What are Oil Free Screw Compressors?

As far as working in construction goes, there are a lot of tools out there that many of us don’t know about.  That means we aren’t able to get the most out of them, especially the beneficial ones!  What are some of those, though, and why don’t we hear more about them?

Well, the one I’ll be covering today is oil free screw compressors.  The reason many of us don’t ever hear of them is that it’s some technical stuff.  Trying to understand it can be difficult, but my goal today is to help make sense of what they are and what they can do for our business or hobby.

The Basics – What are They?

They are a form of positive displacement compressing system.  The way it does that, as you can probably guess, is by using two screws.  Together, they work to compress gas between them in whatever chamber they are in.

There are called the male and female rotors, which you can read more about on this page: https://mechanicalboost.com/screw-compressor/.  While some of it is mechanical jargon, it’s still worth knowing.  That way, as you shop for these systems and tools, you know what you are looking for and what certain pieces can accomplish!

Each of the rotors has a system of small blades within them.  Because they can only move in the direction of their respective motor, they often rotate within a very small distance of each other.  This can be down to the thousandths of millimeters, even!

How are They Used?

They have a vast number of applications across several industries.  They are separate from something known as a root blower in that they are more precise.  Often, they operate faster as well.

The primary function of them comes in refrigeration and natural gas.  Though they seem to be on the opposite sides of the spectrum, let me explain how it works.  Most of the oil-free screw compressors have levels of efficiency and speed that are appealing in a few ways.

In addition to that, they do not require a lot of maintenance.  If you have to care for an entire workshop or worksite, that is certainly a positive.  A lot of heavy machinery and power tools require fine tuning and careful monitoring as they are used.  Obviously, there are still safety protocols, but generally speaking they are not incredibly risky to work with.

While the oil-injected varieties do exist, they use that oil to cool the air.  Other types do not do that.  It is largely up to personal preference as far as what you should decide to get, though.  The differences are not incredibly monumental.

The big change is that the oil-free ones have a slightly lower higher pressure they can handle.  This is because they don’t seal the final compression with oil.  However, they often work more quickly.  They are used for projects that require a lack of contamination from something like the oil.

So, that could be medical research, as one of the largest examples.  You can read more about that on this web page.  Some other common uses include the manufacturing of semiconductors and in carpenter projects inside of a home.

How They Work

This is where the article will get a bit more technical, so just prepare yourself for that.  They require several forms of control schemes.  These could include start and stop, load and unload, modulation, and variable speed.  Most, if not all, are required for it to operate properly without any issues in the process.

While start and stop is fairly self-explanatory, the others deserve a bit more attention than that.  For load and unload, the air never stops going through the system.  However, the flow is increased or decreased based on the desired figures.  Generally, it adjusts to suit the consumption and requirement rates.

Variables allow some functions to be bypassed if certain criteria are met.  I don’t recommend fiddling too much with this setting if you don’t know what you are doing.  However, experts likely know the value of having this control scheme.

Finally, variable speed helps to manage energy consumption of the machinery and system itself.  This is because it can create a usage that meets with demand without going too high or two low.  All of these control methods are important for efficacy.

As you can see, these screw compressors have many places in the world of modern manufacturing, amongst other industries.  That is why it isn’t a bad idea to consider investing in one if you have not already.  Research the different options out there and see what would suit you better!  It might be an oil-free unit or one that does unit.  Either way, it will likely serve you well in what you are looking to accomplish!