Vertical compressor: a clear overview

Are you short of space?   If so, the vertical compressor could be for you. If your employees are complaining because equipment is getting in the way of their ability to accomplish their work, then you might consider a compressor that stands tall rather than squats small.

Space saving is one of today’s conundrums for workplaces especially relatively small businesses such as body-repair shops, tyre fitters, and other outfits that keep a small dedicated team working on the same jobs coming through the door.  Lots of hose and lots of air tools, several work bays and much walking up and down and round and round makes space a valuable commodity.  A vertical compressor will give you that little bit of extra room that your employees will appreciate.

Having adequate space can mean the difference between a short tempered, tense and edgy work force and a more relaxed supportive group who can afford to smile more often and whistle on the job.  Small accidents and elbow jostling can lead to frayed nerves and tensions; whilst on the other hand a feeling of spaciousness can lead to employees who feel free to breathe their own air.  A vertical air compressor won’t solve all your problems but it will help to relieve some of them and that can’t be bad.

Compressor fittings: the right things

What is right at any one time just may be the wrong thing at another.  One thing we do know is that our compressor fittings are always the right things at any time.   Your air compressor would fail you instantly if its fittings were the wrong ones or, horror of horrors, be ill-fitting!

We have all done or said the wrong thing from time to time, things we regret, sometimes things we regret deeply! We can think of one or two people in the public eye who probably wished they could eat their words.  The jewellery store boss, who declared in public that his chain of high street jewellery outlets sold a load of rubbish, springs to mind.  The employee of a well-known carpet cleaner manufacturer who promised a free carpet cleaner to any customer upon answering a simple question, and forgot to limit the competition, is also on the list. His bosses were not pleased! The now famous weather forecaster who predicted a quiet night on the eve of the UK’s worst ever hurricane, has gone down in history.

Fortunately, nothing in connection to our compressor fittings has been so gaffe prone.  Connectors, cap nuts, couplers, adapters, elbows, quick fittings, push fittings and many other compressor fittings connect wonderfully well and are not likely to show us up at any time.

Compressed air equipment: top gear!

Compressed air equipment is supported by a continually progressive world of technology which strives to improve for the future what it did for yesterday.  Not many sectors can make such a claim! As an innovative player in our industrial world the compression industry ranks amongst the best.  There is little of the political in-fighting and brinkmanship that we witness in many other sectors. 

Compressed air equipment can boast of many improvements and in comparison to other equipment it is a world leader.  

Can you imagine trying to work in an industry where equipment let you down.  We have all heard of the parachute that did not open and the hapless soul who plummeted to the ground to suffer either death or serious injury! We have all heard of the ski suit that doesn’t keep you warm when an avalanche hits, or the football nets that have a hole in the back.  Happily not a lot goes wrong with compressed air equipment.  We, at Air supplies, can testify for that.  If you are looking for compressed air equipment and have any concerns at all then please give us a call and we will make sure that your needs are met.  We have a great stock of equipment and we are happy to give you the best of our advice.

ABAC GENESIS New Screw Compressors

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ABAC GENESIS New Screw Compressors

ABAC Compressor Control system

ABAC Compressor Control system

Any compressor needs a control system in order to regulate operation in accordance with the air demand. A “constant-speed control” is required if the compressor will be operated on a continuous basis, where the air demands are steady and do not fluctuate.

Whenever the air requirement is 75% or more of the compressor’s capability, or if the motor start-up will occur more than six to eight times per hour, a constant-speed control is the best choice. If air requirement is less than 75% of the compressor’s capability, a “start-stop” control is the logical choice. If the compressor is rated at 33 cfm, but demand will be less than 24.75 cfm, a start-stop control makes sense.

A “dual control” offers the best of both worlds, providing for either constant or start-stop operation. A manual switch allows the operator to select either format at any given time.

Receiver tank and moisture drain

All air compressors, regardless of style, require receiver tanks. The tank collects moisture created by the compressor heat.

The size of the receiver tank has a direct bearing on compressor motor life. The larger the tank, the more reserve pressurized air is available for output. The smaller the tank, the more the motor has to run to keep up with demand. For most shops, a 50– to 80-gallon tank size is fine.

Some tanks feature no drains, or have poorly designed drains, which are often less than convenient to access. As moisture accumulates in the tank, the available air volume is reduced. This causes the compressor to run more often than needed, wasting energy and increasing compressor component wear.

Automatic drains are available (offered in a variety of styles) that sense moisture levels and drain as needed. Since many people simply forget to manually drain their tanks on a regular basis, an automatic drain is an excellent addition. Certain rotary screw compressor systems feature automatic drains as either standard or optional equipment.

Dental compressor parts: not as painful as you think!

Dental compressor parts: not as painful as you think!

Maybe it’s farfetched to link dental compressor parts with the nation’s general anxiety about dental treatment, but nonetheless it is worth remembering that air compressor in the dental lab and the dental compressor parts that go with it have played an integral  part in the development of good dental patient care.

