Air Compressors: The Might of Harnessed Air
March 11, 2010
Air compressors are a very handy device to have at home, inside the car, SUV, or RV and even during rafting, or any outdoor adventure. These are useful in carpentry, auto repairs, and even art work. They are also used to fill up car tires and rubber rafts.
This convenience is even more true in shops, garages, construction sites, and other industrial settings where pneumatic tools could dramatically increase their productivity. The fact that there are so many manufacturers carrying various brands of the equipment, with several variations in terms of their power source, power output, and designs would seem to attest to this. Come over to this air compressor site to read more.
The invention of air-powered tools such as the nail gun, staple gun, impact wrench, sanders, grinders, and drills encouraged several companies to proceed with the research, production, and marketing of air compressors, both for home as well as commercial use.
Portable kinds of compressors are often seen in the personal shops of serious weekend carpenters who play around with wood, nails, and paints to recharge their batteries. Smaller garages or shops may also use portable types but of a higher power rating. Big industries, however, will need the gigantic fixed machines that are able to the compaction of air at tremendously high PSIs.
Air compressors, regardless of whether they are portable or stationary, run on an identical principle. Air is dragged into the tank and condensed. This decrease in its volume results in an increase in its pressure. When a pneumatic tool is in use, compressed air is released by way of a hose in a stream of high-pressure air thus providing power to the tool. The resulting decrease of compressed air in its reservoir eventually sets off a mechanism cranking the engine which then begins refilling the tank. This continues until a pre-set level of pressure is attained after which, the engine automatically shuts itself down. This is a necessity in order to avoid surpassing the holding capacity of the tank as this could lead to its eruption.
