Inspite of the availability of spare parts in the market at attractive prices, it is critical to procure your air compressor’s components only from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Purchasing spares from authorised dealers will give you benefits like:

• Warranty
• High product quality
• Longer lifespan
• Higher productivity
• More energy savings
• High reliability
• Ease of service and maintenance

The parts that need to be replaced or replenished include:

If you plan to buy an air compressor for your industrial application, you need to mull over several factors that best suit your needs. One important consideration is the air pressure requirement of the equipment that the air compressor will operate.

The free air delivery in an air compressor is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). It is the amount of air generated by the air compressor at a certain pressure level. Another parameter considered along with CFM is the amount of pressure that the air compressor can offer, which is measured in bar, kg/cm2 or PSI.

For instance, small pneumatic tools usually need up to 5 CFM at 4.8-6.2 bar. Larger equipment, on the other hand, demand more than 10 CFM at 6.9-8.2 bar. Remember that when you have multiple applications with different airflow demands, you should add up their individual requirement and consider the total usage to be 40-50% higher than the obtained number. This is to ensure the air compressor doesn’t run at full capacity at all times.

Take a look at the airflow required for some common air compressor applications:

According to historians, it is believed that sandblasting was first patented after the observation of what appeared to be sand-laden winds. Apparently, this seemed to significantly affect objects or surfaces they met. This observation was made by none other than Benjamin Chew Tilghman – the person who invented the first air compressor.

Sandblasting is also known as abrasive blasting. It is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive materials against a surface. It is done under high-pressure to smooth out a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface or shape the same to remove its contaminants.

The abrasive material for this operation is chosen based on the finish required on the surface.

To get the best performance from your sandblaster, you need to select the right compressor for the job.

Choosing your compressor:

Compressors and sandblasters are sized based on:

• Flow: Defined as the volume of air that the system can move in a minute, the flow is dictated by
  • Number of users
  • Hose length
  • Hose diameter
  • Nozzle size and type
• Pressure: The pressure generated by the system is dictated by media, hose length, & diameter
  One must consider both numbers to make sure the compressor and sandblaster will work together. The size of the sandblaster and nozzle will determine what size of the compressor should be used for the operation.

How sandblasters work:

To select the right size of the compressor for the operation; it is necessary to understand how exactly a sandblaster works. They clean out rough surfaces by abrading them with sand that is fired out of an air-powered gun at high velocity.

• Different types of projection systems that can throw abrasive using compressed air:
  In pressurised projection systems, both abrasive pot and air mixing champers are under the same pressure, sweeping the abrasive material along in the blast hose.
• In suction systems, compressed air is injected into the gun through a nozzle which creates a partial vacuum that sucks a mix of air and abrasive materials from the pot.
• In gravity systems, the abrasive material enters the mixing chamber by gravity and is then pushed by compressed air into the nozzle.

Major operations of the ready-made garment industry fall under these three categories:

1. Pre-production
2. Production
3. Post-production

Pre-production: This phase involves arranging materials, line planning, sample development and approval, sourcing, and production scheduling.

Production: During production, fabrics are spread, cut, bundled, and sewn.

Post-production: Post-production includes inspection, pressing, folding, and packing, making the garment ready to sell.

The labour dependent nature of cutting and sewing makes the readymade garment expensive. Fabric costs and cut-and-sew costs are two of the largest expenses in garment manufacturing. While raw materials contribute up to 50 to 60% of the total product cost, sewing contributes approximately 35% of the total cost.

Efforts have been made to lower labour costs through supply chain management by locating production facilities in developing countries like India, Bangladesh, etc. However, this strategy is becoming complex and difficult to sustain, forcing the industry to find alternative solutions. Thus, automating ready-made garment manufacturing processes are becoming the need of the hour!

Automation not only improves productivity, but also the quality of the finished product by minimising human intervention and preventing errors. Some of the automated techniques adopted by the industry includes:

1. Mechanised fabric handling
2. Computerised cutting
3. Automatic sewing
4. Use of robots

Issues such as oil carryover, air leaks, filter clogs, and inadequate lubrication are all warning signs of a gradually failing system. While all air compressor manufacturers recommend carrying out scheduled maintenance checks mandatorily, not recognizing the symptoms associated with certain issues can also lead to system failures.

