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The project shows the opportunity manufacturers have to unlock major savings through smarter air system management. Mann+Hummel saved $160,000 annually in energy costs, cleared a 6-million-unit backlog and secured a $300,000 utility rebate after overhauling its compressed air system with Pattons and ELGi.

Mann+Hummel is one of the world’s premier providers of filtration systems, serving such industries as automotive, agriculture, construction, data centers, energy, food and beverage, and many more. Its North Carolina facility relies heavily on clean, compressed air. It powers plant equipment and plays a critical role in chemical mixing and leak testing.

Before working with Pattons, the facility suffered from continuous shutdowns. An outdated compressed air system was breaking down daily, causing over 20 air-related production stoppages per shift. The system struggled to maintain consistent air pressure and was introducing up to 30 gallons of moisture per hour into critical processes, damaging equipment and compromising product quality.

The result was a ripple effect of delays, mounting maintenance costs and quality control issues that left the facility with a 6-million-unit production backlog. For customers relying on mission-critical filters in automotive, energy and industrial applications, these delays were more than inconvenient — they threatened downstream operations.

“When an air system fails, it doesn’t just stop production — it causes ripples across the supply chain, delaying product shipments, increasing maintenance costs and ultimately impacting customer operations,” said Steven Owens, senior manager of manufacturing engineering at Mann+Hummel.

“Around 2 p.m. every afternoon, our operators braced for the inevitable radio call reporting low air pressure or water contamination in the system. It became so routine you could set your watch to it,” he added.

Pattons Solution

Mann+Hummel partnered with Pattons to formulate a plan that could rescue the plant’s operations. Pattons replaced the company’s air system with new ELGi air compressors, refrigerated dryers, wet and dry tanks, and a smart controller. This included:

Pattons installed five ELGi EG-160 air compressors — three with fixed-speed drives and two with variable frequency drives (VFD) that adjust motor speeds to a given load requirement. Its η-V profile rotors operate at low speeds, reducing heat generation and improving efficiency, making it ideal for a facility previously plagued by moisture buildup and unstable air pressure.

EG Series compressors feature a three-stage oil separation system that delivers high-quality, contaminant-free air. This was essential to Mann+Hummel’s efforts to maintain product integrity during chemical mixing, where it helped maintain consistent formulations (e.g. creating air blankets to prevent premature reactions) and performing leak testing on oil filters.

Pattons then installed three ELGi AR-2350 refrigerated dryers to eliminate moisture-related failures. Equipped with an automatic condensate drain, these dryers remove moisture without air loss, minimizing maintenance and preventing water-related issues in the compressed air system. Before the overhaul, up to 30 gallons of water was infiltrating the air system per hour, damaging seals, cylinders and pneumatic tools, leading to misaligned and inconsistent product assembly.

Additionally, the ELGi AR-2350 refrigerated dryer’s energy-efficient thermal mass control provides significant power savings during partial and no-load conditions, supporting the company’s efforts to reduce operational costs and enhance energy efficiency.

Pattons included Airmate Air Receiver wet and dry tanks to help normalize moisture levels across the system, reducing pressure fluctuations and further protecting Mann+Hummel’s sensitive manufacturing processes. The tanks help stabilize the pressure and flow of compressed air by absorbing fluctuations caused by compressors cycling on and off. This ensures a steady and consistent supply of compressed air.

Inside the Airmate Air Receiver tanks, moisture has an opportunity to settle and separate from the compressed air. The tank is equipped with a drain valve at the bottom, allowing accumulated condensate to be periodically removed, ensuring that the compressed air remains dry and clean.

The implementation took 12 weeks, during which Pattons provided Mann+Hummel with rental air compressors to help the company save approximately $500,000 during the transition.

“Pattons made the entire process seamless. They handled everything — from engineering to installation to rentals — so we didn’t have to slow down production,” Owens said. “We never had to shut down. Even during installation, Pattons kept us running with rentals, which saved us from hundreds of thousands in potential downtime.”

Immediate Impact

Production stabilized overnight. What had been a daily scramble to troubleshoot pressure drops, clogged lines and water contamination was suddenly replaced by reliable, consistent performance across the plant. Air-related failures, which had previously occurred up to 20 times a day, dropped to zero after the installation.

