1. How large is your demand? Rotary screw air compressors are especially durable and are able to handle large amounts of demand for extended periods of time. They are still more efficient and durable in smaller horse powers than piston compressors, but this is noticeable when getting into larger demands (i.e. 15 horsepower and more). Rotary screw air compressors are designed to run at 100% duty cycle, day in and day out. 2. Is lifetime cost important to you? While yes, a rotary screw compressor may have higher air compressor maintenance cost and/or initial capital cost, the lifetime expectancy is... Read more »

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How does pressure drop cost me money? Every compressed air user needs to understand the importance of minimizing pressure drop. Pressure drop is costing you money if, in order to maintain the desired pressure at your point-of-use, you have to run your air compressor at a higher pressure than the minimum pressure needed to keep your factory operating. It takes more energy to produce air at a higher pressure, and energy costs money. To put it in context: If a machine only needs 90 PSI to function properly, but you have to operate your air compressor at 120 PSI in... Read more »

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Winter is upon us again. We all know the summer went too fast, but hey – how can you be better prepared for the cold weather? By learning how cold ambient temperatures affect your compressed air system! Temperatures below freezing can have many adverse effects on compressed air equipment. The one that is most obvious is that compressed air generates condensate. Condensate will freeze when temperatures drop below freezing. This can cause short-term and long-lasting damage to your equipment such as freezing control lines, freezing and cracking of heat exchangers, frozen drain valves, and much more. Ideally, your air compressor... Read more »

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Ever wonder how much motor grease is enough when pumping it into a motor? Or what type of grease is the best? We wondered the same so we invited in John Wojdyla from Timken, to educate us on bearing greasing. We took our previous knowledge and combined it with what he taught us to produce the below information. The challenge we face as an air compressor service company, is that we maintain many different brands of compressors that use different brands of motors, some of which are domestic and many that are European and Asian. To add to the confusion,... Read more »

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When it comes to installing a new piping system, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the options for your application. How do you know which type is best? Many of our customers come to us asking this very question and wondering where to start. To help you make a decision, we have put together some information on the different types of piping you can use in your compressed air system. Traditional Methods of Piping Iron Pipe Iron pipe is one of the most commonly used and traditional methods of piping for compressed air systems. In fact, it’s been around for... Read more »

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Given how crucial compressed air supply is to manufacturing systems, unplanned downtime on your compressed air system can be a critical problem for your operations. Afterall, when your system goes down, your business shuts down, too. Not only do you have to pay to repair the system, but you’re losing valuable money you could be making by operating your business! Yet due to the amount of work compressed air systems go through (such as running continuously, generating heat, ingesting dirt, etc.), unexpected downtime is practically a given if you aren’t proactively caring for your system. Luckily, we have five easy... Read more »

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Proper repair and preventative maintenance on your equipment is essential to your business running smoothly — especially when it comes to equipment like your compressed air system, which is integral in keeping your operation running. So, when it comes to finding an equipment service provider, finding a quality provider can be the difference between your equipment running efficiently and dealing with unplanned downtime. How can you you determine if an equipment service provider is the right fit? There are three things you should expect from a quality service provider, no matter what equipment they service. Let’s dive into each in... Read more »

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Your air compressor’s location in your facility is critical to how it performs. But do you know exactly what you need to consider when determining where your compressor should go? The location not only affects the compressor’s own functioning… it can affect your facility’s efficiency and your employees’ productivity, too! To help you find the perfect location for your unit, here are six key factors you need to consider before locking in its location. 1. Serviceability and Accessibility Your air compressor should always be accessible for servicing. A rule of thumb is to place your compressor somewhere that allows a... Read more »

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How does a backup compressor help my business? Let’s use a manufacturing business as a perfect example; compressed air is vital for operations, and if it goes down, you may as well turn off the lights and count your losses. You will soon find out that besides losing production uptime when the compressor is down, it may also spoil the current product that is in your lineup when you go down. For example, if a food manufacturer goes down, not only do they lose the hours of production that they are down, but whatever is currently in their production line... Read more »

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How to know the right amount of compressed air your facility needs. There are many ways and methods that can be used in determining how much compressed air is needed to supply your facility, and believe it when we tell you – Getting a properly sized compressed air system is very important. Why do we say that? Under-sizing an air compressor will cause the system not to work. Both over-sizing and under-sizing your equipment can lead to large budget constraints that management never likes to deal with. Over-sizing your equipment can be costly too due to long-term maintenance and higher... Read more »

