Sourcing Industrial Equipment

When you ask anyone about the major utilities in a manufacturing plant they will tell you about water, electricity and gas. However, there is a utility that most people are not aware of and that is compressed air. For any industry that has an air compressor, treatment of the compressed air is necessary. Compressed air treatment ensures that the air that enters the air compressor is dry and clean.

An air dryer and filter are necessary for the treatment process. This process protects your compressed air system hence ensuring that it runs efficiently. This in turn ensures the durability of your system because rust and dirt will not cause corrosion and rust of the system. Here is why it is necessary to keep compressed air systems dry.

1. Moisture Is Not Safe

Presence of moisture in compressed air during the manufacturing process could lead to serious problems hence affecting the process or the product itself. Moisture slows down the operation of motors and this is what affects the manufacturing process in a negative way. Moisture also has the following effects:

• It leads to rust and the moving parts of the compressed air system wear and tear so fast because of eroded lubrication.
• It can affect the color and finish details of spray paint procedures.
• During the cold weather, moisture can become cold to an extent of forming ice. Ice in control lines affects the controls from functioning efficiently.
• Moisture corrodes the tools that use air or gas when they are operating hence offering inaccurate readings or complete failure of plant processes.

2. Moisture Is Present

Natural air has some water vapor present. Once air gets into the air compressor, the vapor will condense hence there will be liquid water. This happens when the air cools beyond its saturation point, a point where the air cannot accommodate more vapor. The level of temperature that allows for condensation of water vapor is referred to as dew point.  This dew point is an indicator that your compressed air system needs drying and how much drying is required.

3. Corrosion of Pneumatic Tools

Pneumatic tools operate correctly when compressed air is dry and clean. When the air is wet or dirty, it will lead to frequent breakdowns of various parts hence you will need to replace them on a regular basis. Dirt leads to plugged lines which in turn reduce the pressure hence affecting the efficiency of the tools. This is because the pneumatic tools need a required amount of pressure. Air that is clean and dry will ensure that you maintain productivity and the durability of the pneumatic tools.

For more information, contact a company like MTA Australasia today.