Revolutionising Industrial Efficiency: The Lontra Case Study

Redefining Positive Displacement Blower Design: Introducing the Innovative Lontra LP2

Lontra worked with RMS’s Motion Amplification® Team to help enhance product design

Unveiling Lontra: Innovating for Efficiency and Sustainability

Frustrated by the industry’s stagnation, Steve Lindsey, the founder of Lontra, embarked on a mission to revolutionise blower design. With compressors consuming a significant 10% of Europe’s industrial electricity across various applications – powering air tools in factories, blowing granules and powders in cement and food processing industries, and driving aeration in water and wastewater treatment facilities – Lindsey saw an urgent need for an overhaul.

After a comprehensive analysis of existing compressor and blower patents, Lindsey was struck by the glaring lack of innovation in compressor and blower design over the last century. This revelation spurred him on to explore a new frontier in blower technology. His focus was on the fundamental design of air compressoion technologies and how a novel approach could offer not just a technological shift, but also a vital reduction in energy consumption.

“We’ve used the latest test and development technologies to fully understand and produce the best product on the market, ensuring high reliability and low downtime for our customers. It’s important to note that excessive vibration can lead to increased power consumption and damage to the machinery. This, in turn, necessitates more frequent part replacements and maintenance. Moreover, traditional blowers are not only inefficient but also notorious for their noise levels, which can cause discomfort and, in many industries, non-compliance with noise regulations. The feedback from our customers speaks volumes. They have been highly impressed with the low noise levels of the LP2 Blade Blower in the field, providing an enhanced user experience.” – Steve Lindsey

Lontra’s Engineering Triumph: The Blade Blower

Lontra has successfully reimagined the design of the traditional air-end, culminating in the creation of the Blade Blower. This unique and revolutionary invention is the first major redesign of air end technology in 85 years, solving numerous issues associated with traditional compressor and blower designs.

In independent tests, the Lontra Blade Blower delivered impressive results, offering up to 34% energy savings against comparable units. With compressors and blowers accounting for up to 40% of electricity use in some plants, Lontra’s pioneering design holds the potential to significantly reduce global energy consumption.

Beyond energy efficiency, the Blade Blower offers improved operational reliability and durability. Traditional commercial units often suffer from air leakage, insufficient compression, and energy wastage through heat and sound inefficiency. To further optimise efficiency and reduce maintenance downtime, Lontra incorporates IoT and AI learning for remote monitoring and early detection of repair needs.

Lontra’s Manufacturing Center: An Epicentre of Innovation

In 2022, Lontra secured a £7m grant and loan from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, matched with £7m private investment. These funds were used to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing centre in Doncaster, primarily for the production of their flagship product, the LP2 Blade Blower.

This factory showcases Lontra’s dedication to producing high-quality products consistently while focusing on efficiency, sustainability, and local supplier engagement. The factory’s premier product, the LP2 Blade Blower, is set to be exported globally, starting with North America.

Leveraging Motion Amplification®: Lontra’s Path to Perfection

To guarantee product reliability, Lontra incorporated RDI Technologies Motion Amplification® (MA) to assess the entire LP2 Blade Blower and its components for vibration. The motion analysis helped Lontra understand and manage any unwanted vibrations at different speeds and stages of operation, ensuring the integrity of their product.

With the help of the MA team from RMS, Lontra was able to detect and correct any previously undetected vibrations, thereby tweaking design and reducing vibration to ensure a superior product ready for production.

“We could put an accelerometer on our blower, produce a report with sets of graphs for different components to give you an idea of how much it was moving at different spot locations, but this is very different from seeing the whole assembly moving. With RDI’s Motion Amplification® technology, you have one video in which you can see for yourself, what is moving. MA gives you a much more intuitive interpretation of what was going on.” – Lucy Littlewood

Partnerships: Enhancing Product Efficiency

Lontra initially encountered RMS at a UK exhibition, where they were introduced to RDI’s innovative Motion Amplification® technology. The potential benefits of MA technology were compelling, leading Lontra to invest in the equipment and software, and for RMS to train its team for effective utilisation.

Unveiling the Results: A Superior Product

With RDI’s Motion Amplification® Iris M™ camera technology and RMS’s support, Lontra has built a compressor that outperforms market competitors. As Stuart Walker, senior executive at RMS, notes:

“Lontra have utilised the latest technologies to fully understand and produce the best product on the market, ensuring high reliability and low downtime for their customers. The LP2 Blade Blower is very impressive – to say the least!” – Stuart Walker

Steve Lindsey, CEO of Lontra, further reinforces their commitment to customer satisfaction, promising that the LP2 Blade Blower runs quieter than its counterparts, offering an unparalleled user experience.

This case study demonstrates Lontra’s dedication to revolutionising blower design for enhanced industrial efficiency and sustainability. Through innovative product design and strategic partnerships, they have positioned themselves as a leader in their field, paving the way for a more sustainable future.

Get to know the Lontra Team

“…an engineering technology company founded on the idea that new ways of thinking will change the world.”

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Reliability Maintenance Solutions Ltd

https://rms-reliability.com/

Founded in 1999 by senior engineers Dean Whittle and Stuart Walker, Reliability Maintenance Solutions Ltd have optimised machine-reliability efficiencies through hands-on services and consultancy, innovative product solutions, and specialised certified training. RMS customers are technicians, engineers, electricians, maintenance managers, and CM practitioners who install, troubleshoot, and maintain industrial, electrical, and calibration processes.

Lontra Ltd

https://lontra.co.uk/

Lontra’s Board and Management team have over 50 years’ experience in the compressor and blower industry, with backgrounds across engineering, manufacturing, automotive and digital services, working at senior and director levels at some of the biggest global brands in these sectors. Their expertise has been brought together with a collective belief of changing the world for better, which is the basis for the creation of our novel, energy saving Lontra air end technology.

Last updated: 19th September 2024