Tag Archives: air compressor

The Costs of Compressed Air Energy

September 21, 2018 admin_alan

The operation of an air system requires more than just an ability to turn the right switches. One of the most important aspects of the whole operation is the maintenance of the compressor and various other components, because this ensures long life and efficiency for an air system.

One of the biggest compressed air maintenance mistakes is to underestimate or miscalculate the amount of energy that a compressor will use within the span of a year. Fact is, the price to operate a dental air compressor can equal or exceed the purchasing cost of the machine in the space of just 12 months. Most problematic in this regard is the wasteful usage of a compressed air system, which often occurs when operators are unaware of the overall energy costs.

On average, an industrial air compressor will retail in the ballpark of $30,000 to $50,000. When you multiply the operating costs per hour by the number of usage hours per day across 12 months, the cost of operating the machine during the first year alone could well exceed the initial price, and that doesn’t even count any possible maintenance costs.

A reliable way to estimate annual energy costs is to take the compressor’s horsepower and multiply that by .746, then multiply that by the number of usage hours, then multiply that by the power rate, and finally divide the total by the motor efficiency.

To best assure efficiency, it’s important to accurately calculate the annual energy costs of an air compressor, and to make sure that all operating staff understand how the figure plays out on a daily basis. That way, wasteful system use can be curbed going forward.

Even though the compressor is the main component of concern within an air system, it’s not the only one in need of routine maintenance. Of equal importance during any maintenance inspection are the other components that facilitate the air supply. Chief among such components is the air receiver, which holds compressed air for times when air demands increase, and also reduces system wear and contamination.

The air receiver makes it possible to run the compressor at lower levels and conserve energy in the process. However, the air receiver won’t be able to do its job properly if it’s too small for the system, because the compressor will have to run longer than necessary to keep up with air demand. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the air receiver is either large enough for the system, or backed with secondary receivers.

Dental Compressor

What Should You Know about the Dental Air Compressor

August 25, 2018 admin_alan

Safety should always be your first priority when working with compressed air, no matter the setting. It may seem like a simple tool and you might be tempted to blast a coworker with a burst of air, or use the compressed air to blow dirt or dust away from your skin, but this is dangerous behavior.

Compressed air is under such pressure that even brief contact with protected skin can cause abrasions, cuts and other injuries. If the skin is broken, an air compressor can force air under the skin, causing organ damage or even potentially causing an embolism — an air bubble in the blood that can cause a cardiac event if it reaches the heart. In rare cases, impacts from compressed air have been known to cause traumatic organ damage.

An air compressor could have perfectly functioning filtration and be free of condensate or traveling oil, yet still lag in its performance if air leaks are present at any point between the machine itself and the tools at the end of the pipes.

When air leaks form along a compressed air system, tool performance weakens and operations become less efficient. If an operator is unaware of the problem source, the first solution that often comes to mind is to simply crank up the pressure on the system in order to compensate for the lagging power. This, in turn, leads to increased wear and tear on the internal mechanisms of an air compressor.

Simply put, there’s nothing to be gained from leaks in a compressed air system. The problems associated with leaks are easier to spot and remedy, or prevent altogether, with routine inspections along all the parts that transport air from the compressor to the end tools.

Compressors need lubrication to function, but the oil can get into the airstream, where it could threaten patient health and jeopardize procedures. Some units are oil-free, while others have special sealant systems to prevent leaks. The dental air compressor may also be designed to operate quietly, which can reduce stress for patients who may be worried by the sound of a large engine running near the procedure room.

Buying a name-brand compressor can help reduce that risk even further by giving you access to approved service providers who are trained to maintain your specific piece of equipment. While using a different service provider for your dental equipment maintenance is one option, you aren’t guaranteed to be paired with a technician who knows all the ins and outs of your compressor’s idiosyncrasies.

Dental Compressor

Common Mistakes in Air Compressor Maintenance

July 11, 2018 admin_alan

Common mistakes in compressed air maintenance include failure to assess energy costs and the impacts of contamination and condensation. These mistakes alone can lead to inefficiency and parts failure that can result in losses in the tens of thousands over the course of a given year. Further compressed air maintenance mistakes include a lack of attention to secondary components and a failure to properly train all members on staff of the finer nuances of compressor operation.

