A well planned compressed air system is vital to efficient overall operation in industry. Improper tool operation, higher costs per unit of compressed air and reduced component life are but a few of the many problems created by an inefficient system. This in turn, results in the overall loss of millions of industry dollars every year.

Five key components to an efficient compressed air system are the dryer, filter, regulator, lubricator and mechanical drain. When properly sized, installed and maintained, these units play a critical role in achieving optimum performance in the system. As a rule, no more than two devices should be serviced by a single dryer, filter, regulator or lubricators.

Desiccant Air Dryers

The presence of water or moisture in an air line system is undesirable because of the damage it can do to pneumatic tools, cylinders, valves and other components. When air is compressed, both its temperature and capacity to hold moisture are increased. As the air moves downstream and cools to the "dew point", the moisture condenses into drops of water (liquid condensate). Although much of this liquid can be removed through the use of filters, drip legs and drain traps, water vapor and aerosols will remain in the line.

The most reliable and cost efficient method of removing this residual vapor and aerosol is with desiccant air dryer. These units are especially effective for protecting laboratory instrumentation, spray painting operations and air lines that are exposed to freezing conditions.

Filters

It is inevitable that impurities will make their way into the air distribution lines in any system. Pipe scale, rust, moisture, compressor oil, pipe compound and dirt are some of the contaminants that can damage valve parts and other close fitting parts of downstream devices.

A filter will remove all foreign matter and allow clean dry air to flow freely. It should be installed in the line upstream from all working devices and in such a way that it cannot be bypassed to avoid damage to those devices.

The filter capacity should be large enough to handle the required flow of air. In order to properly size a filter for a particular application, the maximum allowable pressure drop that can be caused by the filter should be established.

Regulators

Pneumatic equipment is designed to operated properly at a certain pressure. Although most equipment will run at pressure higher than recommended, the excess force, torque and wear can shorten the equipment's life and waste compressed air. A regulator will provide a constant set flow of air pressure at its outlet, thus assuring optimum operation and life of the downstream equipment.

The size of a regulator is determined by the downstream flow and pressure requirements. While an undersized regulator will not be able to provide the required air pressure during maximum flow conditions, an oversized regulator will be more costly than necessary to do the job.

Lubricators

Most moving parts require some form of lubrication The high costs of inefficiently running equipment and repair expenses make the addition of an air line lubricator an economical practice. Lubricators store oil and inject a preset amount of oil mist, or fog, into the air stream which is then delivered to the downstream device.

Special attention should be paid to the compatibility of the lubricants used in the system and the materials in the lubricator, especially where plastic reservoirs (bowls) are concerned.

Mechanical Condensate Drains

Condensation accumulated from compressor tanks, filters, drop legs, after coolers, dryers or other devices must be drained off so it does not flood the system. As a means of eliminating the chore of manually draining this liquid build-up from numerous collection points, a mechanical condensate drain will do it automatically while minimizing air loss. As the liquid level inside the collection bowl rises, a float is lifted and opens the drain valve The liquid accumulated inside the bowl is then discharged at line pressure.

The Coilhose Pneumatics Mechanical Condensate Drain collects moisture accumulated from compressor tanks, filters, drop legs, after coolers, dryers or other devices and discharges it. As the fluid level inside the drain bowl rises, a float lifts, directing line pressure against the poppet. At this point, the valve is forced open and the accumulated liquid is drained off at line pressure. Once the liquid level falls, pressure against the poppet returns to atmosphere, allowing the valve to close. There is also a manual override feature to permit draining between automatic drain times. This is done by turning the petcock clockwise to allow the liquid to discharge. Once the draining is complete, the petcock is turned counterclockwise until tight and the system is once again on "automatic".

Warning: Although polycarbonate bowls are capable of withstanding extreme physical abuse, they are susceptible to damage and may
possibly burst when subjected to some cleaning products and synthetic oils, particularly phosphate esters.
Should there be any questions regarding their compatibility with your application with your applications,
consult the factory or use a metal bowl.

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Description of Operation

The moist, pressurized air enters the inlet port of the desiccant dryer and is forced down the center tube to the bottom of the bowl. The air is then forced upward through the bed of silica gel. Each silica bead is made up of many microscopic pores which attract and absorb the water vapor and aerosols as the air passes around them. As the beads become saturated, they change color from blue (dry) to pink (wet), indicating the desiccant must be replaced. With the moisture remaining trapped in the desiccants beads, the dry air flows through the out port, assuring a supply of moisture free air to the downstream equipment.

Features and Benefits:

Color change of desiccant (from blue to pink) gives quick visual indication of the desiccant absorbing capacity.
Desiccant can be regenerated for reuse.
Low maintenance and easy to service.
Pressure drop of less than 1 PSIG.
No additional power source required.

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