Air compressors are an integral part of industries in more than just one way. Not only can you use them to run your air tools, but they can also be a great option for a number of other purposes, including supplying air to systems, pressurising cabins, and driving HVAC systems in many public buildings. Depending on the application, an air compressor can be of different types and capacities for all the aforementioned applications.

How do you determine what size air compressor works best for your needs? It may be a tough task to predict what size air compressor will be a good choice, but this guide will help you convert your requirements into a final product that you need to buy. Give this a read and figure out what size compressor will fit your business needs.

Air Compressor Buying Guide

• Air Requirements
  The first and foremost thing that you need to determine is the total air capacity that you need. Simply add the need for compressed air for all your tools and systems in Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM), and you have the minimum requirement of compressed air as the baseline. Just to take the margin of error and/or leaks in the system in the calculation, add about 25% extra to this total air requirement.
• Duty Cycle
  The duty cycle is the percentage of operating hours that the air compressor is providing consistent pressure and flow. Ideally, the compressor should be able to work at optimal levels 100% of the time, which is what you would expect. In reality, due to several conditions and factors, the duty cycle is lesser than expected, which is why it is often multiplied by the total requirement to understand how much the compressor can provide your tools optimally.
• Pressure Needs
  Compressed air is all about the pressure at which it is stored. It is measured in per square inch or PSI. Depending on your pressure needs, you can choose a compressor that operates at 90 PSI or 150 PSI, or even more. However, if you have multiple tools that need compressed air, you don’t need to add their PSI value. Just take the highest of the lot and that is the number you need.
• Electricity Supply
  Your electricity supply is an important aspect to consider when buying a compressor. It is generally considered that when the requirement for an air compressor is lower, a single-phase connection is good. However, for industrial applications, the right kind of connection is a three-phase connection. Contact a qualified electrician to understand your voltage needs.
• Fitting Together
  Once you have all the pieces of information that you need, you can make the final decision. You need a compressor that has more capacity than your total CFM requirement, has a good efficiency, can provide enough pressure for all your tools and systems, and can fit within the voltage and phase available at your premises.

An air compressor is not a tool that you can buy easily and without any consideration. It needs a lot of deliberation and calculation to arrive at the final decision. With this guide, you are now better equipped to buy the air compressor of your choice from URSS Jaipur. We provide sales and support for one of the leading compressor manufacturers in the industry, Chicago Pneumatics. Get in touch with us for all your compressor needs today.