Compressed Air Basics

Air Compressors range from small DIY, to small portable, to large portable, to very large industrial machinery with capacity to drive production facilities in various industries. When deciding on which compressor to purchase, it is important to understand how a compressor works, the models and brands available and the application for which the compressor works best.

Understanding Air Compressors

A compressed air system’s primary duty is to simply pressurize air to the required level and ensure air is delivered consistently and constantly. The compressed air is used for a variety of applications in various industries, such as power tools and machines in industrial, commercial and DIY processes. The size and specific details of the compressor will determine how the compressor can be used and what it may be used for. This short article will help the consumer better under the compressed air basics required to make an informed decision when purchasing a new compressor or even a second hand compressor.

At Field Air Compressors, we supply a variety of compressor categories, see below.

Rotary screw
These are positive displacement compressors that have a pair of matched screws, male and female. This pair of screws force a mixture of air and oil into a special chamber while at the same time shrinking the size of that chamber, forcing the air to compress. Following this, the air oil mixture is separated in the air oil separator system to allow clean air to flow through to the air network.

Piston
Reciprocating piston compressors are another type of positive displacement compressors. The constant motion of a series of pistons compresses the incoming air through a non-return valve to the air network.

Oil-free Scroll
The range of oil free compressors, specifically the scroll range are designed to meet the working requirements of clean environments, such as pharmaceutical plants and food and beverage manufacturing facilities as well as any other plants that are sensitive to any form of oil contamination. This air quality allows the compressed air user to comply with various environmental ISO standards.

What Should You Look out for on a Compressor?

Not every compressor nor every brand is the same as another. Some compressed air basics will help in making this importnat decision. Once you understand what type of compressor you need you now need to work out which model best suits your application from the brand and service provider that provides you with the best backup. Below are the key factors to consider and look out for when purchasing or renting a compressor. The factors include, but are not limited to power, efficiency, maintenance requirements and warranty.

Power
Without the necessary power and air delivery from your compressor, the compressor is worthless to your operation. Coupled to this is the power requirement the compressor has in terms of electricity or diesel and the availability of such power source.

Efficiency
As the size/power of the compressor choice increases so does the power consumption. Fuel, whether it be in the form of petrol or diesel or electricity is an ongoing operational expense for any business. It is therefor imperative not to oversize your compressor as major operating costs will be incurred, leading to inefficiencies of the business operations. As contemporary management principles become more prevalent, factors like carbon footprint and energy consumption reduction are major factors and must be considered to choose an energy-efficient machine.

Maintenance
This is a major factor, obviously less maintenance is the goal. As maintenance is a forced necessary and downtime from maintenance is imminent. Compressors with good maintenance should ensure you can keep your crew working and production lines running with as little downtime as possible.

Warranty
This is critical, not only in the length of the warranty, but also the backup offered by the service provider. Field Air Compressors covers a service and repairs warranty for all brands that we sell, these warranties are backed up by the equipment manufacturer as well as the extensive dealer network of the brands we carry.