Mann+Hummel Cuts Costs and Boosts Efficiency with ELGi’s compressed air system – saving over $160,000 and 2 million kWh annually

23 Apr 2025

The leading manufacturer of filtration systems for numerous industries replaced an aging system that was causing 20+ compressed air-related downtime incidents per day, product damage, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in delays and wasted resources.

Charlotte NA, Belgium Europe, Coimbatore India, 23rd of April, 2025 – Mann+Hummel, one of the global leaders in providing filtration systems, has successfully overhauled its compressed air system in partnership with Pattons Inc., USA, a subsidiary of ELGi Equipments Limited (BSE: 522074 | NSE: ELGiEQUIP). The new system, powered by ELGi’s advanced air compressors and dryers, has led to substantial cost savings, improved production efficiency, and enhanced product quality, transforming Mann+Hummel’s manufacturing operations.

Mann+Hummel serves numerous industries, that include automotive, agriculture, construction, data centers, energy, food and beverage, and many more. The company relied heavily on compressed air and clean water in its manufacturing processes, and an outdated and often faulty air compression system led to more than 20 compressed air-related downtime incidents per day and over 100 litres of contaminated water per hour. This cost the company more than $160,000 each year, leading to delays, wasted resources, and increased supply chain backlogs.

“When an air system fails, it doesn’t just stop production — it causes ripples across the supply chain, delaying product shipments, increasing maintenance costs, and ultimately impacting customer operations,” said Steven Owens, Senior Manager, Manufacturing Engineering, Mann+Hummel.

Mann+Hummel partnered with Pattons to replace the system with ELGi air compressors and dryers. Pattons worked diligently to design a system that would uniquely cater to the company’s manufacturing plant. The implementation took 12 weeks, during which Pattons provided rental compressors, saving Mann+Hummel $500,000. It chose five ELGi EG-160 rotary screw air compressors — three fixed-speed to maintain a stable baseline compressed air supply and two Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to adjust output on demand and conserve energy. Three ELGi AR-2350 high-performance air dryers were installed to remove excess moisture, minimize equipment damage, and prevent pressure fluctuations. An Airmatics Smart Control System was implemented to automate compressor operation and optimize energy use, and Airmate Air Receiver wet and dry tanks were installed to normalize moisture levels.

The results were immediate.

“It was like we had a brand-new plant,” Steven said. “Before the upgrade, we were constantly reacting to air pressure drops, low flow rates, and moisture contamination. Every day, production would stall, maintenance teams would scramble to fix issues, and we were losing money with every minute of downtime. Once the new system came online, it was like flipping a switch — suddenly, everything just worked. For the first time in years, we had stable, reliable compressed air across the entire plant.”

The radically improved air compression system also improved Mann+Hummel’s product quality. Before the overhaul, up to around 100 litres of water was infiltrating the compressed air system per hour, damaging seals, cylinders, and pneumatic tools, leading to misaligned and inconsistent product assembly. Filtration components go through compressed air-driven integrity tests, and fluctuating pressure led to false failures and undetected leaks. Products were failing quality standard checks and had to be remade or scrapped.

“We had clogged systems, defective filters, and increased quality complaints. Our products weren’t meeting the standards we needed,” Stevens explained. “After the upgrade, those issues disappeared. We finally had consistent air quality, and that translated into a more consistent, higher-quality product.”

With manufacturing efficiencies and product quality improvements, the company was able to increase production and clear its backlogs. Coming out of COVID-19, Mann+Hummel had a severe backlog, with 6 million units behind schedule. After overhauling the air compression system, the company was able to steadily clear the decks.

“For a lot of customers, filtration products are mission critical. Delays can significantly affect automotive, industrial, and energy operations,” Stevens said. “Keeping our equipment running consistently was the key to clearing the backlog, and the air compression overhaul made it possible. It’s hard to overstate how big of a change this was — it didn’t just improve efficiency, it completely transformed how we operate.”

Pattons also helped Mann+Hummel take advantage of a rebate program offered by the regional energy utility, Duke Energy. It handled much of the work to verify and technically validate the new working system to ensure energy improvements were properly documented and verified. This included compressor performance, energy load reductions, and heat recovery analysis, among other tasks.

The process involved several meetings with Pattons, Mann+Hummel, and an outside engineering firm. After all the data collection and rebate negotiations, Mann+Hummel was awarded a $300,000 rebate from Duke Energy.

“We didn’t just take the easy route and accept the flat rebate. We really got into the details, making sure every bit of savings was captured. In the end, we squeezed everything we could out of this project, and it paid off,” said Trey Carter, Systems Specialist, Pattons.

About ELGi

ELGi Equipments Limited is a global air compressor manufacturer renowned for its extensive range of innovative and technologically advanced compressed air systems. Committed to maximizing customer productivity and minimizing ownership costs, ELGi offers customers a comprehensive range of compressed air solutions designed to enhance energy efficiency and power superior performance. The product offerings span oil-lubricated and oil-free rotary screw air compressors, oil-lubricated and oil-free reciprocating air compressors, centrifugal air compressors, dryers, filters, downstream accessories, and IOT solutions for 24x7 remote monitoring. With a portfolio of over 400 products, ELGi caters to a wide range of applications across industries. For more information about the organisation and its products, please visit http://www.elgi.com.

About Pattons

Patton's Inc. (Pattons), a distributor of industrial compressed air systems and full-line service provider, was established in 1945 and is now owned and operated by ELGi North America. Pattons has seven branches across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, providing a full line of reciprocating, scroll, and rotary screw air compressors, vacuum systems, and air system accessories such as dryers, filters, piping, and condensate management systems. Pattons services include preventative maintenance programs, emergency breakdown services, and full system auditing capabilities. For more information visit www.pattonsinc.com