Air Compressor Guide: Cost Savings with Air …

1 Air Compressor guide A guide to cost Savings System Pressure: 100 psig Maintenance Complete with Air System Maintenance Compressor Maintenance Compressed Air Dryer Maintenance System Accessory Maintenance Reference Library Effective Compressor Maintenance P reventive maintenance is the solution to keeping your compressed air system in top condition. While the life cycle of any industrial air Compressor typically exceeds ten years, proper maintenance is crucial to maintain performance and efficiency. Compressors can be divided into seven sub-assemblies; Pump or Airend, Motor, Drive Problem Solved Train, Lubricants, Controllers, Coolers, and Filters. Because these sub-assemblies are expen- Problem: My Compressor is running too hot. sive components, they need to be maintained Solution: Clean cooler and check for on a regular basis. In addition, the benefits of any airflow restrictions. For water-cooled using genuine filters and maintenance parts units, check water flow, pressure, and and replacing them when needed should not be quality.

2 Check the oil level and add more underestimated. Any contaminants not trapped lubricant if required. Ensure that the area in the filter will eventually damage machinery is properly ventilated and correct excessive ambient temperatures. and equipment. Proper filtration and the use of quality fluids is more cost effective than repairing Problem: My air pressure at the point of damaged equipment. use is too low. Compressor technology continues to Solution: Check for correct pressure set- improve and therefore change. Using ting on amount of pressure drop across factory-trained personnel and following OEM. the dryer, filters,and piping systems. Your compressed air demand may be exceeding recommendations increases the reliability and current capacity and you will need to add provides the optimum performance from your more Compressor capacity. Check for air compressed air investment. Today manufacturers line leaks and inappropriate use first. also offer a variety of warranty programs which may help you plan and perform maintenance Problem: My filter service life is too short.

3 Activities. Solution: Use only genuine OEM parts. Generic filters may not meet performance In addition to component maintenance, your criteria such as micron rating, contamina- attention to proper ventilation, ambient tempera- tion capacity, and pressure drop. In high ture and contaminant levels also goes a long way dust environments, consider using special in avoiding problems in your compressed air prefilters, alternate location, or duct inlet system. and cooling air from clean location. 2 Visit our Website: Maintenance Indicators Filter Filter Lubricant Coolers Airend Drive Coupling Motor Maintenance Checklist Pump or Airend Drive Coupling Filters Piston/Pump Direct Drive Air 9 Check the inlet and discharge valves 9 Verify that the direct drive system is Any contaminants not trapped in the for sticking due to carbon deposits. perfectly aligned. filter will eventually damage machinery 9 Check for excessive air through the 9 Check frame and mounting block for and equipment.

4 Crank case breather indicating worn settling which may cause misalign- 9 Use proper micron rating as specified piston rings. ment and coupling damage. by OEM. 9 Check for low oil pressure indicating 9 Check drive coupling for contamina- 9 Check pressure differential and, if worn bearings. tion and signs of wear and tear. necessary, carefully counter flow . Recommended Rebuild: 5,000-10,000 Hours compressed air through the filters to Gear clean them. Rotary Screw Airend 9 Check spray bar for excessive contaminants and plugged orifices. 9 Check for worn/damaged seals. 9 Check for mechanical seal leakage. 9 Check for wear and backlash . 9 Check structural integrity. 9 Check for inlet valve wear. 9 Ensure proper lubrication. 9 Replace after filter has been cleaned 9 Check for excessive bearing play . 2 or 3 times. Recommended Rebuild: 50,000-100,000 Hours Lubricants Lubricant Filter and Lubricants cool, seal, lubricate and Motor Lubricant Separator remove contaminants from a Compressor .

5 9 Grease motor bearings with the right 9 Use only genuine replacement parts. type of grease. 9 Use proper grade (see manual). 9 Change when maximum pressure 9 Replace bearings on a conservative 9 Drain existing lubricant before differential is reached or at each lubri- schedule. refilling. cant change, whichever occurs first. 9 Check amp draw to prevent motor 9 Draw routine oil samples to determine maximum lubricant life. Coolers overload. 9 Check for visible contamination and 9 Ventilate Compressor room and limit 9 Use synthetic lubricant for maximum clean regularly. ambient temperature to increase service life. 9 Keep clean and dry. motor life. Kaeser Air Compressor guide 3. Dryer Maintenance Solutions H ot compressed air contains large amounts of water vapor. When traveling downstream, the water vapor condenses into liquid and causes Refrigerated Dryers Refrigerated dryers are very reliable and the most commonly used dryer type. They remove water from corrosion in piping, components, air tools and pro- compressed air by cooling it so that the water vapor duction equipment.

