Transforming Compressed Air Management | Pattons

  The best choice depends on your industry’s air purity requirements, though there are meaningful differences in maintenance and lifecycle costs. Compressed air is often called “the fourth utility” in manufacturing, standing alongside electricity, water and natural gas. More than 70% of manufacturers rely on compressed air for applications such as powering machine tools, spray painting and material handling. Because it is so central to daily operations, the quality of compressed air has a direct impact on a plant’s operations. One of the biggest choices plants need to make is between two air compressor designs: oil-flooded and oil-free. Each takes a different approach to producing compressed air, and they both have implicit benefits and tradeoffs. Oil-flooded compressors, such as  ELGi EN Series , are widely used when efficiency and lower upfront cost are priorities. Oil-free compressors, such as  ELGi OF Series , are the standard when the highest levels of air purity are...

  Selecting the right air compressor dryer is the key to removing damaging moisture and protecting your plant's reliability. Moisture in compressed air systems is one of the most pervasive and expensive threats to reliability. It’s unavoidable — the air compression process produces condensation and humidity increases in the system. This leads to pipeline corrosion, product contamination and premature wear on attached tools. An  air compressor dryer  protects against these threats. It removes moisture from the compressed air lines before it can cause problems. Selecting the right air compressor dryer is a critical decision that can directly impact operations and product quality. Why dry air matters When moisture builds up in the compressed air system, it can lead to problems like: Rust, corrosion and scale buildup inside of pipes and air receivers. The failure of pneumatic tools, as water washes away their lubrication. Product contamination (for example, “fisheyes” in pain...

  The best choice depends on your industry’s air purity requirements, though there are meaningful differences in maintenance and lifecycle costs. Compressed air is often called “the fourth utility” in manufacturing, standing alongside electricity, water and natural gas. More than 70% of manufacturers rely on compressed air for applications such as powering machine tools, spray painting and material handling. Because it is so central to daily operations, the quality of compressed air has a direct impact on a plant’s operations. One of the biggest choices plants need to make is between two air compressor designs: oil-flooded and oil-free. Each takes a different approach to producing compressed air, and they both have implicit benefits and tradeoffs. Oil-flooded compressors, such as  ELGi EN Series , are widely used when efficiency and lower upfront cost are priorities. Oil-free compressors, such as  ELGi OF Series , are the standard when the highest levels of air purity are...