One of the biggest compressed air maintenance mistakes is to underestimate or miscalculate the amount of energy that a compressor will use within the span of a year. Fact is, the price to operate an air compressor can equal or exceed the purchasing cost of the machine in the space of just 12 months. Most problematic in this regard is the wasteful usage of a compressed air system, which often occurs when operators are unaware of the overall energy costs.

Among certain air system operators, it’s simply assumed that maintenance begins and ends with a check of the compressor for signs of condensation and dirt. For operators who overlook the broader maintenance steps, the consequences can be confusing. After all, you can have a set of oilless air compressors that function perfectly, yet still have problems with the overall system.

Dental Compressor

How to Save Energy of the Air Compressor

May 14, 2018 admin_alan

Studies have concluded that industrial plants waste roughly 30 percent of generated compressed air, which could equate to $9,600 for a typical scfm installation, or as much as $32,100 for 1,500 CFM. Estimates also indicate that poorly designed compressed air systems in the U.S. result in wasted utility payments of up to $3.2 billion.

Energy efficient air compressors will not only save money but will also help control pollution. A walk-through assessment can help identify conservation opportunities in your compressed air system.

Large-scale air emissions are released when electricity is produced. Reducing the electricity needed for compressed air systems can help significantly improve air quality.

Many industrial compressors use oil for lubrication, creating an oil and water mixture called condensate, which contains hydrocarbons and other harmful contaminants that require proper disposal in accordance with government guidelines. Oil water separators, used in condensate management systems, can help efficiently remove waste. An outside waste management company can help dispose of compressor condensate( oilless air compressor ).

Due to problems with piston rings on reciprocating compressors and premature modulation on rotary screw compressors, many compressors don’t produce the CFM flow for which they’ve been rated. Failure in this area may be the result of an inaccurately adjusted valve. Calibration can help verify compressor output.

Air compression equipment should maintain low pressure drop for the duration of its service life. Total pressure drops across system components shouldn’t exceed 15 psi. If pressure loss in your system is more than 10 percent, you should evaluate the distribution system and identify the causes of excessive pressure drops.

Air distribution piping should be large enough in size to minimize this pressure drop. Installing a pressure regulator can limit air demand while reducing maintenance costs and extending tool life. Inlet air filters can prevent the kind of dirt that restricts airflow and causes pressure drops.

You can experience cost savings from using an efficient air compressor. But compressed air can be one of the most expensive forms of energy in a manufacturing plant, with eight horsepower of electricity generating one horsepower of compressed air. In fact, the annual cost of electrical power can often exceed the initial cost of the air compressor.

Dental Compressor

Paying Attention on Maintaining the Air Compressor

April 18, 2018 admin_alan

Maintenance of an air compressor unit is only part of what keeps a compressed air system in optimal condition throughout the four seasons of a given year. In order to keep a well–functioning compressor performing up to par, you also need to ensure that the compressor room is maintained with optimal working conditions for the machinery contained within.

As with the air and oil filters within the dental air compressor, it’s important to check the ventilation for the room that houses the machine. To prevent the ambient air from becoming too congested, perform the following steps on a routine basis:

Check air vents for dust deposits.
Clear away dust buildup from air vents.
Inspect the HVAC system for dust buildup and defects.

In any kind of work environment, the air needs to circulate in order to remain healthy. Even if you have an HVAC system in place that’s been especially programmed to maintain suitable temperatures and ambient air quality inside the room that stores your compressed air system, the HVAC unit itself could become compromised if not subject to periodic inspections. This, in turn, could degrade the quality of air within the compressor room and have a domino effect on the compressor and related tools. All such problems can be prevented with routine inspections of the air vents and HVAC system.

When water is the cooling factor in any kind of air system, the water itself must be cool in order for it to have the desired effect. When the weather gets warmer, the water that goes in should be even cooler. Just as with air coolers, a water–cooled air compressor needs sufficiently cool water to offset the ambient warmth during hotter months.

To ensure that the water in a water–cooled air compressor maintains sufficient coolness, perform the following actions before each working cycle that takes place during humid days:

Check the temperature of the water.
Adjust the water temperature if necessary when ambient temperatures rise.