6 Compressed air dryers remove condenses and is separated. A refrigerated dryer harmful moisture and are an indispensible part of consists of heat exchangers, refrigeration compres- any clean air treatment process. sor, condenser, separator/drain and control system. Desiccant Dryers Problem Solved Desiccant dryers are used for applications where Problem: What are the parameters for sizing extra dry air as low as -100 F pressure dew point is dryers? needed. Desiccant (1/8 to 1/4 inch spherical alumi- na) adsorbs moisture onto its porous surface, which Solution: There are many parameters affect- needs to be de-sorbed periodically by purge air. ing dryer sizes. Always check your instruction Depending on the purge design, desiccant dryers are manual for proper sizing. Some general rules categorized in two major groups, heated and heat- of thumb are to go up in size when you have less (cold-regenerated). Both designs feature twin lower air pressure and higher ambient and air pressure vessels filled with desiccant, connected with piping.

7 Compressed or purge air is alternately inlet temperatures than the rated conditions. directed through the towers via switching valves. You may get away with a smaller size if you have opposite conditions. Membrane Dryer Membrane dryers use the selective porosity of Problem: I have water and/or oil at the point of special fibers to permeate water vapor to the use. What should I look for? outside, drying the compressed air flowing through it. They are completely maintenance free, however Solution: with refrigerated dryers check sepa- require reliable pre-filtration. See pre-filtration and rator/drain traps and look for contaminated drain check list for desiccant dryers. condenser. Desiccant dryers require prefiltration to maintain dryer performance and periodical desiccant change. Check drain trap operation and proper filter sizing. Ensure that system is designed for peak flows ( surge conditions). 4 Visit our Website: Condenser Unit Easy and Reliable Controls Heat Exchangers Separator Thermal Storage Electric Demand Drain Maintenance Checklist Refrigerated Dryers 9 Ensure that ambient air does not contain Control System traces of ammonia or acidic substances.

8 Control systems consist of either reliable Condenser Unit Water and ammonia can create an acid solid-state timers or a PLC. Clogged condensers account for most dryer that destroys copper heat exchangers. problems. 9 Both provide means to manually step through a complete operating cycle and 9 Periodically clean the fins with com- Desiccant Dryers verify proper valve sequence. pressed air or a bristle brush to ensure Filtration enough refrigerant is transformed into a Purge Mufflers Pre-filtration is essential to protect the liquid state, for proper heat removal in desiccant from oil and bulk water. 9 Check purge mufflers for excessive the evaporator. Do not bend or damage desiccant dust, indicating desiccant the fins of the heat exchanger during 9 Check pressure drop across filters and breakdown. Replace when necessary. cleaning. change filter cartridge when pressure drop exceeds 8-10 psid. 9 Check purge line for obstruction and Separator/Drain excessive pressure drop. 9 Check drains for proper operation and The most critical area for dryer performance is proper drain function at the separator.

9 Rebuild them at least once a year. Heater and Temperature Controls Separated water needs to be discharged Desiccant 9 Check operation and temperature set- from the system frequently to avoid re- Desiccant is very sensitive to oil as well as tings of thermostat (typically between entrance into the air system. dusting , which occurs when subjected to 350-450 F) to avoid heater element excessive air flow through the dryer. burn out. Check safety temperature 9 Check separator and drain function reg- switch for proper operation. ularly by monitoring discharge amount. 9 Sample desiccant (drain port on bottom On an average day a 100 cfm dryer of tower) and examine for proper size Blower discharges about 6 gallons during a (dusting reduces size) and discoloration, 9 Service blower motor per instruction 3 shift operation. Even the best drain indicating oil contamination. manual. Grease or replace motor needs to be serviced or rebuilt at least 9 Replace desiccant every 2 to 3 years.

10 Bearings as necessary. once a year. Valving 9 Clean or replace blower air inlet filter. Controls Proper valve operation is critical for Controls are very reliable and typically do desiccant dryer operation. Membrane Dryer not need any adjustments. No maintenance needed. However, check 9 Check diaphragms and seals of switch- 9 Check pressure switch setting if requirements for pre-filtration and drain ing and check valves for wear and condenser fan is not running during full traps and service per instruction manual. replace at least once a year. A higher load operation. than normal pressure gauge reading on Heat Exchangers pressure vessels during purge cycle Most modern heat exchangers are non- can indicate excessive leaks. fouling and do not require any 9 Periodically check for dew point if dryer pre-filtration or cleaning. is not equipped with a dew point monitor. Kaeser Air Compressor guide 5. Aftercooler, Drains, and Filters A ftercoolers reduce the air temperature caused by the compression process close to ambi- ent levels, where the air can be treated further.