Mann+Hummel’s maintenance team was no longer reacting to constant failures, and operators could focus on hitting production goals instead of bracing for breakdowns. For the first time in years, Mann+Hummel had full confidence in its compressed air system — and it showed in both uptime and output.

With production efficiency immediately improving and products clearing quality control tests more frequently, Mann+Hummel stabilized its manufacturing schedule, met delivery deadlines, and regained the confidence of key customers in the automotive and industrial sectors. The company began clearing the facility’s 6-million-unit backlog, a feat that previously seemed unachievable.

“For a lot of customers, our filtration products are mission-critical. Delays can significantly affect automotive, industrial and energy operations,” Owens said. “Keeping our equipment running consistently was the key to clearing the backlog and making sure our customers got what they needed on time. This project gave us the stability and predictability we needed to catch up and stay ahead.”

Energy Efficiency & Long-Term Savings

Mann+Hummel’s performance gains were matched by energy savings that dramatically reduced costs and helped unlock a six-figure rebate from the local utility — further validating the business case for the overhaul.

The new air system is much more efficient. With upgrades like the VFDs and air tanks responding more dynamically to system needs, electricity is better managed. Pattons also installed a smart control system that dynamically adjusts air usage and optimizes energy consumption.

“Before, we had six compressors running full throttle all the time. Now we’re averaging just three and a half. That alone is a huge efficiency gain,” Owens said.

The project saved Mann+Hummel 2 million kWh per year in electricity and an estimated $16,000 per month in energy costs. It provided the company the equivalent savings of removing more than 300 homes’ worth of energy usage from the grid.

Pattons also helped Mann+Hummel take advantage of a rebate program offered by the regional energy utility, Duke Energy. It handled much of the work to verify and technically validate the new working system to ensure energy improvements were properly documented and verified. This included compressor performance, energy load reductions and heat recovery analysis among other tasks.

The process involved several meetings among Pattons, Mann+Hummel and an outside engineering firm. After all the data collection and rebate negotiations, Mann+Hummel was awarded a $300,000 rebate from Duke Energy. Together, these outcomes made the project not only an operational win but a financial one.

“We didn’t just take the easy route and accept the flat rebate. We really got into the details, making sure every bit of savings was captured. In the end, we squeezed everything we could out of this project, and it paid off,” said Trey Carter, a systems specialist at Pattons.

Strategic Partners

Mann+Hummel and Pattons have built a long-term partnership rooted in reliability, expertise and proactive support.

Based on this project’s success, Mann+Hummel is now expanding its work with Pattons to optimize other air-dependent systems including additional dryer units, a long-term service agreement and advanced leak detection programs supported by real-time monitoring.

The relationship has evolved beyond technical support into strategic collaboration. Pattons is now helping Mann+Hummel develop a roadmap for system-wide efficiency improvements, including predictive maintenance and energy use benchmarking.

Mann+Hummel is also exploring opportunities to replicate the success of this project at other facilities, leveraging Pattons’ expertise to standardize best practices across its operations.

“There’s a big difference between a vendor and a partner,” Owens said. “We didn’t just buy compressors — we gained a support team. We know that when we call, Pattons will be there. That level of support is invaluable.”

Pull Quotes

“It’s hard to overstate how big of a change this was. It didn’t just improve efficiency, it completely transformed how we operate.” – Steven Owens, Mann+Hummel

“This project wasn’t just about fixing equipment. It was a business decision with long-term ROI.” – Steven Owens, Mann+Hummel

“Before the upgrade, we were constantly reacting. Afterward, it felt like we were walking into a brand-new plant.” – Steven Owens, Mann+Hummel

“We finally had consistent air quality, and that translated into a more consistent, higher-quality product.” – Steven Owens, Mann+Hummel

Before and After

Before After
Daily Air Failures 20+ 0
Compressors in Use 6 3.5 avg
Energy Cost High & unmonitored $16K/month saved
Product Backlog 6M units Cleared
Downtime Daily interruptions None
Quality Complaints Frequent Significantly reduced

Takeaways for Industrial Leaders:

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