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Showing posts from December, 2010

Factors Governing the Selection of Compressed Air Filters

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Compressed air filters are designed to remove air borne particles from a moving, pressurized air stream. Compressed air purification equipment is essential to all modern production facilities; at its best, the equipment should provide the optimum balance between air quality and low operating cost. There are numerous manufacturers offering products for the filtration and purification of air; compressed air filter costs cover a wide range - but initial purchase cost cannot always indicate the effectiveness of a piece of equipment. In assessing the suitability of the product, the purchaser will want to assess: delivered air quality required by their application environmental impact of use overall cost of operation over the life of the equipment One way to make these assessments is to compare the performance standards of the different manufacturers' products according to the standards that apply via ISO (the International Standards Organisation) under which there are a series of

How to Make Your Industrial Air Compressor Operate More Efficiently

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It's no secret in the industrial world that compressed air is the least efficient form of energy used on a shop floor. Dollar for dollar, the cost of producing pneumatic energy for various machinery functions is staggering. Unfortunately, a rotary screw air compressor is very inefficient by design. Electricity enters the factory from the utility pole and does not produce energy until it has turned the rotary screw compressor, pressurized the air lines, proceed through the shop to its intended destination, and then finally producing movement or action via a pneumatic cylinder or device. This complex and elaborate system has many opportunities for waste. The key to conserving energy and producing the most useful pneumatic energy for the least amount of money is analysis and observation. Many inefficiencies can be corrected once they have been identified. An air compressor is not just a machine. Since the air compressor produces energy it should be treated as a system, hence the

Variable Speed Compressors

Variable Speed Compressors are also know as variable speed drive compressors, and are air compressors that take advantage of variable speed drive technology. They employ a special drive which controls the RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) speed of the compressor, and this in turn saves energy when compared to its fixed speed equivalent. The most common form used in the air compressor industry uses a variable-frequency drive , and this is used to convert the AC input power to DC and then back to a quasi-sinusoidal AC power, with the use of an inverter switching circuit. The main benefits are, reduced power cost, reduced power surges, and the delivery of more constant pressure. The downside is the heavy expense of the drive and their sensitivity to heat and moisture. They combine a speed inverter, which converts the AC signal to DC and speeds up or slows down the motor, with a pressure transducer to precisely match the compressed air output to demand. The energy efficiency of these co