintenance technician’s attention under normal circumstances, but AI makes them visible. That way, you can get started with preventive maintenance faster. Ultimately, that results in less money spent on repairs and less system downtime.
Alternative Materials and Designs
Of course, commercial compressors are an applied technology. Applied engineering will always be right at the forefront alongside today’s digital innovations. Sure enough, the future of compressor technology will fully benefit from all the changes in materials science and eco-friendly engineering now taking place.
Along with new oil blends, new alloys are creating the potential for more durable components that will help organizations overcome the traditional restrictions and limitations of compressor technology. For example, reciprocating compressors will be more able than ever before to withstand wear and tear, making it easier to keep them in service.
At the same time, compressor manufacturers are finding ways to pack more power into a smaller footprint—and, often, to deliver it with lower levels of vibration and, thus, less noise. When you decide that compressor remanufacturing is the right move for you, you can benefit from all this and more.
The future of compressor technology is full of innovations, and compressor remanufacturing is the best way to take advantage of them.
