PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE
Sullair China relies on Cat® Power and Durability
There’s scarcely an industry in the world that doesn’t use the power and versatility of compressed air. From mining and roadbuilding to hospital operating theatres, offshore oil rigs and rigorously hygienic food processing plants, compressed air powers the machines that power our world. One name, Sullair, has built an enviable global reputation dating back for more than 50 years. Its choice of power is Cat® diesel engines; like Sullair, a global brand known for durability, reliability and performance.
FROM INDIANA TO SUZHOU
Sullair was founded in Michigan City, Indiana in 1965 and produced its first portable compressor the following year. Over the following 20 years it expanded its range and developed new technologies, including spiral valves, vacuum systems and oil-free compressors. A big step forward came with the establishment in 1993 of its first plant in China, Shenzhen Sullair Asia Industrial Co Ltd. This opened up a rapidly growing market as China became a major industrial economy.
In 2017, Sullair became a Hitachi Group company, and the company now offers a wide portfolio of products including stationary screw compressors, portable screw compressors, screw vacuum pumps, air dryers, precision filters.
Today, Suzhou Sullair serves both the domestic Chinese market and neighbouring countries in southeast Asia, with a broad spread of customers in the electronics, thermal power, chemical, energy, automobile, textile and medical industries.
AN ENDURING RELATIONSHIP
Reliability and durability are designed into Sullair machines and the company knows that Cat engines meets the highest standards. This has led to a long-term strategic business relationship with Caterpillar as Sullair’s main engine supplier for its portable product range.
WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS AND STANDARDS
The Sullair China product line-up uses a wide span of Cat engines from the compact C2.2 through to the C18, with outputs ranging from 185 to 1525 cubic feet per minute (cfm). Cat engines deliver stable and efficient power in the high-speed range, enabling Sullair’s portable compressors to match set pressure and flow conditions at different speeds. With many different markets and standards to conform to, Cat engines can be supplied in ratings from A-E, another competitive advantage for Sullair.
FAST DEALER RESPONSE
The Cat dealer network gives Sullair China the confidence that whatever the location or operating conditions, help is close at hand. In one example, a customer using a Sullair portable compressor outdoors in the bitter cold of a Northern China winter reported an unexplained reduction in compressor speed; the local Caterpillar aftersales team responded swiftly, arrived on site and traced the issue using a laptop to read and rectify the error code. High service standards like these maintain Sullair’s reputation.
DEVELOPING AND TESTING
During product development, engineers from Lei Shing Hong Machinery, Sullair China’s local Cat dealer, attend weekly meetings to discuss technical issues and provide solutions. For the 185 Series portable air compressor, Lei Shing Hong Machinery provided end-to-end support, from the initial technical specification to the trial tests and final verification.
TOUGH ENGINES FOR A TOUGH JOB
Most portable air compressors are used outdoors in harsh operating conditions, so every component in a Sullair compressor must meet a consistently high standard of quality. Sullair China knows that Cat engines deliver reliability, durability and performance; the foundation for an enduring relationship.
“Reliability and durability are inherently designed into both Sullair and Cat® engines.”
Amit Godbole– Sullair engineering manager