What are industrial compressors used?

What role does the industrial compressor play in the production line?

There is a kind of equipment in the factory workshop that is not very noticeable at ordinary times, but once it stops, the whole production line may follow the nest. This is the industrial compressor, which is often said that the air compressor. What it does is not complicated: it sucks in the outside air, increases the pressure through mechanical compression, and then sends it to various air consumption points in the workshop to provide power for pneumatic tools, automatic cylinders, control valves and spraying equipment.

The reason why compressed air is used so widely in industrial sites is related to its own characteristics. Compared with electric drive, pneumatic equipment has a simpler structure, is not afraid of humid environment, and will not burn the motor when overloaded. Compared with hydraulic systems, compressed air does not have the risk of oil leakage to contaminate the product, and the pipeline layout is more flexible. Therefore, in many manufacturing scenarios, compressed air is used as a second power source after electricity.

The gas supply for a production line is often not supported by a compressor. The air compressor station is usually equipped with multiple equipment, some of which are responsible for daily basic gas supply, some supplement their output during peak gas consumption, and some specially supply gas to precision instruments and control circuits. This multi-machine coordination method keeps the gas supply continuous and stable, and the whole line will not be cut off due to the maintenance of a single equipment.

In this air supply system, the oil-free water lubrication air compressor undertakes a special task. This kind of equipment uses water instead of lubricating oil to complete the sealing and cooling of the main engine, and the gas itself does not contain oil. For food processing, electronic manufacturing and pharmaceutical production, which are sensitive to the cleanliness of the air source, the air compressor is lubricated with water to supply air, and the oil removal device is not needed at the back end, thus the system is more concise. In addition, this kind of equipment does not involve the replacement of lubricating oil, and the frequency of daily downtime and maintenance is relatively lower, which is more practical for workshops that require long-term uninterrupted gas supply.

From the point of view of energy consumption, the compressor is the largest electricity consumer in the factory. A medium-power air compressor consumes considerable power throughout the year, so how to make the equipment consume less power and contribute more power has always been the focus of operation and maintenance management. The more common practice is to adjust the number of operating units according to the actual gas consumption in the workshop, to open a few units less when the gas consumption is low, and to increase the number of units when the gas consumption is high, so as to avoid large horse-drawn trolleys. Frequency conversion control is also a common means to make the speed change in real time with the gas demand, which is more energy-saving than constant speed operation.

In terms of daily maintenance, the state of the compressor is directly related to the quality of air supply and equipment life. The air filter element must be replaced on time, and the gas production efficiency will decrease if the air inlet is blocked. Condensate water should be discharged every day. If there is too much water, it will corrode the pipeline and gas storage tank. The cooling system should be cleaned regularly, and poor heat dissipation can easily lead to high temperature tripping of the equipment. These things seem trivial, but each item is to the stable operation of the entire production line.

What industrial compressors do boils down to one thing: turn air into power and send it to where it is needed. With the right equipment, the system and the maintenance, this unknown machine can reduce accidents in the production line.