Industrial Air Compressor Applications
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Kaishan USA | April 5, 2023 | Uncategorized
The power gates, brakes and other safety elements on roller coasters are just a few of the many uses of commercial and industrial air compressors.
Advantages of Industrial Air Compressors
It’s not hard to see why compressed air is an essential element in commercial and industrial applications. Industrial air compressors offer some critical benefits:
- Reliability. Compressed air is one of the most reliable power sources available.
- No sparks. Compressed air is the go-to power source in volatile environments, especially in mining, tunnels and the oil and gas industry.
- Harsh environments. Industrial air compressors operate not only in the potentially volatile environments mentioned above, but also in dirty environments and temperature extremes (with appropriate modifications).
- Safer. Tools powered by compressed air are lighter and safer than their electrically driven counterparts, which can overheat and short out with heavy use.
- Clean. Unlike hydraulics, the “fluid” in compressed air can be oil-free and as clean as you need it to be. Perfect for food and beverage, medical and dental applications.
Food and beverage applications need clean, oil-free compressed air.
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- No interference. Compressed air won’t interfere with electronics or communications as an electrical power source might.
- Lighter. Air tools are noticeably lighter than electrically powered models, a great relief to workers using a tool for an eight-hour shift.
- Storage. Compressed air can be maintained in pressurized storage tanks and other vessels and moved or used in almost any setting.
- Heat recovery. Many of our customers have found significant energy savings in recovering the heat of compression for process heating or comfort conditioning. In fact, as much as 90% of that heat can be recovered, according to some estimates.
- Consistency. Compressed air systems deliver power smoothly and consistently.
- Durability. In addition to their ability to handle harsh, even volatile, environments, compressed air tools are rugged and reliable. They do require maintenance, but much less than their electrical counterparts.
Compressed air is the fourth utility, if you will, joining electricity, gas and water. It’s hard to think of a power source that meets the need for clean, reliable and safe power across such a wide range of applications.
Wide-Ranging Applications
Compressed air is the power source of choice for a wide range of hand tools and is used in everything from nail guns to power drills. There’s almost no electric power tool available today that doesn’t have a compressed air-driven alternative that is significantly lighter in weight.
Compressed air also is powering pneumatics tools and instruments used in precision settings like semiconductor, electronics and medical and dental equipment. And compressed air blowguns are used to clean equipment in almost any industry.
Commercial Air Uses
Air compressors play an essential role in many commercial applications, including the automotive aftermarket, dry cleaning, recreation and healthcare.
Automotive
Compressed air systems are a must-have addition in body shops and automobile repair facilities worldwide. They drive hand tools like blow guns, brushes, hoses and couplers, lubricators and dryers, as well as sanding and grinding tools. Plus, paint application systems help body shops achieve that mirror finish their customers are looking for.
Dry Cleaning
Compressed air plays an important role both in corner dry cleaning shops and in industrial laundries. Reliable compressed air drives the cleaning guns that deliver chemicals and operate laundry presses and steam cleaners.
Amusement Parks
When a roller coaster slows to a final stop, an audible release of air signals the ride is about to end. That’s compressed air in action, specifically, power gates, brakes and other safety elements. In addition to using compressed air on coasters, theme parks use it to provide food and beverages to visitors and to operate fountains and animated characters.
Ski resorts use air compressor-driven snow machines to keep their slopes operating for an entire season. Paintball facilities likewise rely on compressed air to propel the paintballs through the gun barrel and reload another paintball every time the players pull the trigger. And scuba divers fill their breathing apparatus with the help of air compressors.
Healthcare
Because compressed air power does not interfere with electrical monitoring equipment, it’s often the preferred source for a wide range of tools and systems. Plus, the ability of compressed air systems to provide a reliable, consistent power source is critical to patient outcomes.
As a result, compressors power a wide variety of healthcare and medical equipment, such as oxygen systems, surgical instruments, x-rays and more. And hospitals often use air compressors for air filtration in operating rooms and the ICU to deliver oxygen to patients and provide clean air throughout the building.
Dentists have small air compressors to power their drills and equipment with clean, consistent air flow. In addition, medical equipment manufacturers rely on clean, consistent oil-free air to assemble their products.
The highly regulated pharmaceutical industry relies on air compressors to deliver clean, dry and oil-free air for moving products on conveyor systems, applying coatings, maintaining pressure in mixing and holding tanks and packaging products.
Industrial Use of Compressed Air
It’s in the modern factory where compressed air proves its value, withstanding harsh environments, providing clean, oil-free compressed air and delivering power in areas where an electrical spark could level a building.
Automobile Manufacturing
Automakers use compressed air systems to build critical components, assemble and move heavy objects, fasten parts in place and even apply glossy finishes. And as mentioned above, air compressors are essential in keeping millions of vehicles on the road. They play a significant role in aftermarket operations like repair shops, body shops, collision centers, tire sales outlets and the like.
For more information on compressed air systems in the automotive industry, read our blog post, “Ultimate Air Compressor Buying Guide for Automotive Facilities.”
Agriculture
Air compressors power different kinds of hand tools in the typical agricultural enterprise, from paint sprayers to staplers to nail guns. They inflate tires on personal automobiles, tractors, ATVs, plows, harvesters and more. They help apply pesticides, control milking robots and move grain or other materials to silos or other storage areas. And they pump compressed air through wastewater to help break down animal waste.
