Case Controls

Compressed air is a near-universal utility in industrial machinery manufacturing, powering everything from pneumatic actuators to automated assembly tooling. Despite its ubiquity, it is one of the least efficient energy sources available: up to 80% of the electrical energy used to generate compressed air is lost as heat, never reaching the intended application. For manufacturers running compressed air systems around the clock, this inefficiency represents a significant and largely hidden cost center. Without visibility into where energy is being consumed or wasted, plant operators have no practical means to prioritize improvements or justify capital investment in system upgrades.

Case Controls, a systems integrator specializing in industrial energy optimization, deployed Rockwell Automation technology to give manufacturers actionable visibility into their compressed air systems. The implementation centered on monitoring and control solutions that capture real-time energy consumption data across compressor assets and distribution networks. By integrating Rockwell Automation's industrial control and energy management platform with existing plant infrastructure, Case Controls created a connected system that continuously tracks energy input against useful output. This approach allowed customers to identify specific loss points — leaks, pressure mismatches, inefficient scheduling — without requiring a full system replacement. The solution was designed to layer onto existing equipment, lowering the barrier to adoption for industrial machinery customers.

The primary outcome of Case Controls' approach is a measurable reduction in compressed air energy waste, which can represent a substantial share of a facility's total energy bill. The baseline inefficiency benchmark — up to 80% energy loss as heat — serves as the ceiling from which improvements are measured. By identifying and addressing specific inefficiency sources, customers can recover a meaningful portion of that wasted input energy.

• Energy cost reduction: Customers achieve lower utility spend by targeting and eliminating the largest sources of compressed air loss
• Carbon footprint reduction: Lower energy consumption directly reduces scope 2 emissions tied to electricity generation
• Operational visibility: Plant teams gain continuous insight into system performance, enabling data-driven maintenance and operational decisions

• Compressed air systems are a high-leverage target: Because losses can reach 80%, even modest improvements yield disproportionate cost and emissions savings.
• Monitoring must precede optimization: Without real-time data on consumption and losses, improvement efforts are guesswork — instrument first.
• Integration with existing infrastructure is critical: Solutions that layer onto current equipment reduce deployment friction and shorten time-to-value.
• Energy efficiency and sustainability goals align: Compressed air optimization simultaneously reduces operating costs and supports carbon reduction commitments.
• Systems integrators accelerate outcomes: Partnering with specialists like Case Controls compresses the time from assessment to measurable results.