The Fundamentals: Selecting an industrial air compressor… It’s Air Time

At first, selecting an air compressor seems so simple. How tough could it be? All you have to figure out is how much air you need and decide how much you want to spend. Right?

Before that lets understand the basics of Air compressors

Air compressors are machines that compress and direct air for industrial applications. There are three basic types of air compressors: reciprocating, rotary screw, and centrifugal.

Reciprocating air compressors

use pistons to compress the contents of an air cylinder and force them into a storage tank. These piston-driven air compressors are designed for intermittent use.

Rotary screw air compressors

use twin screws instead of pistons to pressurize air. They are designed for continuous use and have a rated duty cycle of 100%.

Centrifugal air compressors

are turbine engines that use rotating blades to produce high pressures. Typically, these air compressors are used in power generation and large-scale industrial applications.

Illustration highlighting the things to consider when choosing an air compressor

When it comes to selecting an air compressor for your business, you have a wide range of options. It’s crucial that you know how to choose an air compressor that meets your needs and gets you the results you want while keeping your costs manageable. There are several other factors to consider when choosing the air compressor that is best for your job.

In clean manufacturing environments, using oil-powered air compressors can create a problem. Most air compressors rely on oil to lubricate the inside mechanisms, and the fumes may contaminate the air, resulting in damage to products or manufacturing processes. With an oil-free air compressor, this risk is greatly reduced.

Though oil-free compressors are generally more expensive, they are the only option for facilities that guarantee clean manufacturing. Oil may still be necessary to lubricate the machine, but the inner workings of oil-free compressors contain a different sealing mechanism to ensure that no oil gets into the actual compressor.

In addition to clean air, oil-free compressors often have lower running costs, as parts do not need to be changed as frequently.

If you’re working on a long construction project, getting a high-efficiency air compressor can be worth the extra cost in the long run. If you’re looking for an energy-efficient air compressor, consider one of the following options:

• Variable speed: Variable speed-driven (VSD) compressors save energy and money by allowing you to increase or decrease output on demand. In comparison, the motors in fixed-speed compressors are constantly churning at the same rate and require a cool-down period that uses extra energy.
• Natural gas: Natural gas air compressors run on natural gas instead of diesel or electricity. They often operate more efficiently than other options and have better heat recovery capabilities than electric compressors. If efficiency and energy savings are your main goals, a natural gas unit may be a good fit.

If you transport your air compressor between sites, a portable unit is a good option. Small, lightweight units can still deliver energy, but in a compact package. Though they won’t be as powerful as larger units, portable compressors can be ideal for smaller construction projects. Certain units can even be plugged into a car’s power adapter to fuel small airbrush painting or tire inflation tools!

There are a variety of add-ons and additional features you can use with different types of air compressors. For example, couplers or air hose splitters allow you to hook up multiple tools to your air compressor so you don’t have to disconnect when you’re changing tasks. Air compressors with thermal protection add-ons keep track of internal heating and stop motor damage if the machine is overloaded.

Some air compressors have belt drive systems rather than direct drives, which allow for quieter operation. If you think you will need any of these additional features, you’ll want to make sure that the type of air compressor you choose is compatible.