I get it — you and your staff are busy and being asked to do more with less. When this happens, things will start to slide. One of the first items on the list is maintenance, and often you can get away with this for a period of time … but eventually a critical failure […]
Air Compressors
What are some free compressed air tools?
Not very often does something come truly free, but if you are working with compressed air in any way, you should know about the MEASUR tool. It is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy division. The software is offered as follows and includes 12 calculators for compressed […]
Why should you measure compressed air?
Portable electronic measuring instruments have been indispensable in capturing compressed air system baselines over the past number of years. Rarely are there enough permanent instruments installed at a typical industrial plant to use to get a clear picture of how well the compressors and dryers are operating. Very often, all a compressed air auditor finds […]
What is an air compressor’s pressure rating?
Air compressors come in many makes, styles and ratings. One of the most important ratings is the compressor rated pressure. This is the maximum pressure a compressor should operate, but as many people have found, the compressors will run above their maximum pressure, but should they? The primary issue is safety — compressors often have […]
The necessity of clean, dry compressed air
Learn some tips to ensure reliable, high-quality compressed air output at an affordable cost. By Ron Marshall, Contributing Editor It is crunch time. That important order needs to be processed by the end of the day. You are up against a deadline, and you only need a few more hours of production, and then the […]
Compressed air fail: The last 30 feet
An automotive plant was having trouble with a finishing tool. The device was sluggish and would easily stall. It had no power. It even sounded weak. It didn’t have that nice “Vrrip, vrrip!” sound like a normal air tool. A compressed air auditor was called in the investigate. The auditor took one look and frowned. […]
VMAC puts the “Air” in Lincoln Electric’s Air Vantage for 20 years
Lincoln Electric’s Air Vantage system is a critical piece of equipment for many operators in tough terrain, offering a welder, generator and air compressor. But the Air Vantage wouldn’t exist without VMAC, a mobile air manufacturer that provides compact yet powerful air compressor technology. “Lincoln Electric and VMAC have successfully worked together for the past […]
A look at air compressor capacity control problems
If an air compressor ran uncontrolled at full load all the time during periods of light load, the system pressure would rise until something popped. Manufacturers have built-in ways to prevent overpressure, the simplest of which is start/stop and load/unload control, using pressure switches. But for large fixed-speed screw type air compressors, there are two […]
New drive series for compressors and fans
Siemens has announced the availability of a new enclosed drive system, the SINAMICS G120XE, designed specifically for demanding compressor, fan and industrial pump applications operating in rugged conditions. Built around the popular SINAMICS G120X infrastructure drive, this new enclosed system is suited for fast design and commissioning in industries such as oil-and-gas, mining, petrochemical, refrigeration […]
VMAC releases original research on air compressor lifespan
A recent survey of 1,464 visitors on the vmacair.com website reveals that most survey respondents expect a truck mounted air compressor to last 6 to 10 years, with 40.5% of respondents selecting this option. Next, 19.2% of respondents selected 1 to 5 years, followed by 17.8% selecting 11 to 15 years. This poll shows that […]