Your Guide to Air Compressors for Manufacturing and ...

Air compressors have earned their reputation for high output and efficiency. These easy-to-operate devices, used to supply the airflow that powers pneumatic equipment, are valuable assets for a wide range of processes during manufacturing and industrial construction, from powering air tools and HVAC systems to fueling packaging and automation equipment. It&#;s no wonder that the global portable air compressor market is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate of 5.35% from to .

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Sunbelt Rentals offers a wide range of air compressor equipment to meet the needs of your manufacturing and industrial construction projects. But how do you choose? Read on for an in-depth look at air compressors, including:

&#;    The basics of air compressors
&#;    How to achieve your required cubic feet per minute and pressure in pounds per square inch
&#;    How to operate an air compressor
&#;    Air quality and condensate management
&#;    Hose connectors and sizing 
&#;    OSHA valves

The Basics of Air Compressors

Air compressors typically use:
&#;    An electric, diesel, or gas motor to drive the unit
&#;    An inlet valve and a discharge valve to pull in and release air
&#;    An air end to compress the air and, if necessary, a storage tank to hold it for use

The ratio is typically 8 to 1: The air compressor ingests 8 cubic feet of ambient air and compresses it to 1 cubic foot of compressed air. Next, a vacuum moves the air from the chamber into the storage tank. When the tank reaches its set or maximum-rated pressure, the compressor shuts off or unloads until it drops below the rated pressure. Note that a typical air compressor uses a 40-micron inlet filter, so the compressed air will contain particles, moisture, and oil droplets smaller than that.

Selecting the Right Size for Your Project 
Every tool or device that uses an air compressor will include a recommended airflow in cubic feet per minute and pressure in pounds per square inch. This information is located on the serial tag. 

Sunbelt Rentals offers air compressors in an extensive range of CFM and psi ratings to meet the needs of your manufacturing or industrial construction project, including values between 0- and 400-rated psi and 0 CFM and 1,600 CFM.

Air hammers, for example, may use 20 CFM at 90 psi, while manufacturing devices may require up to 1,600 CFM or even more. Automotive plants and other manufacturing facilities may use several stationary air compressors in tandem to provide thousands of CFM to run equipment.

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An air compressor that is too large for the job will not cause a problem, because it will produce only the CFM the tool demands. But an air compressor that is too small for the task at hand will make the tool less efficient or prevent it from working at all.

Tip: Electric compressors can help you go green by eliminating diesel emissions, noise, smell, and the cost of fuel. 

Wet Screw vs. Dry Screw

Air compressors use various schemes to compress air. For higher-pressure applications, dry screw and wet screw compressors are two of the most popular schemes. Both use rotors with screws that are closely mated but turn in opposite directions. The difference is that dry screw compressors don&#;t have oil between the screws, while wet screw compressors do. 

Still, even dry screw compressors need lubrication for the bearings. Wet screw compressors are commonly used to compress air. Dry screw compressors are typically used to compress gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, or argon.

Diesel vs. Electric Drive 
 Air compressors typically use a diesel or electric drive to operate, and Sunbelt Rentals offers options for both. 

In general, diesel drives can handle 185 CFM to 1,800 CFM of airflow and 90 psi to 500 psi of pressure. Diesel-powered air compressors will run between eight and 12 hours with the onboard fuel tank. You can add an auxiliary fuel cell to increase runtime. These air compressors may be either standard or instrument quality units, which we discuss further below.

Electric compressors in most rental fleets range from 50 horsepower to 450 horsepower and 90 psi to 175 psi. Larger electric compressors are available, if required. 

To determine CFM, multiply the horsepower by 4. Do the math, and you&#;ll realize electric compressors can cover 200 CFM to 1,800 CFM. Electric compressors have built-in aftercoolers to handle condensate, so they don&#;t require additional cooling. However, more filtration or dryers can be installed if needed. 
Electric compressors are an ideal solution when your site has power and you don&#;t want to pay for diesel fuel. But it&#;s critical to ensure properly sized breakers are available on-site.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of hydraulic pressure test unit. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.