Published at 12:00, Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Advertising feature. The air compressor is an extremely versatile piece of kit. At home it can be used to power tools such as impact wrenches, brad nailers, reversible drills and polishers, making them lighter and cooler to use. In the manufacturing sector, air compressors are widely used, powering robotic tools and machinery among many other pieces of equipment.

If you are planning to use an air compressor to power tools, either at home or at work, then there are a number of things to bear in mind. Different air tools require different amounts of power to work properly; a nail gun or stapler will need a quick burst of air, whereas a sandblaster needs a continuous flow, for example.

In order to work out which air compressor to buy you need to look at how fast the air comes out of the unit. This is a measurement known as cubic feet per minute (CFM). Quite simply, the larger this number is, the more power the air compressor provides.

To ensure that all your power tools function properly, you will need to select a compressor that exceeds the CFM of your most powerful tool. This is most likely to be a sander, which usually operate at between six and 13 CFM. To put this in perspective, a nail gun requires only one to four CFM (depending on the model). It is worth noting that professional grade tools usually use more power than those designed for use at home.

One very common use for air compressors is inflating tires; in fact the tire inflator at your local petrol station is probably the most contact people have had with an air compressor. It is now possible to buy small air compressor units that can do this very job. This means that rather than having to find a garage or petrol station to check your tyre pressures, and inflate them if need be, you can now do it wherever you are. These air compressor units usually come with a 12V car lighter adaptor, making them even easier to use. They are also extremely compact, meaning that you can store them in a glove box, while many also come with LED lights.

You can purchase air compressor units from all DIY stores, and even online. There are many different types available including:

 

• Reciprocating (piston) compressors. These compress air and store it in a small tank, ready for release and are usually portable.
  
   
• Rotary screw compressors. These are most commonly used for those tasks for which you need a continuous flow of compressed air; for example, spray painting. Unlike reciprocating compressors (which need to be left to cool for around 15 minutes for every hour worked), rotary screw compressors can be used constantly.
  
   
• Two stage models. These are available in both rotary and reciprocating varieties; they compress the air twice, making for better pressure and flow.

   

Published by http://www.cumbrialife.co.uk