With any machine that has been made to supply quality air, external factors can impact the performance of the machine and the quality of air that reaches the end point. In the case of a water–cooled air compressor, the quality of compressed air is liable to be compromised if a normally cold water supply is rendered warmer by humid ambient temperatures. To prevent such problems from occurring, check the water supply during hotter months to ensure that the water temperature remains consistent with fall, winter and spring levels.

Dental Compressor

The Importance of Maintaining the Dental Air Compressor

March 28, 2018 admin_alan

The cleaner the air your compressor creates and uses, the safer your patients. In a dental practice, there is the risk of exposure to bacteria, microorganisms and pathogens. When equipment is producing poor-quality air, or it’s improperly generating a moist environment in machine parts, you could be creating a breeding ground for these dangers.

The filtration system is integral to the efficiency of an air compressor. As long as the air and oil are sufficiently filtered throughout a given cycle, the dental air compressor can be expected to produce cool air at consistent volumes with an overall smooth performance from the machine. However, if the filters are clogged with dirt, pressure drop can ensue, and this forces the air compressor to work harder just to perform basic functions. Consequently, energy gets consumed and parts get worn in the process.

If gunk and dirt are allowed to accumulate over several seasons, the decline in air quality could serve as a warning sign of costlier problems down the way with an air compressor. To prevent these problems from occurring in the first place, check the filters regularly and clean them out as needed.

As with the air and oil filters within the air compressor, it’s important to check the ventilation for the room that houses the machine. To prevent the ambient air from becoming too congested, perform the following steps on a routine basis:

Check air vents for dust deposits.
Clear away dust buildup from air vents.
Inspect the HVAC system for dust buildup and defects.

An air compressor is capable of working under all types of weather, providing that the compressor is kept in optimal shape and the operating environment is suited to the technology. With periodic maintenance of your compressed air system and its room of operation, you could enjoy optimal performance throughout the year with minimal downtime.

Dental Compressor

The Prototype to the Air Compressor: Bellows

September 20, 2017 admin_alan

No period in human history has seen as much technological development as the 20th century. During the first half of that century alone, people witnessed the introduction of automobiles, aircraft and countless products sold in stores that hail from factory assembly lines. The production for all of these things has largely been driven by compressed air, which has made it possible for workers at factories to assemble heavy, intricate items at speeds that would have been impossible a century before.

The history of air compressor use can be traced back thousands of years to when early civilizations discovered the power of the human lung. With its ability to exhale oxygen, the lung made it easier to build fires for cooking and keeping warm.

Sometime around 3000 B.C., developments were made in the branch of science known as metallurgy, which concerns the study of metal production. Among metalsmiths, it became apparent that hotter forms of air were needed to turn liquidized minerals like copper and gold into hard metals.

In light of the demands brought on by metal production, the limitations of the human lung became readily apparent. At its healthiest, the human lung is only capable of producing a fraction of the air pressure needed for cooling metal. Furthermore, lungs proved to be an unsuitable source for fire sustenance due to the carbon dioxide content in the air that humans exhale. Clearly, something more powerful and elaborate was needed for air production.

Bellows: The Prototype to the Air Compressor

The earliest man-made air device was the blowpipe, which metallurgists in Egypt used in the production of precious metals seen in ancient tombs. This was followed by manually operated bellows — the world’s first mechanical compressed air device. Consisting of a flexible bag, the device made compressed-air production a whole lot easier. The accordion-like device sucks air in through one side while extended, then pushes the air out through the other end when the handles are squeezed together.

Around 1500 B.C., the introduction of foot-operated bellows — safer to operate and without the strain factor to the arms and hands — allowed for a more practical way of producing air for metalworking. Bellows remained the standard in compressed air production for the next two millenniums. Even though bellows bear little resemblance to the modern-day oilless air compressor, they were capable of sustaining fires with enough heat to meld iron ores. Today, bellows are still used in certain applications, including breathing devices used in hospitals.

Dental Compressor

TheType of Fluid Used in Air Compressor

July 11, 2017 admin_alan

It is not uncommon for five horsepower air compressor pricing to range from less than $750 to near $2000. The difference can be measured in compressor life, sometimes as short as 2000 hours versus 40 years for a heavy duty pressure lubricated compressor. While the upfront cost is attractive, it would seem the maintenance would involve throwing away the lesser air compressor every year or so and replacing it with a new machine. Even if it were planned to keep the air compressor and perform a rebuild, it may not be possible with less costly air compressors.

