◄ back

Bath elements in various shapes and colors - Bette GmbH & Co. KG from Delbrück is a premium manufacturer of bathtubs, shower surfaces, shower trays and washbasins made of glazed titanium steel. The production process is associated with high demands on the required compressed air.

Fascinated by noble steel - this is how Bette describes the motivation and passion with which the company, which has its roots in the East Westphalia-Lippe region, manufactures bath elements to meet the highest demands. Bathtubs, shower surfaces and tubs as well as washbasins are manufactured in a special process. Titanium steel is used, which is formed under high pressure and finished with a thin, glass-like coating, an enamel coating. In a combination of automated series production and handcrafting, individually tailored products are created. The customer can choose from over 600 different colors and numerous features. 385 employees work at the production and administration site in Delbrück for the family-owned company, which generated sales of 83 million euros last year.

The new compressed air system went into operation in 2018. Two S132-4L screw compressors cover the base load alternately; the S100-3 screw compressor is used for peak demand. The enamelling process consumes 60 percent of the compressed air generated in this way. The top priority was to ensure the availability of compressed air of consistent quality at all times, especially for the enameling process. "We need high reliability," says Bartels. "Pressure fluctuations in the supply network are very problematic, as they lead to constant interruptions in the spraying process and thus have a negative impact on the enameling process." Such fluctuations lead to unevenly applied enamel layers and thus quality losses that the renowned manufacturer cannot afford. But clean, dry and technically oil-free compressed air of consistent quality is also crucial to the process. This is why microfilters and refrigeration dryers are installed downstream of the compressors. The high-performance filters reduce the residual oil content of the compressed air to 0.01 mg/m³, while the dryer ensures a pressure dew point of three degrees Celsius.

For enameling, spraying robots apply the enamel, which requires a relatively high pressure of eight bar for atomization. In addition, this high air pressure must be 100 percent oil-free. If oil gets onto the steel substrate, the enamel layer loses its adhesive strength. In addition, any oil quickly spreads throughout the entire plant, causing time-consuming and costly work. This danger is averted by the Boge bluekat Converter BC210, which guarantees permanent compressed air quality of class 0 according to ISO 8573-1. As a catalyst, it converts the oil remaining in the air into carbon dioxide and water. This keeps the residual oil content in the compressed air below 0.003 mg per standard cubic meter - regardless of the quality of the intake air. The Boge DCZ126-2 activated carbon adsorber is used as a redundancy, which continues to ensure oil-free compressed air during maintenance work on the converter.

The Boge bluekat converter has overload protection and cannot be overrun. In contrast, with conventional treatment processes, oil separation failure is possible if the filters are not properly maintained or become oversaturated. Bette's compressed air concept is particularly focused on safety and high availability, so there is even a second refrigeration dryer to allow maintenance work to be carried out during operation. Boge has designed the running behavior of the screw compressors for optimum energy efficiency, so that the new system saves energy costs of up to ten percent. In addition, the heat produced during compressed air generation is used to heat the production halls and administration buildings and as process heat. In this way, the running time of the natural gas-fired boilers has been reduced by around 30 percent. Additional sustainable process heat is provided by combined heat and power units.

"Boge provided us with excellent support during the entire project implementation; the service is competent and solution-oriented," says Bartels happily. "With the Boge bestcair service program, we will continue to rely on high operational reliability and consistent efficiency of the systems in the future." Boge offers a five-year warranty on the motor and compressor stage, supplies original wear parts during this period and uses certified service technicians for maintenance work. "We expressed our attachment to Boge and our enthusiasm for the entire plant in a special campaign," reports the plant manager with a twinkle in his eye. "Since the converter was delivered in gray and the compressed air storage tank in galvanized, we unceremoniously repainted these plant components." As a result, all components of the compressed air system now shine in the typical Boge blue.