Air compressors find wide application in many areas. You will find them in production, in garages and workshops, on the building site and in the food industry. Different purposes are served by different kinds of compressors of various performance – besides larger devices for operations, the market offers a whole range of compressors for use in the home workshop. It is precisely on these that we will focus in today's article.
Compressors are distinguished by output, where as a rule we are most interested of all in the output at the outlet. By the manufacturer, however, the intake capacity is usually stated instead. You can, however, simply work out the output at the outlet yourself. Simply put, it can be assumed that it is about 70% of the intake capacity.
Further there is a choice between compressors with a pressure vessel (air receiver) and without one, or between oil-lubricated and oil-free compressors. Oil-free compressors are cheaper and cleaner, but also noisier and with limited output. Their advantage is that during transport they do not leave oil stains and the discharged air is not contaminated with oil vapours. That is why they are used in the food industry, e.g. for pressurising beer kegs.
For use in the workshop, oil-lubricated compressors are somewhat more suitable. They have better performance and a longer service life; the lubricating oil moreover favourably affects any air tools driven by the compressor.
In the workshop you will use the air compressor above all for blowing compressed air, painting, or driving air tools.
1) Blowing compressed air
If you want a compressor for inflating tyres or wheels and for inflating rubber products, you have two options:
- A small 12V compressor without an air receiver
- A 230 V compressor with an air receiver
a) A small 12V compressor without an air receiver
For inflating rubber products such as boats, mattresses or balls, a small 12V device without an air receiver, which you can power from the cigarette lighter, is amply sufficient. It can, however, also be used for inflating car tyres. The advantage is that it is light and easily portable and you can take it with you on trips. Only sometimes one has to reckon with more frequent breaks and thus a longer inflation time.
With compressed air from a compressor fitted with a nozzle you will blow off e.g. sawdust from the work surface, but you will also clean narrow gaps or other tight spaces. Never, however, use an air compressor to clean clothing or parts of the body.
For sandblasting rusty metal surfaces or for removing paint you fit a sandblasting gun with an integrated sand container onto the hose.
The prices of the smallest compressors with a maximum output up to 20 bar and often a low service life start at 200 crowns; for the better-quality ones you will pay even more than 1000 crowns.
b) A 230 V compressor with an air receiver
Larger compressors, which you plug into a household electrical socket, are more powerful, as a rule more durable and moreover suitable also for other workshop work. The Air receiver functions as a store which accumulates the produced air, and the compressor thus does not have to work unnecessarily continuously during the operation. For inflating at home, compressors with a store of 8 litres and more are used.
For the workshop, where the compressor is not used continuously (as tends to be the case for example in production), a piston compressor is suitable. The air consumption for blowing and inflating will be at least 50 l/min. With its increase the usability of the compressor then rises also for painting or for using air tools.
2) Painting
A spray gun driven by air from a compressor is indispensable for painting larger surfaces, but it also pays off when painting smaller ones. The gun does not leave traces of the coating like a brush and is used for spraying doors or windows, for painting walls and above all for painting cars at home.
For work without constant interruption for pressurising, it is advisable to use a compressor with an air receiver and with an output at the outlet of at least around 250 l/min. For spraying small surfaces you will, however, manage with an air consumption up to 160 l/min.
For painting work you will also use some of the air tools driven by a compressor.
3) Driving air tools
Air tools are less demanding to operate than electric ones. They are also easier to maintain and have a higher service life. On the market there is a choice of quality tools with very wide use – from staplers or nailers up to impact wrenches and chisel hammers.
Directly in our offer you will discover for example the following hand-held air tools:
- Impact wrenches and ratchet wrenches
- Die grinders, angle grinders and orbital sanders
- Sheet metal nibblers, body saws
- Drills, screwdrivers
- Chisel hammers, riveting pliers
- Pressure automatic lubricators
- Other tools
All the offered tools driven by compressed air are characterised by simple use; with their favourable dimensions and weight they are able to develop maximum force. They will cover a wide range of work in the metalworking shop and the ordinary home workshop as well. The air consumption most often ranges between 100 and 300 l/min, some devices may have it higher.
In the car workshop you will use, besides grinders, nibblers and sheet metal saws, also windscreen cutters or sticker removers.