Pneumatic mufflers, also called silencers, safely and quietly vent pressurized air to atmosphere. They are commonly installed on air valves, cylinders, manifolds and fittings. Without a muffler, air exhausting from many types of pneumatic-powered equipment can be so loud as to be detrimental to the surrounding environment and potentially harm workers. Noise results when fast-moving, […]
Engineering Basics
What is a conical screw compressor?
A conical screw compressor is an offshoot of the conventional screw compressor. In a typical screw compressor, two meshing helical screws or rotors are mounted side-by-side in a housing. The rotors spin in opposite directions and draw air into the cavities between them. Volume decreases as air progresses along the rotors and compresses air, which […]
What is a scroll compressor?
Scroll compressors are positive-displacement devices that work by internal compression. Air (or other gas) is drawn in, trapped, reduced in volume and, finally, discharged at the outlet port. The concept of a scroll compressor has been around for more than a century, but it took more-recent advances in manufacturing technology to make the product viable. […]
What are alternatives to Cv for rating flow?
The flow capacity of valves, connectors and other components in pneumatic systems is often expressed in Cv. (See, “What is the flow coefficient Cv?“) However, other methods and standards are also available to express flow capacity. Here are some important alternatives. Sonic conductance In place of Cv, some manufacturers choose to publish the sonic conductance, […]
What is the flow coefficient Cv?
In the pneumatic industry, Cv is one standard for expressing the flow capacity of devices used in pneumatic systems. However, there are multiple other standards that also express flow capacity, including effective orifice size and normal liters per minute, as well as measurements of actual flow rates at specific pressure differentials. These methods are not […]
What is Class 0 air?
The international standard ISO 8573-1 (2010), “Compressed air — Contaminants and purity classes,” provides a classification system for the main contaminants in compressed air systems. The standard specifies a number of purity classes for compressed air with respect to particulates, water and oil, independent of the location in the compressed air system at which the […]
Innovative pneumatics are realized in subsystem design
Innovation in pneumatics is often found in the way components are put together to create subsystems, instead of within the components. Contributed by Pat Phillips, PE, Product Manager for AutomationDirect, Fluid Power and Mechanical Product Div. Pneumatics have been used in industrial machines and manufacturing plants and facilities for decades, so most of the […]
Safe pneumatic system design
Consider the following safety and design choices for control of pneumatic systems in automated equipment. By Pat Phillips • Product Manager, Fluid Power & Mechanical Products at AutomationDirect A safe pneumatic system design starts at the connection to a machine’s air preparation hardware and continues to correctly pairing valves with cylinders. This article reviews the […]
How important are storage receivers to my screw compressor?
If you have one or more lubricated screw compressors that run partially loaded in load/unload mode, the size of the storage receiver is quite important to the compressor operating efficiency—and may affect its lifespan. If your compressors run in modulation mode, the least efficient way to run a screw compressor, the compressor efficiency is likely […]
What type of compressor should I use for my industrial site?
There are many choices to consider when looking to buy a new compressor for your industrial plant. The most common choices are reciprocating compressors, screw compressors, and centrifugal compressors. The best choice depends on the size of your facility and how you use compressed air. If you have a very light compressed air load—and don’t […]
