Rolair Air Compressors For Sale

December 12, 2022 45

Things You Need to Know Before Choosing a Rolair Air Compressor

Regardless of the brand, air compressors are mechanical devices that increase air pressure by reducing its volume.

Owing to their versatility and convenience, Rolair air compressors are used in a myriad of industrial and manufacturing applications.

In order to get the best from your air compressor, you just have to choose a model that is best suited for the intended application.

In this regard, here are some of the important considerations you need to make:

Air Compressor Type

Air compressors may be broadly classified into two categories: centrifugal, and positive displacement compressors, as explained below.

Positive Displacement Compressors

Most Rolair air compressors fall into this category. In their functioning, positive Displacement air compressors are designed to compress the air in order to reduce its volume.

Such models are often powered by electric motors.

Positive Displacement air compressors may be further categorized into three types based on their models of Operation, including:

Rotary Screw Compressors

These use a helical screw instead of a piston to compress the air. Rotary-screw air compressors are known to offer a higher compression ratio and a significant amount of flow in a single stage.

As such, rotary-screw air compressors are comparatively smaller, as compared to piston compressors of the same class.

The pressure delivered by such units varies from one model to another, with the smaller single-cylinder models delivering about 5 bars. The larger multi-stage rotary screw air compressor models are quite powerful, with some delivering up to 13 bars.

The leading models have a duty cycle of 100%, allowing for continuous operation. Some of the best Rolair rotary-screw units feature variable speed settings.

In an effort to optimize their energy needs, such air compressors are designed to adapt their rotation speed in relation to compressed air requirements.

Piston compressors

Depending on the required output, piston air compressors can be either single-stage or multi-stage. The smaller models are single-stage compressors with only one piston. As such, they only have a lower pressure rating

Multi-stage compressors have multiple pistons to compress the air in stages. As compared to screw compressors, piston models are more affordable and best suited for the intermitted operation. As such, most of them have a duty cycle of 50 to 60%.

The downside to these compressors is that they are comparatively noisier in operation.

Rotary Babe Compressor

Vanes are essentially plates that are designed to slide in eccentric rotors in order to compress the air. Owing to their design, rotary vane compressors are energy efficient and run at a lower rotational speed.

This results in reduced wear and tear on its parts, allowing for enhanced durability with minimal maintenance requirements.

Centrifugal Air Compressors

Also referred to as dynamic compressors, centrifugal models use the same principle of Operation as a turbocharger.

In this case, air will be drawn through the compressor by the rotation of a radial impeller.

Rolair Centrifugal air compressors are best suited for applications that require a high flow rate at a higher pressure continually.

This being the case, you will find centrifugal air compressors ideal for such applications as energy production and chemical industries.

A good number of them are fitted with an integrated reducer, which ensures that the engine operates at the optimal speed at all times.

Performance Measures

The power of an air compressor can be rated in several ways. Regardless of the type, you need to ensure that your preferred model is powerful enough for the intended application.

To help you get the best air compressor, here are the compressor performance ratings you should consider:

Air Flow Rate (CFM)

The rate of flow of air at the output is expressed in cubic feet per minute (CFM). This rating shows the volume of compressed air an air compressor can give out per unit time at specific working pressure.

This will directly affect the type and number of pneumatic tools a compressor can power simultaneously.

Heavy-duty applications will require a model with a relatively high CFM.

To be on the safe side, you should consider the tools you will be using with the compressor and their respective CFM requirements. Supposing you need a compressor to power a spray gun rated 6SCFM.

To get the right air compressor CFM for any application, you should multiply the tool SCFM by 1.2. in the above example: 6SCFM x 1.2= 7.2CFM. For such a spray gun, you should get an air compressor with at least 7.2CFM.

Pressure (PSI)

The pressure of the compressed air delivered by a compressor is expressed in Pounds per Square Inch (PSI).

The higher the PSI, the more compressed the air is allowing for a larger volume to be stored in a smaller space.

Horsepower (HP)

This is the power rating of the electric motor or gasoline engine used to drive your air compressor. The more the HP value, the more powerful the engine or motor.

A more powerful engine or electric motor is capable of producing higher PSI, making the air compressor suited for heavier applications.

Tank Capacity

Heavy-duty air Rolair air compressors are equipped with compressed air storage tanks of different capacities. While a larger tank will come in handy for continued operation, it will also make the air compressor bulkier.

A compressor that has a more powerful engine/motor and a larger tank is capable of producing compressed air at higher PSI for a longer period. To get reliable performance, it is advisable to get a tank Capacity that is six times the SCFM rating of the tool(s) you will be using.