How does Lubrication Work in Air Compressors?
Have you heard of air compressors? Of course, if you belong to the world of pneumatics, you might have used or known about air compressors. This machinery plays a great role in the successful operations of many workshops and factories worldwide. But these tools were not in the past times. They are relatively a current invention in the modern machine world. Before the existence of air compressors, people used wheels, belts, and other big components to get power for their tools. This machinery, as a whole, was huge, costly, and heavy. Generally, they were not used for small operations.
But when it comes to air compressors, they are used in bigger industries. They are available in different sizes and shapes. This machinery can be found in auto workshops, large shop floors, and garages. Owning an air compressor is a task of many responsibilities. The reason is that there may be an occurrence of any issue in your air compressor. For that, you need to find an air compressor repair service center to get rid of problems. Air compressors work by imposing atmospheric air under pressure to produce potential energy, which can be stored in a tank for future use. There are different elements of air compressors.
We will be going to talk about lubrication in air compressors. So, read further:
Air compressor manufacturers or companies have a different range of air compressors to fulfill the varied needs of many industries and companies. When you are going to buy an air compressor, it is important to choose between lubricated air compressors and oil-free air compressors. If you know the difference between both of them, then only you can select the best air compressor for you or your business.
Moreover, you should also know the importance of lubrication for an air compressor because its maintenance hugely depends on lubrication. To maintain an air compressor, you can visit the air compressor repair service center in your surrounding area or look online. First of all, understand the basic difference between oil-lubricated pumps and oil-free pumps:
About lubricated air compressors
The general tool of an air compressor is a rotary element or piston, which can be a rotary screw or vane. This device draws in air that is compressed into a storage tank. It is a common thing to understand that the piston or rotary element has to move smoothly and consistently so that it can work perfectly. This is why it needs to be lubricated often. Lubricated air compressors have lubricating oil, which maintains the condition of a piston or rotary element. Lubricating oil is responsible to make the piston/rotary element run smoothly without giving any damage to the entire mechanism. Other benefits of the lubricant or lubricating oil include dissipating heat and maintaining the efficiency of air compressors. An air compressor with lubrication tends to be more durable.
What are Oil-free air compressors?
These compressors also rely on a rotary element or piston. However, when it comes to lubrication, they need to coat the compression element with some pre-lubricating material, and Teflon is used in this case. Some oil-free compressors may also utilize water in place of oil to provide a lubrication element to it. Water is a great coolant. These are some alternative options to lubricating oils. These materials are used to provide protection to the pump and let the mechanism move smoothly. With such effective alternatives, there is no need for using any oil-based or synthetic lubrication.
But for both kinds of air compressors, lubrication is needed, but it is different in their context.
Differences between lubricated and oil-free air compressors
There are many differences between oil-free and lubricated air compressors, beyond the absence or presence of oil. Let’s discuss:
Lubricated air compressors need more routine maintenance. It is important to change the lubricating oil every now and then. They also need more air filtration like coalescing filters and separators to eliminate the oil and protect downstream equipment so that the contamination cannot occur. On the other side, oil-free air compressors need more major repair work as they do not work for a long time. They can also produce more noise while in the operation phase. For the maintenance of oil-free or lubrication versions, an excellent and reputed air compressor repair service center can help you with it.
Final verdict
Once you understand the concept of lubrication, you will clearly know what you need to do. If you are already in an industrial environment, lubricants are a preferred option if you need to use air compressors for heavy use. But for a food-processing, pharmaceutical, or electronics industry, you may go for an oil-free air compressor. Complete Engineered Solutions are professionals in the industry. They can provide you with the best quality air compressors. They can also guide you in making your selection easier and more cost-effective.