The Ultimate Guide to Rotary Screw Compressor Maintenance
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In harsh environments like metallurgy, you’ll need to take special care with your air compressor maintenance.
Following a regular schedule of rotary screw compressor maintenance will keep downtime to a minimum and maximize the lifetime of your equipment.
You’ll realize significant energy savings and improve the working environment for your employees, lessening the heat, vibration, pollution and noise impact on your people.
Maintaining your rotary screw air compressor, however, is not a simple job. But it pays for itself many times over.
Most Common Rotary Screw Compressor Maintenance Problems
The most common problems we see in rotary screw compressor maintenance include the following:
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- Blocked filters
- Contaminated or worn-out oil
- Excess heat
- Blocked drain traps
- Dirty coolers, with the heat exchangers getting plugged with dirt and debris
One of the critical elements of maintenance is adjusting service intervals to allow for a more challenging environment. In a cement plant, for example, the dust and dirt quickly build up in air and oil filters, so you will want to change them more often. And, while a manufacturer might say that the compressor oil needs to be changed every 8,000 hours, you may want to cut that time in half in a setting like metallurgy, since the harsh, high-temperature environment will cause oil to degrade more rapidly.
Environments like cement plants have special air compressor maintenance needs.
Maintaining your compressor requires a regular program of daily inspection, weekly maintenance and more long-term service.
Daily Inspection
A daily inspection of the main elements of your system will keep your air compressor running at optimal levels. We recommend that you review the following:
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- Fluid levels. Check the oil level before starting your compressor each day, using the sight glass. Make sure to add oil if the level has dropped. Running your compressor without enough oil will damage key components, causing premature wear and shortened compressor life.
- Condensate traps and drain points. Remove any scale, rust, dirt or any other solids. These materials can accumulate in drain traps, eventually building up and causing drains to become stuck. If the drain is in an open position, air will escape, and pressure will drop. If it’s closed, liquids will remain in the compressed air and move downstream.
- Leaks. The average system loses between 30% and 50% of its volume to air leaks. For more on leaks, see our blog post, “How To Find and Stop Air Leaks."
It’s always a good idea to check electrical and mechanical connections.
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- Abnormal noise and vibration. Specific noises or sounds may indicate a problem. Compressed air leaks, of course, make a distinctive sound and should be addressed immediately. And excessive vibration or strange bearing noises might indicate an alignment problem or other need for maintenance. For more on warning signs of compressor failure, see our blog post, “What Is the Most Common Cause of Air Compressor Failure?”
- Electrical and mechanical connections. Make sure all the connections are secure.
- Controller warnings. Pay attention to warnings from your compressor controls.
Weekly Maintenance Schedule
Once a week, you should clean all exposed surfaces, especially the heat exchanger fins, to remove dust and dirt that would limit the unit’s ability to release heat into the ambient air.
You’ll also want to tighten up the various connections periodically.
Long-term Maintenance Schedule
Your extended maintenance schedule should include a walkthrough with your air compressor consultant monthly or at least quarterly. They can spot an issue before it becomes a problem. And a problem before it becomes a catastrophe.
Compressor Servicing
When it comes time to service your compressor, your checklist should include the following:
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- Change compressor Oil breaks down over time, so it needs to be changed following your manufacturer’s recommended schedule. Fluids are typically rated at 8,000 hours, assuming the compressor operates at 185°F. But, as mentioned earlier, you will want to accelerate the pace of oil changes if your compressor is running at high temperatures. You’ll also want to include regular oil sampling to meet your warranty requirements (see below). And, if your compressor begins to use more oil than usual, contact your air compressor professional.
- Change oil filters every 2,000 to 4,000 hours to remove metal filings, calcium and other materials in the oil and prolong its useful life.
- Inspect air filters every 4,000 hours, replacing them as needed to maintain and improve the quality of the compressed air your system provides. The ultimate solution is to install differential pressure gauges on your filters to monitor the pressure drop. They will give you a visual indication that the air filter should be changed.
