Applications For Industrial Air Compressors

Air compressors are found in a wide range of environments and offer a wide range of uses. Gas stations provide compressed air to inflate your tires, and construction sites use gas-powered air compressors to power jackhammers. There are home air compressors too, which are quite different from these commercial and industrial-grade air compressors. Home units are often small, portable units offering a lot less power – think of your HVAC system and refrigerator.

Air compressors are vital pieces of equipment that supply a steady flow of compressed air for long periods. They also feature durability and longevity, handling the high demands of manufacturing plants. These industrial systems have many uses, and each different application calls for a different type of air compressor. Air compressors can be grouped into three classifications: consumer-grade, professional-grade, and industrial-grade. For this post, we will be looking at the uses for industrial air compressors.

Why Industrial Air Compressors?

If you are looking for a non-heat-producing power source and a reliable flow of that power, then it’s an industrial air compressor you need. Its uses have grown from mainly equipping the mining and metal fabrication industry to a necessity in almost all industries.

Although compressed air can be more expensive to produce, it cuts production costs in many other ways. These include the ability to use lighter, more durable tools that can increase productivity and efficiency and that much less maintenance is needed than their electric counterparts.

Having power in compressed air gives the user more control of usage and air quality, and around 90 percent of all manufacturing companies use compressed air in their processes. Here are a few features of compressed air that make it the ideal power source for a vast range of uses:

• It doesn’t interfere with electrical monitoring equipment
• It can be stored in pressurized tanks of various sizes
• Equipment operated by pressurized air can be used in extreme temperatures
• It can be easily stored in application-specific tanks to be used in remote areas

Let’s take a look at the many uses for industrial air compressors in just three major fields.

Agriculture and Mining:

• Moving feed and grain to and from silos with conveyors
• Glasshouse ventilation
• Spraying crops
• Powering dairy machines
• Operating pneumatic material handling equipment

Manufacturing:

• Operating air tools on production lines
• Cutting and welding equipment
• Ejecting pieces from molds
• Monitoring production
• Adjusting roller and feed machinery
• Blowing a molded gas tank or plastic bottle
• Efficiently performing basic tasks such as driving screws and turning nuts, increasing production efficiency with air cylinders that power positioners, clamps, air chucks, and air knives
• Finishing and packaging with pneumatic devices used for liquid padding, carton stapling, appliance sanding, dry powder transporting, and fluidizing
• Sandblasting and finishing metal
• Operating automated machinery

Oil and Gas Industry:

Playing a big role in the oil and gas industry, some of the most common applications of industrial air compressors include:

• Petroleum refining – 95% of petroleum gas is processed through compression before transporting in a pipeline.
• Petrochemical synthesis – Manufacturing ammonia, methanol, urea, ethylene, ethylene glycol, and other petrochemicals require particular air and gas pressurization.
• Gas re-injection in oil fields – A series of compressors can be used for gas or re-injection for maintaining reservoir pressures and facilitating the recovery of crude oil.
• Pipeline transportation – Reservoir pressures tend to decrease gradually over time, so compressors are needed to maintain or boost gas flow into the pipeline system.

Industrial air compressors come in various shapes and designs to suit an array of industrial needs. There remains a lot of other uses for industrial air compressors.

Looking for New Industrial Air Compressors and Other Equipment?

If you are looking for advice on new industrial equipment and industrial air compressors that are best for your business or the servicing of air compressors and torque converters, contact Fitz Equipment. With over 50 years of dependable, fast, and friendly service, Fitz Equipment manufactures parts for torque converters and specialty machine parts. Fitz Equipment may have expanded, but one thing hasn’t changed. It is still a family-owned business with a commitment to superior customer service. To find out more, call 432-362-3261 or visit our website here.