Application Scenario and Demand Characteristics of Air Compressor in Non-ferrous Metal Industry

In the non-ferrous metal industry, air compressors are mainly used in scenarios such as power execution, instrument gas and spraying. The demand characteristics are reflected in the differentiated requirements for pressure, quality and post-processing equipment, as follows:

1. Application Scenarios

1. power Execution
   • smelting link: In the non-ferrous metal smelting process, the air compressor provides power for the opening of the smelting furnace door, the lifting of the ladle containing liquid metal, lifting and casting, etc. For example, in the smelting workshop of an electrolytic aluminum plant, the crane (crane) needs to be equipped with a screw air compressor, the pressure requirement is 0.6~0.7MPa, and the quality requirement for compressed air is relatively low (dust particles ≤ 5μm, pressure dew point ≤ 10°C, oil content ≤ 5 mg/m & sup3;).
   • processing and manufacturing link: In the finishing stage of non-ferrous metals, the air compressor drives the fixture, tool loading and unloading of the CNC machine tool to ensure the machining accuracy. For example, in the production of copper valves or aluminum heat exchangers, compressed air needs to meet the high standards of dust particle ≤ 1 μm, pressure dew point ≤-20°C, oil content ≤ 0.1 mg/m & sup3.
2. Instrument gas
   • the air compressor provides a stable gas source for instruments (such as pressure sensors, flow meters, etc.) in the smelting and processing process, and the pressure requirement is 0.6~0.7MPa. The instrument gas has high quality requirements, and the compressed air needs to be purified through post-processing equipment (such as filters and adsorption dryers) to avoid impurities affecting the accuracy of the instrument.
3. Spraying treatment
   • in the appearance spraying stage of non-ferrous metal products, the air compressor provides high-pressure gas for the spray gun to ensure uniform coating. Spraying gas has extremely high quality requirements, and needs to reach the standards of dust particle ≤ 1μm, pressure dew point ≤-20°C, and oil content ≤ 0.1 mg/m & sup3; to prevent impurities from affecting the spraying effect.

2. demand characteristics

1. pressure demand differentiation
   • in the power execution scenario, the compressed air pressure is usually 0.6~0.7MPa to meet the requirements of mechanical action;
   • in the scene of instrument gas and spraying treatment, the pressure demand is stable at 0.6~0.7MPa, but the quality needs to be improved by post-processing equipment.
2. Grading of quality requirements
   • power Execution: The requirements for compressed air quality are relatively low, and the oil-injected screw air compressor can be used without complicated post-processing equipment;
   • instrument gas: To meet the ISO/DP8573/1-88 standard 2-3(4)-2 level (solid particle level 2, water content level 3 or 4, oil content level 2), need to configure the filter and dryer;
   • spraying treatment: To meet the highest quality standards (dust particles ≤ 1μm, pressure dew point ≤-20°C, oil content ≤ 0.1 mg/m & sup3;), oil-free air compressor and multi-stage filtration system are required.
3. Post-processing equipment configuration
   • in the power execution scenario, the air compressor can directly supply air without post-processing;
   • in the scene of instrument gas and spraying treatment, it is necessary to configure adsorption dryer, precision filter and other equipment to ensure that the compressed air quality meets the industry standard. For example, the instrument gas system of an electrolytic aluminum plant needs to purify the gas through a non-thermal regeneration dryer and an oil removal filter.
4. Gas consumption and equipment layout
   • non-ferrous metal smelting and processing enterprises usually distribute multiple production workshops (such as smelting workshop, finishing workshop, spraying workshop), and need to set up multiple air compression stations to meet the gas demand of different scenarios. For example, a large iron and steel enterprise may be equipped with 4 40m & sup3;/min screw air compressors (3 normally open and 1 standby) to support blast furnace operation.