Why air dryers affect end product quality and your maintenance cost
Including an air dryer in your compressed air system might not seem like a priority or even necessary. Compressed air is what you need to run your application and surely the majority of the free water is removed via the aftercooler anyway, so, why bother with compressor dryers? If the quality of your product and process matters, then the quality of your compressed air matters too.
Air dryers improve the quality of compressed air
The air around us contains microscopic dirt particles and water vapour and, when we compress air, we also heat the air up, which allows even more water vapour to exist in the air. This can add up to a lot of extra water in the system – and in your products.
The average rotary screw air compressor is usually fitted with an aftercooler, which will succeed in removing between 75-80% of the free water in your process air, and also cool it down to 10-15°C above ambient temperature. That, however, does not suffice for the high quality air required in many manufacturing and process applications.
As the air in your compressed air system begins to cool down after it has left the compressor, the water vapour in the air begins to condense into water droplets. You won’t need to consult an expert to know that water running in your compressed air pipes poses a corrosion, contamination and possibly even a freezing risk and could damage your air tools. So what can you do to protect your machinery and end product?
Adding a compressed air dryer to your system is straightforward and economical
Atlas Copco Full-Feature air compressor with dryer integrated
Do you know how much water vapour is in your air system right now? Try our calculator to find out.
