Why does the air compressor have to be guaranteed for the first time in 500 hours?

Why does the air compressor run for 500 hours to do the first maintenance? This problem can actually be understood from three aspects.

The first reason is that the new machine has a break-in period. The core component of the air compressor is a pair of rotors that bite each other, as well as precision parts such as bearings and gears. Although the factory has been processed, there are still tiny bumps invisible to the naked eye on the surface. At the beginning of operation, these bumps will rub against each other and slowly be ground flat, this process will produce a lot of small metal debris. These debris will mix in the lubricating oil and run around, just like sandpaper, constantly wearing down the core components. In addition, when the new machine is assembled, some processing burrs, iron filings and dust will inevitably remain inside, and dust may also enter during transportation. These things will all run into the lubrication system in the first 500 hours. 500 hours is just when these impurities accumulate to a dangerous critical point. If they are not cleaned up, the oil circuit may be blocked and the main engine may be injured.

The second reason is that the oil added to the new machine is different. When the new machine leaves the factory, it is not an ordinary lubricating oil, but a special running-in oil used in conjunction with the running-in period. The formulation of this oil focuses on anti-wear and cleaning, but its ability to resist high temperature and oxidation is relatively weak. When the air compressor is running, the oil temperature is very high, and this high temperature will quickly consume the effective ingredients in the oil. About 500 hours or so, the lubricating ability and cleaning ability of the oil will obviously decrease. If the oil is used continuously, it will deteriorate, coking, lubrication failure, and the machine will easily have problems. Therefore, 500 hours can also be understood as the shelf life of running-in oil, which must be changed when it arrives.

The third reason is that the cost of not making the first insurance is too high. If it is not maintained for more than 500 hours, metal debris will continue to damage the rotor and bearings, and the life of the machine may be shortened by three to five percent. Poor lubrication will also significantly increase power consumption, and it is prone to high-temperature tripping and oil circuit blockage. Once the main engine is locked, the maintenance cost is dozens or even hundreds of times that of the initial insurance cost.

The water lubricated air compressor, the situation is not the same. The water-lubricated air compressor uses water instead of oil to undertake the work of sealing and cooling, so it does not have the problem of deterioration of lubricating oil at all, and there is no need to make the first guarantee because of oil change. However, the water-lubricated air compressor will also experience component running-in at the beginning of operation, and will also produce metal chips. It's just that the crumbs are not mixed in oil, but in water. Therefore, the focus of the first maintenance of the water-lubricated air compressor is not to change the oil, but to flush the accumulated impurities in the water system, and at the same time check and replace the filter element to ensure the smooth flow of the waterway. It can be said that although the water-lubricated air compressor saves the step of changing oil, it is also necessary to clean up impurities during the running-in period, except that the object of cleaning has changed from oil to water.

To sum up, the essence of the 500-hour initial guarantee is to do a thorough cleaning before the impurities have caused great damage and the oil has not completely deteriorated, so as to remove the hidden dangers and enable the back of the machine to run stably for a long time.