Close links create understanding

24 August 2022

Maintaining close links between all parts of the supply chain has always been important and hardly more so than now. New technology lies at the heart of many products being developed to help customers meet carbon reduction targets and many will need support in using and maintaining the equipment. 

That’s certainly the view of Gayle Palmer, business line manager for Atlas Copco’s Power Technique business which manufactures a wide range of compressors, generators, lighting towers (pictured) and pumps running on electric and battery power as well as low-emission Stage V diesel machines, along with battery packs for energy storage. 

“Technology is changing so rapidly and extensively that it is hard for some customers to keep pace,” she says. “So establishing close links between hirers, suppliers and end users can ensure the best solution is found and cared for in the right way. For example, users need to know how to care for a lithium-ion battery on a machine without letting it go into a state of deep discharge.” 

Gayle says it is the same situation for users of generators and other machines with Stage V diesel engines. They may be used to specifying an over-sized model to allow for peak loading demands. 

“Diesel engines don’t like to idle excessively or to be lightly loaded, and engines with DPFs (diesel particulate filters) require periodic regeneration to clean them. So it’s even more important that equipment is correctly specified and that operators follow the right procedures.” 

She says that Atlas Copco’s E-Air portable electric compressors are also proving popular as a convenient way of meeting environmental obligations in urban Low Emission Zones where grid power is available, rather than using a diesel engine machine. 

By working together, the most efficient and cost-effective methods can be found.