So, does that mean that it is possible to identify the exact problem by simply observing the preliminary symptoms? In most cases, yes, it is.

For a customer, it is important that the functioning of a downstream equipment that relies on compressed air is not disturbed. Hence, efficient and smart troubleshooting is mandatory to save time and money. By closely observing the symptoms, we can anticipate the nature of the problem. Data must be collected, verified, and ascertained properly in order to arrive at a conclusion.

The most reported issues of an air compressor are:

1. Pressure not building up or not loading
2. High temperature and tripping
3. Not understanding alarming and warning signals in the controller
4. Tripping with high sump pressure
5. Oil leakages
6. Moisture condensation observed at utility point

Most of the problems can be identified through self-diagnosis of the following:

Oil levels and colour

Portable compressors are used as an energy source in mining because of its flexibility and maneuverability to use at sites with diesel engines.

Applications such as drilling holes in blue metal quarry with jack hammer and crawler drilling using compressed air is more common at sites.

ELGi’s PG 300-100 & PG 400-100 dominate in performance for jack hammer application in blue metal quarry. Its innovative airend screw profile offers high standards of energy efficiency and reliability, with long durability. With heavy duty Ashok Leyland diesel engine and turbocharger options for long-term operation, this concept encodes to increase the efficiency of the compressor system significantly, especially for long productivity in regular operation.

Our customers have found that both our PG 300-100 and PG 400-100 perform better than other compressors, with 6% less fuel consumption per hour than other brands.

That is because, most would have gone with the rule of thumb, the usual recommendation for a typical compressed air system. But the reality is that there is more to receiver tank sizing, customized to the application than just one size fits all

Imagine a water tank at an elevated height, supplying water to residences in an area. This is analogous to an air receiver supplying to various industrial demands. Let’s understand the need for an air receiver and its function in the compressed air system.

It is a proven fact that about 70% of an air compressor’s lifetime cost comes from power consumption, which then increases your overall power consumption However, due to the effectiveness and capacity of production support extended by compressed air systems, that it is now an indispensable part of the factory setup, especially in the case of sensitive industries including healthcare, pharma, food & beverage, etc.

Many opportunities exist to reduce the energy used by compressed air systems, beginning with air assessment and air audit. Here are 10 expert tips to help you keep a tab on your electricity bill.

1. LOWER THE PRESSURE: We all know that working under pressure can be hard. Every additional bar of pressure can increase your power consumption by 7%. Set your air compressor at the lowest possible pressure for a specific application. Remember that increasing pressure does not compensate for a pressure drop in the system caused due to leaks, faulty piping, or choked filters. Install a pressure regulator for better control. It’s also important to calibrate your pressure gauges at quarterly intervals.
2. CHANGE FILTERS ON TIME: While replacing air filters, it is mandatory to maintain the quality of air, it is also an energy-saving opportunity. Delaying an air filter change may cost you a lot. Clogged filters can lead to pressure drops and also hamper efficiency. Ensure on-time service for a healthy compressed air system.
3. INVEST IN PRE-FILTERS: Not only do pre-filters (also known as coalescing filters) help purify the air by removing oil and water, but they also help remove the particulate matter to a certain extent. Installing pre-filters for suctioning the air, and for its cooling, can extend the life of your compressor and its consumables.
4. CLEAN UP: Besides keeping your air clean, ensure that you give your compressed air system a thorough dusting every few months. The presence of sludge, dust, or grime can have a big impact on the efficiency of the compressed air system. Pay special attention to compressor coolers and heat exchangers. Consider investing in a dedicated low-pressure air compressor, and airline for cleaning, to save power.
5. PICK THE RIGHT DRYER: Selection of the right sized air dryer for your compressed air system is crucial. Make sure the energy consumption of the dryer is in proportion to the demand. An oversized dryer can add to your electricity bill significantly.

*The most well-known is urea, a white crystalline substance, made up of 46% nitrogen.