While compressor oil is typically rated at 8,000 hours, you will want to accelerate the pace of oil changes if your compressor is running at high temperatures. And, if your compressor begins to use more oil than usual, contact your air compressor professional.
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- Inspect belts and couplings connecting drive units to the compressor.
- Grease motor bearings. Your compressor’s motor bearing manufacturer can tell you how often to grease motor bearings and how much grease you should apply. Grease protects motor bearings from the heat and friction that could eventually damage them and prevent them from rotating freely, which, in turn, could shorten motor life.
- Change the oil separator every 8,000 hours, including lubricant, to keep your air compressor lubricated and prevent contamination. You’ll also want to pay attention to your separator pressure alarm or replace it if the pressure drop through the separator is over 10 psi.
- Draw an oil Draw an oil sample every 2,000 hours or less, based on your environment (as mentioned previously), and even more frequently with food-grade lubricants. Have the sample analyzed by an accredited lab that will give you a comprehensive report with a detailed analysis and a list of recommended steps to address any issues the analyst identifies. Failing to schedule oil sampling is one of the most frequent causes of a warranty denial. Kaishan requires fluid sampling for our extended warranties.
- Check for leaks. Most likely, you’re catching the noisiest leaks during your regular inspections. But remember that 80% of oil leaks are inaudible. For more on leak detection, see our blog post, “How To Find and Stop Air Leaks.”
Full Motor Service
To keep your compressor motor operating efficiently, you’ll want to ensure the grease is changed at manufacturer-recommended intervals and swap out motor couplings or belts as they begin to show wear.
To keep your rotary screw air compressor in top shape, you should inspect couplings or belts and replace as needed.
Only Use OEM Replacement Parts from Your Manufacturer
Almost all compressor manufacturers require that you use their original OEM parts to keep their product warranties in force. We recommend using genuine Kaishan parts to ensure that your air compressor system achieves the expected performance level.
Here’s why: As we improve our products, we also enhance our parts to take advantage of the latest technologies and improve system performance. You can be confident that the performance of your new parts will conform to the specifications of your equipment, giving your compressor higher energy efficiency, greater reliability and longer life expectancy, resulting in better air quality and enhanced productivity for your entire air compressor system.
Preventive Maintenance
Industry research has proven that a proactive maintenance strategy can help you reduce maintenance costs by as much as 70%.
The goal of preventive maintenance is to anticipate problems before they happen, addressing compressor issues that could worsen and lead to a shutdown. A good preventive maintenance program thus will pay for itself in lower service and replacement costs, reduced energy consumption (not to mention lower utility bills) and fewer costly shutdowns. The result? Fewer instances of lost production time and the associated labor and overtime costs.
Consulting Help
Many companies are finding that they no longer have the expertise in-house to deal with advanced equipment like air compression systems. That’s why we encourage all our customers to seek outside help when problems arise.
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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- Maintenance pays. Following a regular schedule of screw compressor maintenance will keep downtime to a minimum and maximize the lifetime of your equipment.
- Set up a program. Maintaining your compressor requires a regular program of daily inspection, weekly maintenance and more long-term service.
- Preventive maintenance saves. Industry research has proven that a proactive maintenance strategy can help you reduce maintenance costs by as much as 70%.
- Get consulting help. We encourage all our customers to seek outside help when problems arise since many companies are finding that they no longer have the expertise in-house to deal with advanced equipment like air compression systems.
Let Us Help
Maintaining your rotary screw air compressor is critical to the operation, not only of your compressed air system but also of all the processes that rely on that system. If you need help setting up a rotary screw compressor maintenance program that works for you, get in touch with the experts at Kaishan. Contact us today.
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Following a regular schedule of rotary screw compressor maintenance will keep downtime to a minimum and maximize the lifetime of your equipment.