Straight
Talk About Air Compressors
And Compressed Air.
There are a lot of companies
that will sell you compressed air equipment, what makes us different is that
we will sell you the right equipment and explain everything in as much detail
as your comfortable with. We believe in helping our customers help themselves
by providing the information you need, when you need it. Please feel free to
use our forums, email
or call us today with any questions you may have.
Do you need an new air compressor or do you
need to replace or upgrade your existing compressor? Well then read on
because there are a few things you really should know about, even if you
already
have some experience with compressors and compressed air systems.
Compressed air is
your most expensive utility! It’s true, dollar per
dollar, cubic foot per cubic foot, compressed air is very expensive.
What’s equally true though is that compressed air is found in over 99% of
manufacturing plants. Why? Well, air does some jobs better
than any other method. The trick (actually no trick at all) is to make
your air supply as
efficient as possible and your air
usage as frugal as possible. This is where we comes in, Nebraska Pneumatics can help you in many ways.
•
Nebraska
Pneumatics can help you choose the best equipment for your operation.
Remember, too big is as bad as too small.
• Nebraska Pneumatics can perform In-Plant Air Audits.
An Air Audit is where we look at every aspect of compressed air. From
production to use and the lines in-between. Remember, the initial visit
is to determine if our service will benefit you and it is free! We
have literally saved our customers hundreds of thousands of dollars per year
when performing Air Audits. Contact Nebraska Pneumatics and see if one
is right for you!
• Nebraska Pneumatics has products to utilize compressed
air in efficient ways you may have never considered.
• Nebraska Pneumatics can help you design a complete air
system that uses an efficient variable speed air compressor as well as
state-of-the-art piping and fittings that can be installed and modified in a
fraction of the time of conventional black iron pipe. We
can even take care of the installation if you want us to!
• Nebraska Pneumatics can repair and warrant your existing
equipment. We offer both on-site and off-site repair and rebuilding
services to keep your equipment operating at maximum
efficiency!
The cheapest air
compressor is not always the cheapest air compressor! Huh?
Think about it. If you are a small
commercial user or a serious home user using one of the popular piston
type (reciprocating) compressors, can you afford to be without
compressed air? No! Well, when you use one of the big
chain store compressors, you are getting, at best, a compressor intended for part-time or
intermittent use. If you need your air compressor running all day, you
simply won’t get the life out of one of these compressors that you deserve. You
will save money in the long run by purchasing a quality built air compressor
from the start. You will save
money on repair costs as maintenance will be less but you will
also save money on electrical costs.
If don’t believe this, consider that a quality air compressor produces more
air per horsepower. This means that it will run less
often using less electricity. In addition, this efficiency further
extends the life of the air compressor.
There is no such thing as a
“silent” air compressor. We are asked very often to
provide an air compressor that must be “quiet” because of any number of
reasons. Like any machinery, all compressors make significant
“noise”. Having said this, some ARE quieter than others.
Piston compressors, also known as reciprocating compressors, are generally the loudest.
Of these, the “Oil-free” compressors are the worst offenders. Their
design is such that there is no deadening of the sound produced through the
action of the piston, valves etc. In addition, these oil-less designs
tend to run at a 
higher
rate of speed to compensate for the smaller pistons and motors. This
makes for an inexpensive compressor but definitely NOT one that is designed to
last. A well-designed piston compressor will produce a
more muffled sound, lower in pitch than the sharp “banging” of an
oil-free. A 15-20 db difference in noise levels from the loudest
piston units to the quietest is not unusual to see (or hear!). In
case you didn't know it, a mere 3 db decrease is all it takes
to cut the perceived sound level in half!
Of the more common industrial compressors, Rotary screw
compressors are generally the quietest with vane compressors coming in a close
second. Generally speaking, as you may imagine, the smaller the unit, the
quieter it will be (usually).
The
real question though is how quiet do you really need your air
compressor to be? Many people will put the compressor in its
own room or purchase one with an approved enclosure. Either way (or
both) can cut noise significantly, if not drastically. Just remember
that if you put the compressor in a separate building, you may need to
use a desiccant dryer to get all the moisture out as a
refrigerated dryer may not be up to the task. Be careful about
unapproved soundproof enclosures because manufacturer claims can be way off on
some of the lower cost machines.
Once
you have decided on a specific compressor for your needs you will need to
install it, don't fall prey to some of the common mistakes
that so many businesses make! We can help you with the proper installation of
the compressor after the sale so that you get maximum use and minimum
headaches from your new equipment.
At
Nebraska Pneumatics we take a great deal of pride in providing our customers
with great products and great service after the sale. We work hard to
provide the right equipment for our customers needs and, most of all, we want
our customers to be satisfied with their purchase and the services we
provide. Please feel free to contact us using the form below with any questions you may
have regarding air compressors and compressed air systems or call us at 1-888-579-6004.
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