When thinking about collision centre tools that consume power, pneumatic sanders are often not even on the radar. After all, they are powered by compressed air, rather than gas or electricity, right? While this is true, it does actually take considerable energy to produce that compressed air and it can be more costly than you think, says John Hristias, PPG sales director Australia.
He points out that, these days there are easily accessed alternatives which consumer a fraction of the power.
“Traditional pneumatic sanders have been around for so long, no one gives them a thought. However, as part of PPG’s drive to offer customers a range of convenient, easily implemented, low energy solutions, the PPG MVP Business Solutions team conducted a thorough cost comparison of a conventional pneumatic sander versus the advanced electric power tools available from MIRKA. The results show that the MIRKA electric power tools have a dramatic advantage in terms of energy consumption and, hence, cost to run.”
Pneumatic vs electric cost comparison
The evaluation determined that to feed a typical pneumatic sander using over 400 litres per minute of compressed air required a 3.6kW compressor. Based on daily usage of four hours and an average energy cost of $0.51 per kWh, the cost per day worked out to $7.35 per sander. In contrast, a MIRKA DEROS 150mm electric sander, used for the same amount of time with the same average energy cost of $0.51 per kWh, cost just $0.82 per day to run!
Extend this out over a month and the savings become even more obvious and attractive. Using 20 working days as an average month, the pneumatic sander costs (20 X $7.35) a total of $147.00, while the MIRKA DEOS cost (20 X $0.51) came in at $16.40. That is a possible monthly energy saving of $130.60 for each and every sander in the workshop. What’s more, these calculations don’t even take into account the investment and maintenance cost of a compressor. Despite generally costing more to purchase, these figures show that by choosing to step up to MIRKA electric sanding tools, you can quickly expect to get a return on investment.
Electric takes the air out of pneumatic
Along with the significant running cost advantages, there are many more reasons why MIRKA’s in-house developed technologies make ‘electric’ the smart choice. As well as being compact and lightweight, MIRKA power tools feature high efficiency brushless electric motors that have plenty of power and torque to get the job done quickly and efficiently. In contrast to the often ‘throw-away’ nature of pneumatic sanders, MIRKA tools are designed for a long lifespan and low maintenance (there are no carbon brushes which need replacement). In addition, the ‘closed construction’ design prevents dust from entering the motor where it can cause wear and damage. Control is another big advantage. Where pneumatic sanders tend to spin at high rpm, MIRKA’s electric tools deliver high torque from almost zero rpm. As a result, these electric tools spin more slowly which actually allows the abrasive to cut more quickly and effectively. As an added bonus, it helps avoid putting too much heat into the panel being sanded – a problem which can cause frustrating and time-consuming panel ripple issues. And when it comes to longevity, you can expect a MIRKA electric tool to last the equivalent of three or even four pneumatic sanders and still be going strong!
For more information on PPG’s low energy solutions or the extensive MIRKA electric tool range, speak to your PPG MVP Business Solutions Manager, your PPG Territory Manager or the PPG Customer Service Hotline13 24 24 (Aust) or 0800 320 320 (NZ).