Screw compressor in the woodworking industry

Compressor is one of important equipment needed in the woodworking industry. The compressor is the machine to generate the compressed air as the energy source in the woodworking process.  According to the rotor inside, there are 2 types of compressors: the piston compressor and the screw compressor. In our previous post: piston compressor for wood furniture we reviewed about piston compressor; now, in this post, we review about the screw compressor.

A screw compressor is a compressor that uses the screws to suck and press the air. The 2 helical screws (they are also called the rotor) mesh and screw to suck the air from the outside and compress it.  There are 2 types of screw compressors: the oil-free screw compressor and the lubricated screw compressor. The lubricated screw compressor uses oil lubricant to wet the screws while they operate. The oil lubricates this, which will make the screw work more efficiently in sucking and squeezing the air, but the resulting compressed air will be mixed with the oil. The compressed air that results is then filtered and separated from the oil. The air filtration generally is 2 times or more to ensure the resulting air is oil-free. The oil screw compressor is better in energy efficiency, and it is the most used in the general industry, including the woodworking and furniture industry.

The second type is the oil-free screw compressor; it is the screw compressor that does not use oil lubricant in its screws. The air generated is relatively cleaner and oil-free, but it has lower efficiency compared with an oil-lubricated compressor. This machine is more suitable for use as to supply the compress air to the industry, which is very sensitive to the oil, such as: medical research, the semiconductor industry, etc.

In general, the screw compressor is more stable, has smoother vibration, is more compact, and has higher energy efficiency compared to the piston compressors. The screw compressor has higher capacity than the piston compressor. But this equipment has a more expensive price than the piston compressors and also will need more electricity power. This machine is more suitable for use in woodworking industries requiring large-scale supply of compressed air in large quantities and continuously. Normally this machine also spends less on the cost of maintenance compared with the piston compressor.

However, to obtain optimal benefits from the use of this machine, we should be able to handle this equipment appropriately.

 Here are the things that need to be considered in the uses of screw compressors

• Do the calculations to estimate the volume of the compressed air needed.

The compressor is a big machine that will require a lot of electrical energy during its operation. The energy consumption is not adjustable but is a fixed amount according to the capacity of the compressor. For this reason, the proper capacity is very important to get the maximum benefit from this machine. A compressor with too small capacity risks of disruption in the working process due to the lack of compressed air. While the use of a compressor with too big capacity will result in the energy wasted to keep it operating.

• The proper maintenance

This machine is also need of proper maintenance to keep it working and operating well. In general, the screw compressor requires less frequent maintenance than the piston compressor, but with higher costs and longer time. However, the cost of maintenance will always be cheaper than the loss caused due to the damage to the compressor since of the negligence of maintenance. The discipline in the maintenance in accordance with the schedule will make these devices work more optimally and have more lifetime. The poor maintenance is also a risk of leakage in the filter and the mixing of the oil with  air that will cause many problems in the woodworking process, especially in the finishing process.

• The proper piping system.

The compressed air generated always needs a piping system to distribute it to the tool and machine needed. The quality of the piping system will affect the efficiency of compressed air distribution. Since that, the piping should be done correctly to maximize the efficiency of the energy consumption.  Avoid air leakage; make sure every connection is well assembled, and fix and replace every leak soon if any. Flow the air in the pipe with the size according to the volume of compressed air to reduce the pressure drop in compressed air. The air filters and dryer also need to be mounted properly to prevent any oil and dirt in the compressed air.