How to choose a compressor?

Consider heat recovery

Did you know there's an area that offers a lot of savings opportunities for manufacturers? Recover waste heat from air compressors! Without energy recovery, this heat is lost to the atmosphere through cooling systems and radiation. While the electrical energy recovered depends on the size of the compressor and how long it has been running, typical recovery rates range from 70% for oil-injected screw compressors to as high as 94% for oil-free water-cooled screw compressors. Recovering heat from compressed air also reduces the need to purchase energy, be it for heating hot water or using exhausted cooled air for space heating.

Properly sizing compressed air equipment

Make sure your compressed air equipment is correctly sized. Selecting the wrong size air compressor for your facility can cause production issues and increase costs due to wasted energy. When selecting the correct type of compressor, consider the following questions:

● How much airflow does my facility/workshop use?

● What is the minimum pressure required in the facility?

● Do I need clean, dry air?

● How many hours per year does the compressor run?

● How many shifts do I have each day?

● Does the flow demand fluctuate between shifts?

Once you have the answers above, make sure you choose your compressor based not only on initial cost, but also on lowest total lifecycle cost.