Air compressors are a valuable power source for tools and equipment in a wide range of industries. Manufacturing, for example, uses air compressors to operate just about every aspect of the production line—from the conveyor belts to the arms and tools that automate the entire process. One of the greatest threats to compressors, however, is moisture. Read on to learn more about why moisture is dangerous for air compressors and how to prevent it from damaging your equipment.
Risk of Corrosion
The primary issue with moisture in your air compressor is that it greatly increases the risk of corrosion in your machines. Water in your compressor lines will wash away the lubricants on your machines and lead to a greater risk of oxidization, which causes metal to rust. As a result, you’ll need to repair or replace tools, components, and other parts of your operation more frequently as they degrade faster than they should.
Damaged Components
Before corrosion can even occur, however, moisture can cause damage to your equipment in other ways. By washing away machine lubricants, the amount of friction from components like pistons will increase. This friction causes more wear and tear and reduces the efficiency of your machines as the pistons struggle to operate.
The moisture will also coalesce with impurities like dirt and oil as it accumulates. This issue creates clogs in the air system circulation and damages the valves and cylinders as air passages narrow and rubber materials stiffen or rupture.
Contaminating Products
Perhaps the greatest reason moisture is dangerous to air compressors is that it can affect your final product. In industries like food and beverages or pharmaceuticals, contamination of the final product can easily be a health hazard that will affect your business’s success and reputation.
Protecting Your Air Compressors
How do you prevent moisture from getting into your air compressor when moisture is always in the air? The easiest and best investment is an air dryer designed for your compressor’s model. Air dryers remove moisture from your compressed air by cooling it with a refrigerant. The dryer then collects the condensed vapor, which safely drains from your compressor’s system.
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