About Compressed Air Systems
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ALL THE THINGS THEY DID NOT TELL YOU OR DIDN'T KNOW TO TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS.
It was interesting to hear about some of the problems you deal with.
All of the issues shared with us can be fixed. We would like to share with
you some of the core information that will make a difference in solving,
existing problems and preventing the ones that you may deal with in the future.
Temperature is the #1 key element in controlling moisture and oil, PERIOD.
The rule of thumb is every 20° you lower compressed air temperature it looses
50% of its ability to hold moisture in suspension (as a gas). Cooling the air at
the compressor is the best way to "kill" the monster. This does not mean you
are home free, but it eliminates 90% plus of the trouble before it starts.
Key element # 2 is that cool air is a lot more dense or compact. This means
you have a lot more usable volume. Volume not pressure makes the work
happen. Pressure is important to create the force but volume extends the
cylinder or makes the tool vane go round.
Here is a graphic, which details a good system. I realize that some of you
only deal with the delivery end of your system, but understanding the process
will help you to make good decisions that will improve your air quality.
When compressing air we take 10 cubic feet of air at room temperature with
humidity, pollution, oil, dust, etc. and squash it into 1 cubic foot. So we now
have 10 times more bad stuff than the air you are breathing has. (The monster is born). If the intake to your compressor is pulling air from outside, let say from near a loading dock, all the diesel fumes and air born oil is being sucked into your air system. We once had an auto manufacturing plant that pulled their intake air from the alley between buildings near the paint department. The air had so much solvent from the paint department, that when compressed, and sent down to the workstations, the air would eat (corrode) air tools and valves every 4 weeks. Your intake condition affects your compressed air quality. Even oil less compressors can pass oil down stream.
The optimum way to plumb a dryer is - compressor head to AfterCoolers, to separator
with auto drain, to oil Coalescer, to dryer, to receiver. This follows key # 1 & 2 for optimum
temperature and volume control.
That should be it, right? No, not exactly.Compressed gas is fickle and all kinds of other things promote down stream problems. For starters, the things I just shared with you, improperly sized equipment, improperly plumbed with non-dependable drains. Bad quality intake air & improperly protected equipment. You may not have any issues today and 2 years from now all of a sudden you have major problems. If you don't have any air treatment at the compressor or it is not performing, your piping becomes your enemy, delivering trouble to your application.
Point of use separators and filters.Filters are just that, point of use, at the airdrop or tool or machine. Remember Key # 1 ? Changes in pipe size from small to large or piping connected to receivers or equipment where the air flow speed is slowed down creates cooling, which causes moisture to condense. Plumbing along un-insulated walls, near doorways, passing through refrigerated or air conditioned rooms, changes in elevation (2nd floor to basement) all promote cooling, which promotes moisture condensation. Properly treated air, where it is cooled and drained, does not magically regain moisture, but piping leaks (vertical) and accidents (problems with air treatment) make point of use filtration necessary.
Most filters on the market are designed as particulate filters not moisture separators.
95% of these filters still employ a 1940's flow design. Most are not plated or coated
inside, and most are sold with manual drains and most are not sized for the issues
of the air system.
Rule # 1 for filter use. The only time you use a filter on or near the compressor is
to coalesce oil prior to a dryer or to catch particulate from a desiccant dryer. Putting
a filter anywhere other than at the work piece to catch moisture will be ineffective on
its own. Moisture passes through filtration in a gas form. You need the moisture filter
to be at the same temperature as the application. In choosing a point of use filter be
aware of the following things that are important for a successful purchase.
Filtration should be properly sized to the air consumption of the application. Most
manufacturers of tools and equipment list the cubic feet per minute required to
operate the item. They also list optimum PSI or pressure. Choose filtration for the
need. Don't buy a particulate filter because it's cheap, to remove oil from your air
system, or oil Coalescer to remove a flood of water. Choose filters that offer low
pressure drop, with WET FLOW RATINGS. Filters with dry flow, laboratory quality air
ratings, plugged into a "monster" system fail quickly. Filters should be coated inside
as well as outside. Internal corrosion and rust on bowls and heads create their own
pollution, which ruin your equipment. All filters should have automated drains,
NOT MANUAL. If you can budget it, up grade the drains, filters only as good
as the drain, PERIOD.Choose product that uses gravity as a part of the process. The last time I checked gravity was still the strongest force on this planet. Filters should have elements that are designed for maximum loading and containment. Elements the size of a thimble are great to protect an orifice, but lousy for protecting an air tool.
Finally, any product you purchase should perform up to the claims made about
performance. Any product that can't be backed with a performance guarantee
(put your money where your mouth is) is not worth buying because
YOU CAN'T AFFORD to fix it more than once.
The products we produce are either an OEM project or driven by people like
you that are fed up with dealing with serious issues. With your input we have
some extremely good cost effective solutions that work. |
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