Most of us do not keep the requisite 6 monthly appointments recommended by dentists to maintain the care of our teeth.   Maybe this is through forgetfulness, but with many of us sent reminders to make that grim visit it seems that only a small percentage of us can use this as an excuse. It could be that we, even those of us using the NHS still have to pay quite a lot for even simple check-ups and the obligatory scraping clean our teeth, only go to the dentist when we are in pain or worried about something going wrong with our gnashers.

Another reason for our reticence in visiting the tooth doctor is the memories of painful drilling which linger in our minds many years after the excavating of our teeth has taken place. Many of us, of a certain age, remember drilling without pain relief – an experience in childhood which can cause nightmares even now!

Well thankfully with pain relief having reached quite a sophisticated level these days the dentist chair is not the thing to be afraid of that it was in the past. In fact developments in the dental world have been significant, and dental compressor parts will have been part of this development.

ABAC Petrol air compressor: a special thing.

An ABAC petrol air compressor is something of a special item. Known to be much quieter in use and more portable than an electric, it comes into its own in the field.  Like many flexible friends it has advantages and disadvantages.   

The credit card known from the TV adverts is the probably the most well known flexible friend, which, whilst giving you ready spending power, would get you into debt just as likely.  The ability to spend at whim feels wonderful but sadly spending begets more spending, and before you know it you can’t pay back.  An  ABAC petrol air compressor does not have that kind of downside but you certainly have to weigh up whether it is what you really want, and its flexibility is desirable in certain circumstances. 

An  ABAC petrol air compressor  is perfect for when you need to reduce noise volumes, and it often does not need the amount of repair as its internal lubrication means components do not vibrate as much.  A petrol air compressor allows portability and that is a great advantage; to have flexibility of location means it can be moved outside and indeed to another site if necessary.  However it is not as clean as a compressor driven by electricity and it is more expensive to run, and as petrol costs we have found the ABAC petrol air compressor’s Achilles’ heel.  However, flexibility is a very valuable commodity itself and we have always found an ABAC petrol air compressor to be worth its weight in .....petrol!

Save Money While Maximizing Compressed Air Productivity

Where to Start? Measure.
You can’t build a cost saving strategy around unknowns, so begin by measuring your compressed air system’s energy consumption, flow rates and operating air pressure. This will provide baseline values, help to identify problem areas and compute actual cost savings from any improvements you make. A great way to analyze a compressed air system is to draw a pressure profile that shows the pressure drops through a system. These pressure measurements give feedback for control adjustments, determine pressure drops across components and help to determine system operating pressures.

1.
Turn It Off. Set your machines to switch off nights and weekends.
There are 168 hours in a week, but most compressed air systems only run between 60‐100 hours at anything near full capacity. Depending on your shift pattern, turning your ABAC compressor off evenings and weekends could reduce your energy bills up to 20%.
2.
Fix Existing Leaks. Start with the oldest and biggest pipes.
A quarter‐inch air leak at 100 psi costs more than $2,500 a year! Pipe systems older than five years can have leaks of up to 25%. You must spend money to compress air, so air that leaks out is money wasted. Fix leaks, save money. Keep in mind that approximately 80% of air leaks are not audible; therefore, third‐party help is a necessity to thoroughly detect and minimize these problems.
3.
Prevent New Leaks. Dry and clean your compressed air.
Prevention beats cure, so be proactive and look inside your piping system. A clean, dry pipe means you have good quality air and should have no corrosion issues. Dust in the pipe is caused by particles in your air. If you don’t filter the air, or if your filter is clogged, you’ll have pressure drops and increase the risk of contaminating your end product. Sludge in the pipe is bad news and must be fixed immediately. In addition to the problems that occur with dust in the pipe, your pipes will corrode very quickly (if you see sludge it’s likely started already) and leaks will greatly increase. Dried and filtered compressed air keeps piping clean.
4.
Reduce Pressure. Run at required pressures, not beyond.
Each 2 psig reduction cuts energy consumption by 1%. Check the pressure at which your system is running and don’t keep turning it up to compensate for leaks or drops in pressure due to piping problems or clogged filters. Fix these issues and the chances are you will be able to actually drop the pressure. A central supply side controller can greatly reduce the operational pressure band and orchestrate air production much more efficiently and effectively.
5.
Check Drains. Are your condensate drains stuck open?
Condensate drains on timers should be adjusted periodically to ensure they open as intended and aren’t stuck open. Better yet, replace timer drains with zero‐loss drains to stop wasting compressed air.
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6. Review Piping Infrastructure. Many systems aren’t optimized.
Your piping system design should optimize transfer of compressed air at the desired flow and pressure to the point of use. Increasing the
size of your pipe from 2” to 3” can reduce pressure drop up to 50%. Shortening the distance air has to travel can further reduce pressure
drops by about 20‐40%. The more flow you try to put through a pipe the greater the pressure drop will be. Pressure drop in a pipe
increases with the square of the increase in flow. For example, if you triple the flow, the pressure drop will increase nine times what it
was! Air distribution piping should be large enough in diameter to minimize pressure drop.
7. Change Filters Systematically. Not every once in a while.
Just as you change oil in your car at scheduled intervals to ensure optimum performance, change filters in
your air compressor and air system regularly to ensure air quality and to prevent pressure drops. Inspect
and replace filters systematically to ensure the quality of your air. Go beyond the air compressor and
compressor room. There are several air line and point of use filters within your facility and they are just as
important to maintain as the air compressor and air compressor room filters.
8. Recover Heat. Compressing air generates heat – reuse it!
It’s simple physics that compressing air gives off heat, and you can recover as much as 90% of the heat for use in your operation. For
example, you can produce hot water for washrooms or direct warm air into a workspace, warehouse, loading dock, or entryway. You’ll find
that the savings can really add up!
9. Emphasize Proper Maintenance. Ignoring maintenance costs more.
As with most industrial machinery, a compressor runs more efficiently when regularly maintained. Proper compressor maintenance cuts
energy costs around 1% and helps prevent breakdowns that result in downtime and lost production. Protect your reputation and profits
with proper maintenance.
10. Stop inappropriate use of compressed air. Cut these to save even more.
Inappropriate uses of compressed air include any application that can be done more effectively or more efficiently by a method other than
compressed air. For example, high pressure air is often used for cooling or applications where much lower air pressure is effective.

