Precision Rehab Manufacturing (PRM) custom molds seating for wheelchairs and other devices for people with disabilities. It relies heavily on compressed air to run computer numerical control machines, belt sanders and pneumatic equipment that manufacture its products.
“Our shop does not run if we do not have air,” said Nick Dinner, PRM’s vice president. “It is a lifeline for our business. We are super, super, super efficient.”
As the company grew and added two new CNCs, its existing 7.5-HP compressor wasn’t keeping up. The pressure was inconsistent—if both CNCs were running, the pneumatic equipment had to shut down. And he previously had problems with oil carryover from a reciprocating compressor.
So. he wanted clean, dry air and more consistent pressure, so that all his equipment had what it needed.
It all started with hockey. Nick’s father, company president and CEO Todd Dinner, played pickup hockey with the son of Dave Henning, sales manager at Diversified Air Systems, an independent distributor of industrial compressed air and vacuum systems. Todd asked Dave for help.
Dave helped PRM select a compressor to handle the CNCs. Then, after conducting an audit of the facility’s flow and pressure demands, Diversified’s Dan Miller recommended a 20-HP KRSD direct-drive rotary screw air compressor equipped with a variable-speed drive for the main shop.
With the VSD, there are definite gains in efficiency: Energy costs are down 35%, though Nick said he can’t give all the credit to the new equipment. He also installed new lighting, which helped reduce his electricity bill.
Team members had to scream at each other to be heard, Nick said. “Now, we can have a normal conversation. My dust collection system is ten times louder.”
Having a trusted partner like Diversified is “extremely beneficial for my time,” Nick said. And his wallet.
“Dave and his team came in and gave us what we needed, and the rest is history.”
— Nick Dinner, Vice President, Precision Rehab Manufacturing
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