Compressed Air needs effective Compressed Air Filtration

Most factories around the world rely on compressed air. Having an air compressor on site means that compressed air is readily available and is easy to use. Just installing a compressed air system on site is not good enough and in order for it to work effectively and reliably compressed air filtration needs to be thought about at the design stage. Without effective compressed air filtration the compressed air system will work inefficiently and will inevitably fail.

When air is compressed the air temperature is raised and as the warmer air moves through the system it cools down which produces moisture, which can cause corrosion of the piping system. But it is not just moisture that is detrimental to a compressed air system; other contaminants to a compressed air system include oil from the compressor itself which can also compromise the efficiency of the air compressor system.

For this reason it is therefore imperative that compressed air filtration is taken seriously, any good engineer or system designer will know how to filter contaminants and where to do this within the system.

Modern compressed air filters utilise new filter materials which drastically improve flow capacity and capture even smaller particles than ever. Particles as little as 0.01 µm can be caught, which improves efficiencies to 99.999% in many cases.

With such effective compressed air filtration, air compressors can work for millions of hours uninterrupted. But it is important to understand that even the tiniest of particles can make small holes within the system and can cause serious wear and even system failure.

How to choose an effective compressed air filter?

Compressed air filters are rated per the minimum particle size that their elements will trap. Initially it would be thought to choose the compressed air filter that can trap the smallest element possible; but in fact, this is not the case. If the compressed air filter is too fine it can lead to increased pressure drop through the filter which will increase the energy costs in producing the compressed air. It will also lead to the filter getting clogged up more often resulting in frequent replacement.

Filter manufacturers provide the expected pressure loss and dirt-holding capacity in curves that relate to pressure and flow. This information will help in choosing the right compressed air filter for your system, choosing an acceptable pressure drop and considering the pipe-connection size.

Oil and water in the compressor system will be in mist form, which can pass through standard filters. A coalescing filter will therefore be needed, which can remove particles smaller than solid particles, they range from 1 to as minute as 0.01 ppm (parts per million).

Choosing the right compressed air filtration system is clearly a very complex decision with a lot of considerations to be taken into account.

Glaston Compressor Services has been established for nearly 40 years, their large team of experienced qualified service engineers provides the full service in compressed air systems. Glaston designs, installs and maintains air compressor systems across the whole of the UK. Glaston helps their clients choose an effective compressed air filtration solution designed to meet their individual needs.

Customers choose Glaston based on their strong reputation for excellent customer service and expert knowledge in the field of air compressors. But it is not just air compressors that Glaston works with, Glaston also supplies, installs and maintains nitrogen generators. Glaston’s main aim is to provide a reliable and cost effective solution to all their clients.

For more information about Glaston’s compressor services or any of their other services, speak to Glaston today. We can also help you choose the right nitrogen generation equipment for your business.