Top 12 Compressed Air Safety Guidelines - ABAC Compressors

Top 12 Compressed Air Safety Guidelines - ABAC Compressor

1. Never apply compressed air to the skin or direct it at a person. Even air at a pressure of 15 psi (1 bar) can cause serious injury. Never use a compressed air hose to clean dirt or dust from your clothing or body.

2. When using compressed air for cleaning purposes, ensure pressure does not exceed 30 psi. Always use goggles or a face shield over approved safety glasses for this application.

3. Wear ear protection. Exposure to excessive noise can damage hearing. Noise reducing mufflers can be fitted to machines to lessen the noise health hazard.

4. Never crimp, couple, or uncouple pressurized hose. Shut off valves and bleed down pressure before making any hose adjustments.

5. Use heavy duty clamps made especially for compressed air systems. Use only the correct type and size of hose end fittings and connections.

6. Never use frayed, damaged or deteriorated hoses. Always store hoses properly and away from heat sources or direct sunlight. A hose failure can cause serious injury. Hose Reels can decrease your chances of injury, as well as help hoses last longer.

7. When blowing compressed air through a hose or air line, ensure that the open end is held securely. A free end can whip and can cause injury. Open the supply air cock carefully and ensure that any ejected particles will be restrained. A blocked hose can become a dangerous “compressed air gun.”

8. Make sure all hoses exceeding 1/2 inch ID have a safety device at the source of supply or branch line to reduce the pressure in case of hose failure.

9. Do not use air directly from a compressor for breathing purposes, for example charging air cylinders, unless the system has been specifically designed for such purpose and suitable breathing air filters and regulators are in place.

10. Isolating valves should be of the self venting type and designed to be locking in the "off" position so that air pressure cannot be applied inadvertently while the machine is being worked on.

11. Never alter or install an A.S.M.E. safety relief valve that has a higher PSIG rating than the pressure vessel rating to which it is attached.

12. Only pressure vessels built to a national or international standard should be used for air receivers.

Buying a new air compressor… the first thing to ask!

Folks buying an industrial air compressor from an industrial shop don’t necessarily have this problem, as likely the air compressor distributor is the company that fixes that brand.
Those of us that are buying a low cost DIY type air compressor from the big-box-store ilk, are not that fortunate.
When you find the air compressor that you think will suit your needs, the first question to ask your store clerk is who fixes that brand when it’s past warranty? You’ll typically see eyes glaze over, or a mindless grin slide across their face, and they may even mumble some sort of response that doesn’t tell you anything. Be persistent!

Big box stores fix virtually nothing. If your air compressor craps out within that store’s replacement time frame, and you return it with a problem, odds are they will simply give you a new one. That, believe it or not, is likely cheaper for them than having a process to handle compressor repair at the store level. And besides, rumor has it that the deal they cut with their supplier is that if a product comes back under warranty, the supplier will give the store a new one to replace it, anyway.
Are you buying your air compressors for 3 months, or one year use only? Planning on having it a longer time than that?
Then, ask where you get that particular compressor fixed when it is OUT OF WARRANTY. If they can’t tell you, buy another brand from somewhere else where they can.

I am inundated by emails  from folks with an almost new, hardly used, big box store type air compressor that has failed after a short time, and no where, NO WHERE, can these folks get them fixed or even, if they know what the air compressor problem is, get parts to fix it.

Shop harder folks. Don’t buy air compressors from any store that cannot point you to where you will get service after the warranty runs out. Because the warranty will run out, and your compressor will, eventually, break down. When it does, know where to get it fixed.

Click here for ABAC Compressor parts. Bu them from Air Supplies.

Abac Screw Compressors new video!