Air compressors have advanced significantly since their beginning, now offering a wide range of models and applications across numerous industries. Businesses rely on air compressors due to their improvements in operational productivity, reliability, and safety benefits, as well as their energy efficiency, reducing operational costs over time.
Manufacturing industries such as food and beverage, painting, electronics, automotive, and aerospace turn to air compressors for essential tasks from powering tools and equipment to keeping product processes clean and efficient.
Explore top industries that utilize air compressors and air compressor systems.
Automotive
Air compressors are widely used in the automotive production industry. They power assembly lines, improving the movement of components through robotic arms, which improves safety and productivity. They play a crucial role in material handling, lifting and moving parts throughout the product process that a human wouldn’t be able to do manually.
Beyond production facilities, air compressors are used in body shops for cleaning, painting, and maintaining vehicles, also relying on compressed air for tire inflation.
Woodworking
In nearly every step of the woodworking process, you will find an air compressor. Sawmills typically utilize compressors for cutting logs into panels and planks, while manufacturing plants use them for framing, nailing, drilling, and more. Starting with lifting and cutting wood and ending with a finishing coat of wood stain, air compressors power tools that collect dust and provide spray finishes. Rotary screw air compressors are the most popular for wood finishing as it allows for even, consistent results from finishing equipment such as spray guns.
Metalworking
Metalworking requires a reliable and consistent source of power, so air compressors are an essential component to their work. Air compressors power tools like drills, grinders, cutters, impact wrenches and more. They are also utilized for cleaning metal surfaces, welding metal, painting, as well as cutting, bending, and shaping metal for each product use.
Food and Beverage
The best uses for air compressors are also in the food and beverage industry. They help provide consistent and contaminant-free compressed air for many operation needs. Whether that’s powering equipment like conveyor belts, sprayers, and presses to assist in food packing, running facility equipment that makes food molds, or using it to control the cutting and peeling of foods. In food and beverage operations, utilizing clean, contamination-free air from a rotary screw air compressor is essential for proper food safety.
Pharmaceuticals
When thinking about pharmaceutical production, clean environments are the top priority for the health and safety of consumers. Air compressors are the primary tool used to provide top cleanliness and contaminant-free air, especially in the form of oil-free compressors. Oil-free air compressors achieve high levels of air purity required for mixing formulas, coating tablets, and packaging the products. They are also used to fill, cap, and label the medications while continuing to consider standards for contamination control.
Construction
Air compressors are sources of both constant and burst air required for various operations on construction sites. They help power pneumatic tools and equipment such as nail guns, jackhammers, and more with remarkable efficiency. Air compressors are also used in construction for dynamic tasks such as drilling, handling materials, and lifting.
They play a significant role across various sectors, including infrastructure development, road construction, and demolition. On construction sites, you will typically see rotary screw air compressors and reciprocating compressors because of their reliability, energy efficiency, and portability.
Textiles
Air compressors are crucial in the textile manufacturing industry, used for powering machines used for spinning, weaving, dyeing, and finishing fabric. During production, compressors are used to keep the product uniform and strong, regulating tension of the threads. Once produced, compressed air is also used for cleaning and drying the new textiles, and even printing on fabric surfaces to ensure high quality products are created.
Printing
As you read above, air compressors are used for printing on fabrics, but they are also utilized in both paper printing and industrial screen printing. From the start of production to the finish, air compressors assist in feeding paper or the wanted material into a machine, cutting it to the exact specifications, and applying coats of ink and pressure to the material. Once a batch is completed, air compressors are then used to clean the machinery’s rollers, printing plates and ink tanks, removing dust and debris to ensure a smooth finish. From there, compressed air systems can help dry a screen printing or cure an inkjet print, reducing the risk of damage or smudges.
Plastic and Rubber Manufacturing
When producing plastic and rubber products, air compressors power the machinery used for molding, extrusion, and even assembly. The operational efficiencies allow this industry to manufacture products more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, compressed air is used for cleaning equipment and controlling automated processes.
Manufacturing Industry Applications for Air Compressors
Air compressors are used in a variety of industries and for a wide range of applications. From cleaning, cutting, and drilling to ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency, air compressors are the go-to solutions for improving operations in your business.
To discuss how air compressors can create efficiencies in your business, contact AirCompressors.com today.
