Industrial air compressor is used in various kinds of applications such as gas stations and huge manufacturing plants. With its many uses, many consumers are also purchasing one to use inside the garage, the basement or at a home workshop. It is widely used in domestic tasks such as inflating a pool toy and also utilized as a tool to power drills, nail guns, staplers, sanders, spray guns and impact wrenches. These type of compressors can be purchased in local tool dealers or home centers.
The biggest advantage of an industrial air compressor is that it uses air power which doesn’t require a bulky motor. In fact, a compressor’s single motor is enough to develop kinetic energy from electrical energy. This makes the compressor a compact and light tool that provides ease of use with tools that runs smoothly and quietly and a small possibility of parts wearing out.
Types of Air Compressor
Compressors that utilized positive-displacement is the most commonly used by mechanics, homeowners, contractors and woodworkers but there are also compressors that creates air pressure by using a rotating impellers. Positive displacement compressors works by decreasing the space of which the air can occupy thereby increasing air pressure. This job is mostly done by a reciprocating piston.
A conventional piston used in the compressor is composed of a valve head, piston and connecting rod, a crankshaft and a cylinder – similar to a small engine for internal combustion. Gas engine or electric motor could be driving the crankshaft. There are available smaller models that are only composed of a motor and a pump but most often, compressors come with an air tank in order to store an amount of air that is preset to a certain pressure range. The air tools are being driven by the compressed air stored inside the tank while the cycles of the motor changes from on to off in order to maintain the tank’s pressure.
The valve head is located at the cylinder’s top and it contains the inlet as well as the discharge valves. Both of these are just made of thin flaps of metal – one of which is underneath while the other one is on top. A vacuum is created as soon as the piston goes down. Outside air, within atmospheric pressure, opens the inlet valve and occupies the above area of the piston. The air is compressed when the piston goes up which then shuts the inlet valve while simultaneously opening the discharge valve. The air then transfers to the tank from the discharge port. With more stroke, the amount of air increases inside the tank therefore increasing pressure.