Anyone who needs compressed air for their processes, production or workshop is faced with the decision of which compressor is best suited for their application. In addition to criteria such as compressed air flow and quality, desired operating pressure and planned running times, the cost of a suitable compressed air supply also plays a role. To understand the cost of a compressor, several factors have to be taken into account, which we will discuss in this article:
What is the cost of compressed air?
- What is the purchase price for the compressor?
- What are the energy costs?
- Which factors affect the energy costs?
- How will the costs for maintenance and servicing be accounted for?
Life cycle costs (TCO) of a compressor: initial investment, energy costs and maintenance costs
A compressor or a complete compressed air station usually works for many years. In the course of the lifecycle, the operating costs are added to the original initial investment. These operating costs, in turn, are mainly made up of energy costs (electricity) and maintenance costs, including wear parts (oil, filters, small parts) required for servicing.
Energy accounts for about 70 percent of the total life cycle costs of a compressor. Because compressing air consumes a lot of electricity. Incidentally, a great deal of compression energy is generated in the process, which you do not have to let escape unused into space, but can use for heating purposes or your processes. In this way, you can significantly reduce the costs of your compressed air supply! You can find information on heat recovery options here.
Especially users with a high compressed air demand can save a lot of money if they rely on highly efficient technology: Even if a more efficient compressor is more expensive to buy, the difference to the higher initial investment is paid off very quickly through the energy saved - usually within a few months. And if you replace an older compressed air station, possibly with a poorly utilized full-load idling control system, with modern machines, you often recoup your entire investment in two or three years - simply because of the higher efficiency.
Companies that have a high demand for air with different operating overpressures must consider whether two different compressed air stations and compressed air networks are not more economical in the long term than a single one. Energy is inevitably wasted in just one network because the compressed air consumers requiring higher pressure determine the operating pressure in the network. The compressor must then work more.
Installing different compressors for different pressure levels requires more floor space, but saves a lot of energy in the medium term. An example of a company that works with two compressed air networks is the building materials manufacturer Schomburg in Detmold: With air from the low-pressure network (about 2 bar), raw materials are transported from trucks into silos; the working air network is operated at 7 bar.
► User report at Schomburg
Initial investment: acquisition costs for a compressor
If you want to find the most economical solution, you have to keep an eye on all costs for compressed air production. In addition to the investment costs for the compressor, there are also the costs for the installation of the compressed air network, possibly the construction of the compressor room and the costs for the components for air treatment (dryer, filter, oil-water separator).
The price of a compressor depends on what the compressed air generator "must be able to do". A simple workshop compressor, which is only used occasionally to inflate tyres, cannot be compared to an industrial compressor, which must reliably supply dry and oil-free compressed air for more than 8000 operating hours per year.
Interested parties can get a first impression of the range and the price range in the Atlas Copco web shop. Here you will find both oil-lubricated piston compressors for the workshop and speed-controlled screw compressors for commercial and small industrial operations. The portfolio on display includes compressors with outputs of up to 30 kilowatts. Prices vary with the technology and equipment of the compressors, ranging from a few hundred to several tens of thousands of euros. The more capacity, the higher the investment. When looking at offers from different manufacturers, make absolutely sure that the technical data of the machines are really comparable.
If you need solutions above 30 kilowatts, which is the norm in the industry, you should seek advice beforehand. Always discuss your specific requirements with a trusted compressed air expert or your supplier's consultant. Have the compressed air requirement measured on your premises and have the use of various compressor combinations simulated in order to find the most economical solution. Atlas Copco offers this service under the term AIRScan. Even if you are not looking for a new compressor at the moment, a check of your compressed air supply, for example for leaks, can be very useful to detect efficiency guzzlers.
A compressor that seems cheap at the beginning can become expensive in the end: The investment costs are only about 20% of its life cycle costs. Energy costs account for the lion's share of this TCO - Total Costs of Ownership. You should always keep this in mind.
The following factors play an important role in the purchase price of a compressor and later in operation:
- Technology: piston, speed, screw or turbo compressors
- Compressor equipment: Full feature models have e.g. air treatment modules on board
- Degree of innovation: Speed control
- Control, high-efficiency motors (IE4, IE5)
- Reliability and running times
- Maintenance-friendly construction
Costs for servicing and maintenance of a compressor
Only about 7 percent of the life cycle costs of a compressor are accounted for by the maintenance and servicing of the machine. Over the entire service life of a compressor, the maintenance costs are therefore negligible. There is no saving on this item - and you should not save on it either. On the contrary. Regular maintenance and servicing keeps repair costs down and prevents breakdowns. If you plan maintenance well, you will ensure that the compressed air supply is reliable and that the machine runs as efficiently as possible. Regular maintenance increases the service life of your compressors and also that of the treatment components.
In order to meet individual safety requirements, Atlas Copco offers various service packages for the compressed air generators. If you want to be completely carefree, you can also have your machines monitored using diagnostic systems. The Atlas Copco software link SmartLink can be used to read compressor data. Changes and atypical operating data are analyzed to take proactive action before major repairs are necessary. Individual components are only replaced when it is really necessary.
You can find more information on the subject of maintenance costs in the chapter "What does the maintenance and servicing of my compressed air station cost?
- What does a compressor cost? An overview of purchase, energy and maintenance costs
- What's the cost of the overhaul. When does a new compressor pay off?
- How to compare the performance from service agreements
- Are expensive original spare parts worthwhile?
- How to budget the costs of compressed air
- Which costs and which benefits arise from higher-level control systems
- Industry 4.0: When and for whom is it worth investing in new technologies
- What costs are involved in optimizing the compressed air line system
