Till a few years ago, if customers wanted an economic option, they had to choose between single acting one and two stage air compressor when it came to capacities ranging from 5 Hp to 25hp. But given the recent advancements in design and production, there are other options that can be considered. Before making a final selection, there are several things that need to be considered.
First of all, you need to think about total average running period of the machine every week or month. Next, you would have to take into consideration your demand for compressed air. For instance, is it a steady demand all year round, or is it seasonal? Another important aspect that you need to be mindful of is whether the operating environment of the machine is clean or dirty. Next on, determine your required pressure levels. Based on these requirements, you could choose between the reciprocating or rotary air compressors and air compressor parts.
• Reciprocating compressors:
You could decide between products such as the Curtis ML or CA series. There is an availability of single acting, two stage, and air cooled units that fulfill the requirements for some of the commonly known applications in this particular size range. While these compressors are economical, they are also equally efficient. They are designed in a compact and light weight manner.
At the same time, one thing to bear in mind would be that this air compressor range is not meant for very heavy duty applications. Hence, you should not over exert them (try to keep the load capacity up to 75 percent to 80 perfect of their full rated output). While you might need to exceed this range once in a while, doing so consistently will certainly cut their service life. You might also have to incur additional expenses as issues like valve refurbishing or replacement might spring up in a couple of months. It would be wiser to choose Ingersoll Rand air compressor parts. It helps to know that in dirty or rugged working conditions, reciprocating compressors function better than their rotary counterparts.
• Rotary air compressors:
If you need air compressors that can not only handle steady loads, but also long operation hours, then you should choose the rotary compressors. But if you were to use it with lighter loads, you would notice a drop in its energy efficiency. To keep the performance of your air compressor going, you should invest in quality components such as Ingersoll Rand air compressor parts.
Of course, this variety requires a higher investment initially, but over a period as you use it for high load applications you shall notice that it is energy efficient. You might also have to incur higher maintenance costs with air compressor parts. To state an example of its functioning, under a stable load a 10 Hp rotary air compressor would be able to perform the job that would typically require a 15 Hp compressor at 75% load.
