Air compressor range aims to increase business profitability

A new smart rotary screw air compressor adopts advanced technology from Europe and uses leading brands in its main spare parts configuration to ensure good stability, high efficiency, low noise and long life. 

The ProbeAir range of reciprocating piston, smart rotary screw and oil-free air compressors from Probe Industrial Technologies promises to provide cost-effective, quality solutions that are easy to install, with simple operation and maintenance and a robust design to ensure processes function continuously even in the harshest conditions, including temperatures up to 55 °C.

The compressors are widely used in industries including power generation, ship building, food, packaging, electronic, cement, textiles, papermaking and gas, and are ISO, CE and SME certificate approved.

The reciprocating piston air compressor range for light-duty applications is seen as particularly useful for local businesses to help generate high returns for a relatively low investment and are ideal for builders, handymen and home-based businesses, as well as paint shops at motor dealerships and more heavy-duty applications.

Probe Industrial Division head Grant van Houten says that the key aspect when purchasing an air compression solution for businesses is to understand air compressor cycles in terms of time. “A small business owner is not necessarily an air compression expert and may tend to focus on the amount of air that their compressor will need in order to determine the right type of compressor. It’s more important to consider use in terms of time. Piston air compressors operate on a duty cycle, which means that they will seldom run continuously and will require an intermittent rest period.”  

The piston compressors have a duty cycle of 60/40, which means that they are expected to operate for 60% of the time, or about 15 to 20 minutes, before automatically shutting off for a 10-minute rest period, which helps to ensure that users don’t burn out the compressor.

 “All parts of the ProbeAir Variable Speed Drive (VSD) screw air compressor are assembled before shipment, removing the need for complex electrical installation and programming. This plug-and-play simplicity eliminates the leading cause of failure in air systems - incorrect sizing and installation. Integral packaging saves valuable floor space for other uses,” says Van Houten. “The VSD screw air compressor is also ideal for use in areas lacking electricity, as it accelerates slowly, offering more stability than a soft-start compressor.”

The oil-free air compressors offer 10% better airflow than dry oil-free screw air compressors with the same power, offering an average energy saving of 25% more than a single stage and 15% more than a two-stage dry oil-free screw air compressor. Maintenance costs are also reduced as there are fewer consumables, such as air and water filters, that may require maintenance.

The machine’s ultra-quiet design includes a low speed and large volume cooling system and a large-scale cooler to reduce convection friction. Oil-free operation means cleaner air and no risk of oil pollution. An integrated design, with no complex pipe and electric lines, reduces the potential for failures and provides more stable operation. The machine can operate for 24 hours unattended and includes programmable logic controlled automatic fault detection, fault warnings and maintenance reminders. New technology allows for air ends to be manufactured from durable, corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy instead of copper. Intelligent precision machining technology ensures highly balanced air ends in operation, designed to ensure smaller vibrations, lower noise and extended life.

“The key is compression at ambient temperature, which saves energy,” says Van Houten. “As the operating temperature is less than 50 oC, there is no risk of burning. With the same power, this compressor offers 10% better airflow than a dry oil-free screw air compressor. Pressure can range from 2 bar to 40 bar. Regular automatic water change and system cleaning means the compressor is also cleaner and more hygienic.”

The ProbeAir compressor range complements the company’s comprehensive range of compressors, including the Fini range of piston and screw compressors and the SCC screw compressor range.