East Lothian-based DMI Precision Engineering Ltd, which provides components to many of the UK’s heaviest industries, has reported a dramatic improvement in noise levels on its shopfloor after the introduction of air compressors from Edinburgh-based Vert Rotors (www.vertrotors.com).

DMI (www.dmiengineering.co.uk) provides manufacturing solutions to a wide range of industry sectors.

Employing 12 people, it undertakes CNC and manual turning and milling, drilling, 3-D milling, engraving, 3-D modular designing, prototyping and CAD/CAM design, to produce work in low quantities or high-volume batches.

In order to test the energy-saving potential of Vert’s products, DMI installed 10 Vert A100 compressors in October
to run the equipment throughout its shopfloor, replacing a centralised air power system.

DMI’s managing director, David Black, said: “Our business is by its nature a noisy one, so anything we can do to cut down on the threat of long-term hearing damage to our staff is welcome.

"As well as making it easier to communicate, a quieter workplace also makes it easier to concentrate, which is an important consideration for the highly skilled work that we undertake.

"The reduction in constant background noise when we switched to the Vert compressors made the working environment a lot more pleasant.”

Running solely off the Vert A100 compressors, the factory registered a noise level of 68dBA, which was 6dBA quieter than when the centralised air system was in operation.

As noise is measured on a logarithmic scale instead of a standard linear scale, every 3dBA reduction represents the sound energy level being halved.

The project was part of a study to quantify the benefits of using decentralised air in a manufacturing environment.

It came about after Edinburgh-based Vert was selected in June 2019 to receive a funding award of £410,000 from the UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).