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Why Do You Need One? Compressed air produced by any oil flooded compressor has contaminates. After the air is cooled by the heat exchanger and/or the dryer, the contaminants including water and oil condense and become a liquid. To properly dispose of this liquid, the oil needs to be removed from the water so that the water can be reintroduced to the municipal water system. This can be achieved through the use of air compressor oil separator. If you do not use an oil/water separator and you dispose of the liquid from your dryer by dumping it into your usual... Read more »

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Do you know what size air compressor you need for your facility? Calculating compressed air requirements may seem complex, but it’s important to understand your needs before installing a new compressed air system. Here are four ways to calculate compressed air requirements for your facility. Why Proper Sizing for Compressed Air Systems Matters Air compressors come in a range of sizes and styles to suit a variety of needs. A small auto repair shop with a handful of tools will not need the same volume of compressed air as a large manufacturing facility using compressed air to run dozens of... Read more »

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Excess moisture in your compressed air system can cause problems both within the system itself and for the applications that utilize it. Appropriate maintenance and the use of air dryers can remove moisture from your air and extend the life of your system. What Causes Moisture in Compressed Air? Moisture is an inevitable byproduct of compressed air. All air contains a certain amount of water vapor. The volume of water held by the air varies with temperature and pressure; the higher the temperature, the more water air is able to hold. That’s why humidity tends to be higher in warmer... Read more »

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Time to Upgrade Your Compressed Air System? Your Energy Company Might Pay the Bill. Upgrading your compressed air system from a fixed-speed to a variable-speed drive (VSD) can deliver big savings on your energy bill. But did you know that your energy company may help you pay for the cost of the upgrade? You could get thousands of dollars back on the purchase of a VSD compressor or other energy-saving improvements for your compressed air system.  Understanding Energy Company Incentives for Compressed Air Systems  ComEd (Chicago and Northern Illinois), Xcel Energy (Minneapolis area), and many other energy providers nationwide all... Read more »

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Buy Now, Deduct Entire Equipment Purchase in 2019 Are you considering a major fixed equipment purchase soon? Thanks to Section 179, there’s never been a better time to purchase capital equipment. If you install a new compressed air system in December, you could possibly deduct 100% of your purchase for the 2019 tax year. Here’s how the Section 179 deduction works and how businesses can benefit. Note: We are not your tax advisor. Please check with your accountant to make sure your purchase qualifies. What Is Section 179—And Why Should You Care? Section 179 of the U.S. Tax Code allows... Read more »

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Have you ever dusted yourself off with compressed air and ended up getting power washed with water instead?! Where did that water come from and does it belong there? As we learned in science class, the air we breathe contains water in a gaseous state. The compressed air industry expresses the amount of water in a system by dewpoint and relative humidity. The warmer the air, the more water the compressed air can hold. This is why we see so much more water in our compressed air on a hot summer day after it has rained. When we compress the... Read more »

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There are 2 key aspects to sizing your piping correctly: max system CFM requirements and minimum required operating pressure.   Max CFM A study needs to be completed to determine what the max demand in the system (in CFM) is going to be. This needs to be a worst case scenario, with even momentary uses being considered Momentary uses of compressed air are considered any usage of your air for a period of time that is less than a minute. Examples of these momentary uses are; dust collector blow down valves, large air cylinder/ ram actuation, sometimes diaphragm pumps, and... Read more »

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This week’s discussion addresses what seems to be an unknown to most users of compressed air. Many calls come in from customers who say their compressor system no longer keeps up the demand of your auto shop. Of course, this could be due to many factors such as added production equipment, air leaks in the equipment and/or distribution piping, or the need of maintenance to the air compressor itself.

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Sometimes even the most hardworking technicians and service advisors can find it difficult to stay productive. We have come up with 8 tips using professional auto body shop information and feedback. Read and implement the following for in order to boost your productivity and make the most of your (and your team's) work day.

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Did you know a whopping 85 percent of manufacturers report using social media as a content marketing tactic? They are using platforms such as SlideShare, YouTube and Facebook to create inspirational and educational content that indirectly promotes their businesses.

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