The consumption of special parts and oil also must be considered in the cost of ownership. It is typical for manufacturers of rotary screw dental air compressors to provide a long-life synthetic fluid to enhance the performance of the air compressor. Synthetic oils will last from 4000 hours to an indefinite period before requiring a change-out.

Depending on the type of fluid used, special handling and disposal might be required. For example, normal motor oil, which is rarely used in any type of air compressor, can be easily discarded without being considered a hazardous waste. Automatic transmission fluid, which will last about twice as long and reflects that in its price, can similarly be disposed of fairly simply. Both types of fluid are collected routinely by oil recyclers to be re-blended.

Synthetic fluids and blends, however, sometimes require special handling for proper disposal. Ester and olefin type fluids must be identified and require special disposal in some municipalities. It is best to check before buying to ensure all costs are factored.

Other types of fluid are considered to be biodegradable, and thus suitable for disposal in a sewer system. Such fluids, polyalkeneglycol or polyglycol, should have a certificate from the manufacturer that states the fluid’s biodegradability.

Other specialty chemicals like silicon blends or pure silicon represent another disposal issue and should be disclosed prior to purchase. Note that the more features a fluid has, like long life and high temperature stability, the more expensive it will be to buy and discard.

By carefully selecting an air compressor that has a balance between long service life and parts cost, it is possible to save even more money over the life of the equipment. Also, by weighing the maintenance requirements, the impact of waste filters and fluid can be managed as well. Less cost and less waste is better for the economy and ultimately is better for the environment.

dental equipment

Paying Attention on the Use of Dental Air Compressor

April 13, 2017 admin_alan

When you’re using a poor-quality air compressor system that delivers either dirty air or an air compressor that delivers air at a lower pressure than required, you’ll see low-quality or even no operation of these devices. If air pressure is good, but the air itself is unclean, then you’re risking internal damage to those units, reducing their overall lifespan.

The biggest concern is moist air that can harm delicate internal machinery and quickly make your tools unusable. Moisture can lead to corrosion, microorganism contamination and decrease the precision of your tools. For those who select a low-quality air compressor, a common issue is carbon buildup that poses an even greater danger to the machinery in handpieces.

Electric dental handpieces also tend to have a greater cost and a higher number of parts that you’ll need to maintain, while air-driven pieces can be obtained in full, often for less than $1,000. Air-driven handpieces also tend to be lighter and easier to handle, with the latest innovations providing greater torque so you can use them for many applications over a longer period of time.

Oil-lubricated air compressors tend to be quieter and can last longer than other models, making them seem like a top choice for a dental office, but that may not be the case.

The main reason many dentists choose an oilless air compressor is because they have a lower risk of contaminating the compressed air with lubricant. These units also tend to be lighter, allowing them to be placed in a wider range of areas, while still creating as much air flow and pressure as many oil-lubricated models.

Removing the risk of contaminating the air is the biggest win and makes the most sense because it can protect the health and safety of your patients, staff and those in your office waiting areas. While you will need to perform maintenance slightly more often, the health and safety concerns significantly outweigh any benefit you’d see from using the heavier, lubricated models.

dental equipment

What’s the Benefit of Efficient Dental Air Compressor

March 28, 2017 admin_alan

An air compressor can also function at high temperatures and in locations where explosions and fire hazards restrict other forms of energy. Air can be generated on site, so there’s more control over usage and air quality. Also, dental air compressors can run tools and equipment that generate more power than normal tools. When using pneumatic tools, an air compressor becomes a vital part of your operation.

The most popular compressors are positive displacement compressors, which work by filling a chamber with air and then reducing volume. Positive displacement compressors include reciprocating, rotary screw and rotary vane compressors. Although reciprocating compressors are the most widely available on the market, rotary compressors are most useful in industrial environments.

Energy efficient air compressors will not only save money but will also help control pollution. A walk-through assessment can help identify conservation opportunities in your compressed air system.

Large-scale air emissions are released when electricity is produced. Reducing the electricity needed for compressed air systems can help significantly improve air quality.

The largest cause of energy waste results from unused, or leaked, compressed air. Heat loss is also a large component of wasted energy in the air compression process. With energy costs doubling in the last five years, it couldn’t be more crucial to make your compressor more energy efficient.