For more specifics on the role air compressors play in the agriculture industry, see our recent blog post, "How Industrial Air Compressors Are Used in Agriculture."
Food and Beverage
You’ll see air compressors in all parts of the industry, from microbreweries to food processing facilities. Food and beverage manufacturers need clean and consistent compressed air for various production tasks, including packing and palletizing, bottling, filling equipment and cooling and freezing products. Compressed air helps peel vegetables, fill pastries, improve productivity and cut waste.
General Manufacturing
Most general manufacturers today rely on compressed air to power their processes. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy puts the number of U.S. manufacturers using compressed air at 70%.
Air compressors operate a wide range of air tools on production lines:
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- They drive cutting and welding equipment.
- They blow mold gas tanks and plastic bottles and eject pieces from production molds.
- They drive screws and turn nuts and adjust roller and feed machinery.
- They power positioners, clamps, stamping machines, air chucks and air knives, enabling sandblasting and metal finishing.
- They operate automated machinery and monitor production.
In addition, pneumatic devices drive finishing and packaging operations, including liquid padding, carton stapling, appliance sanding, dry powder transporting and fluidizing.
Compressors drive drilling and blasting equipment in the mining industry. But, even more importantly, they supply clean air to miners.
Mining
Mining operations use compressed air to operate pneumatic tools of all sorts. Plus, it’s used for extraction and delivery, and it drives material conveyors, drilling and blasting equipment and piling devices. And most importantly, air compressors provide clean air to miners, so failure is not an option.
Oil and Gas
Because oil and gas environments are both hazardous and harsh, rugged air compressors play an essential role in onshore and offshore applications. They are used in all stages of the industry, including exploration, transportation, processing and refining and distribution.
Both oil-free and oil-lubricated units play an important role, serving as backup, trim and point-of-use air. Compressed air systems are involved in vapor recovery, fuel gas and wellhead boosting and landfill gas. And they maintain or increase gas flow into a pipeline system.
In addition, compressors help take critical performance measurements on a well while fluids are still flowing from the reservoir.
Read our blog, “How Industrial Air Compressors Are Used in the Oil and Gas Industry,” for more information.
The “whoosh” of train and subway doors opening and closing comes from the compressed air systems that power those applications.
Transportation
Air compressors deliver reliable airflow to the air brakes on trains and transport trucks. In addition, they drive windshield wipers and support maintenance for trucks. For rail applications, they also play a role in suspension systems and help with opening and closing automatic doors.
Compressed air is used heavily by the trucking industry, primarily in maintenance. But also in powering windshield wipers.
Cement
Air compressors are essential to cement production, playing a pivotal role in applications like actuation cylinders and cement packing. In addition, pneumatic devices move concrete and asphalt from a silo to a truck, helping maintain material consistency. Because these applications are very dusty and dirty, air compressor maintenance becomes extremely important.
Cement and concrete plants are the kinds of dirty, dusty environments that require aggressive maintenance in an air compressor system.
Semiconductor
Pneumatics helps move materials through the semiconductor manufacturing process, which cannot succeed without high-quality, high-purity compressed air. Compressed air is a drying medium to imbed materials into chips and a tool to help cool the chips down after fabrication.
Electronics
Automated pick and place machines powered by pneumatics do most of the circuit board assembly that goes into today’s electronics. Other roles include printed circuit board cleaning and desoldering.
Rotary Screw Compressors
Rotary screw air compressors are the preferred type of air compressor in most industrial applications. They present many distinct advantages:
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- They can run at full load continuously.
- You can start and stop, load and unload, modulate or add variable speed drives (VSDs).
- Because they have built-in aftercoolers, they produce cooler air that is easier to dry.
- They can be placed closer to personnel without risking noise pollution.
- They can meet the stringent air quality regulations for applications like food processing, life sciences and semiconductor fabrication.
Only Scratching the Surface
While the above list of compressed air uses may seem exhaustive, it’s only a small percentage of the applications that rely on industrial air compressors. Even if your possible use did not appear in the narrative above, we have air compressor professionals with the knowledge and experience to address your needs.
If you need high-quality compressed air for virtually any application, we have a team in your area who can help you select the right air compressor for your needs. Kaishan is fortunate to work with a nationwide network of independent distributors who can provide on-site help and consultation as needed. These factory-trained air compression experts have an investment in their local communities and can service your air compressor system without a problem.
Key Takeaways
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- Industrial air compressors are the fourth utility, (joining electricity, water and gas) providing a clean, reliable and safe power source for a wide range of applications.
- Compressed air systems function in harsh environments, providing reliability and durability in countless applications.
- Compressed air is the power source of choice for a wide range of hand tools, used in everything from nail guns to power drills.
- There’s almost no electric power tool available today that doesn’t have a compressed air-driven alternative that is significantly lighter in weight.
- Compressed air also powers pneumatics tools and instruments used in precision settings like semiconductor, electronics and healthcare equipment.
Let Us Help
If you are looking for ways to improve the quality and performance of your compressed air system, we can help. From belt-driven, single-stage and two-stage rotary screw air compressors to centrifugal compressors and industrial vacuum pumps, we have what you need. Get in touch with the experts at Kaishan. Contact us today.
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It’s not hard to see why compressed air is an essential element in commercial and industrial applications. Industrial air compressors offer some critical benefits: