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Mitigating compressed air risk with oil-free technologies
Hygienic applications, such as the pharmaceutical manufacturing environment, food and beverage sectors and sensitive electronic and automotive environments are demanding ever-increasing levels of air purity from their compressed air system.
In many of these processes, compressed air will come into direct contact with products and there can be severe consequences if air is contaminated with oil or other particulates. Investing in oil-free compressor technologies, such as the company’s Ultima, D-series or DX-series models, will help to mitigate the risks of contamination and, combined with intelligent heat recovery, can soon pay dividends.
Aside from a completely risk free operation, some of the core benefits of choosing an oil-free compressor are:
Low cost of ownership
Save on the costs of oil replacements as well as equipment used to clean and separate oil from air such as oil separators, filtration equipment and condensate treatment.
Environmentally friendly
Oil free compressors are more compliant with international environmental regulations than lubricated systems, making for an environmentally conscious compressor choice.
Low maintenance
No oil and less moving parts means less maintenance and fewer areas for problems to occur.
ISO Certified Air Quality
All of our air compressors meet either ISO Class 1 or ISO Class 0 air purity.
Quiet by design
Due to the limited amount of moving parts, they produce less noise pollution and less vibration.
There are many benefits to oil-free technology, which can help energy managers make valuable cost savings while improving operational efficiencies too. Whole life costs are reduced, with businesses able to save on the cost of air treatment and oil replacement. Unlike oil-lubricated systems, there is no need to purchase equipment that would separate oil from air, such as oil separators, filtration equipment and condensate treatment.
Products in the CompAir range deliver 100 % oil-free performance, with fixed or regulated speed options alongside air and water-cooled models including:
The range covers air and water-cooled models from 15 to 37 kW and is available in both fixed and regulated speeds (RS) delivering reliability, dynamic efficiency, lower operating costs, and high-quality oil-free compressed air.
The CompAir Ultima compressor has been engineered with two highly efficient, permanent magnetic motors that replace the traditional gearbox design. These motors provide efficiencies greater than IE5 and directly drive the airends without the need for a gearbox.
Ultima uses water in a closed-loop circuit for cooling all main components. This allows greater heat transfer and cooling efficiencies, as well as ensuring as little oil as possible is used in the system for assured air purity.
An air-cooled variant is also available; the first ever air-cooled oil-free compressor to offer heat recovery for process water. Up to 98 per cent of heat generated during compression can be recovered to generate hot water at temperatures up to 85oC, achieving cost savings of approximately 80,000 Euros when compared with the nearest rival models.
D37 (RS) to D160 (RS)
Models in the D37 (RS) to D160 (RS) range offer 100% oil-free compression and robust performance thanks to a durable hard coating on the rotors and housing parts.
DX200 (RS) to DX355 (RS)
Models in the DX200 (RS) to DX255 (RS) range feature a state-of-the-art airend that delivers significantly improved efficiency and best-in-class airflow. The premium e-variants with their water- cooled airend jackets enable even greater energy savings.
The range delivers up to eight per cent higher flow compared to industry standards, with up to seven per cent energy reduction on the fixed speed units and up to eight per cent on the regulated speed models. The Xe-Series controllers deliver increased control and functionality through an intuitive user interface and provide remote access with any common, current web browser. Variable speed models can sequence up to four compressors without additional hardware to increase efficiency and stabilise pressure.
Seizing other opportunities
With many businesses faced with ambitious sustainability goals, deciding on an oil-free solution provides the most eco-conscious choice too, helping to contribute towards a facility’s green credentials.
For example, heat recovery offers further potential to save money and realise efficiency gains. Around 94 per cent of the energy required to run a compressor is converted to heat, but by using CompAir heat recovery options, this otherwise waste energy can be recovered easily.
Companies consume a lot of energy and cost to generate hot process water, space heating or to preheat water for steam generation. Using CompAir’s heat recovery options, this waste heat can then be re-used to generate hot water of up to 85°C, to be used as process heat in manufacturing operations, for example. With a wide range of retrofit options and no impact on the compressed air supply, companies can often achieve payback on the investment in less than one year.
To find out more, please visit https://www.compair.com/en-gb/air-treatment-and-accessories/heat-recovery-oil-free
We offer a wide range of oil-free compressors such as two-stage, water-injected screw compressors and scroll as well as our highly efficient Ultima™ series.
Ultima™ is a ground-breaking PureAir compressor with revolutionary energy efficiency. Its unique design utilises both low-pressure and high-pressure compressor stages. Each compressor stage is individually driven by a speed-controlled permanent magnet synchronous motor, which offers exceptionally high efficiency compared to conventional technologies.
10 reasons why you can't ignore ULTIMA
Click here to find out more about Ulitma
With the DX series of oil-free screw compressors, CompAir has introduced a technology to the market that has an extremely low total cost of ownership. Customers get up to 8 % higher volume flow, up to 7 % energy savings and absolute air purity.
The new series is available with both fixed and variable speed. There are also models from 200 kW to 355 kW output and a choice of air-cooled or water-cooled versions.
What makes our range of oil-free DX screw compressors so unique?
Click here to find out more about the D-Series
The completely oil-free, single-stage, water-injected compressors in the DH series have a motor output of 15 to 37 kilowatts, a working pressure of 5 to 10 bar and operate at a flow rate of 0.3 to 5.9 cubic metres per minute.
As absolutely no oil is used in the process, contamination of the compressed air is ruled out.
The advantages of the DH series:
Click here to find out more about the DH series
The series includes air and water-cooled models from 37 to 75 kW and is available with both fixed and variable speed (RS). It delivers ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 0 certified, 100% oil-free air for the most critical applications.
Click here to find out more about the D-Series 37-75 kW
The scroll compressors are ISO 8573-1 Class 0 certified and silicone-free. The scroll compressors fulfil the high demands of the industry and offer a low total cost of ownership without compromising on performance.
Choose the S series for:
Food and Beverage
When it comes to food safety, health and safety is extremely important. There are rigorous processes in place to ensure that the food we eat is safe, healthy and tasty! Contaminated air could cause product spoilage which is a health risk for the consumer and could cause irreparable damage to a company brand.
Oil free compressors can safely be used for product handling, transportation, food filling machines, air knives for cutting or peeling food products and for vacuum packaging goods as well as many other uses within this diverse sector.
Pharmaceutical
Within the drugs and pharmaceutical industry, quality and safety are strictly adhered to. Any products that reach the market must be rigorously tested to ensure they are safe for consumption. With so many people relying on products from the pharmaceutical industry, clean air is critical for this industry.
Businesses within this sector rely on clean compressed air for a variety of uses including fermentation in antibiotic production, aeration for oxidation processes, tablet production and packaging and bottling of medications.
Chemical
Toxic chemical and unstable gases will often be part of the process production within the chemical industry. In hazardous processes oil free compressors will help to eliminate the risk of explosions and process disruption.
They will also increase product purity resulting in better processes, less waste and increased safety for those relying on the products. Typical uses of compressed air within the chemical industry include process air, control valves and cylinders, material handling as well as air curtains and product drying.
Textiles
A lot of work goes into producing fabrics with elegant designs and intricate details. Contaminated air could cause damage to materials resulting in costly repairs and maintenance or worse, product wastage. Oil free compressors are used within the textile industry for intricate tasks such as air-jet weaving and spinning, texturising and pneumatic transport.
Oil and Gas
Process reliability is essential within the oil and gas industry where hazardous chemicals are often used. Popular uses within this sector include nitrogen generation, buffer air, control/ instrument air and process operations for sulphur removal, catalyst regeneration and process heaters, to name a few.
Automotive
High quality vehicles rely on high quality compressed air. Impure air can result in damage to a product finish and may even require expensive repair work to fix. Whether compressed air is used for tyre inflation or more complex uses, such as air operated robots, pure air provides the best results. Typical uses within this industry include product finishing with spray paint, pneumatic tools, plasma cutting and welding as well as cleaning.
Electrical
For smooth running control systems, ultra-clean conditions need to be maintained. Furthermore, where expensive electronic equipment is concerned, there can be no room for error or risk. Compressed air is often used in electronics for actuating valves and tools within control systems as well as moving and placing electrical components. Additional common uses include cleaning PCB boards and in the production of electrical equipment.
A Guide to Benchmarking Performance with ISO8573 1, ISO 12500, and ISO 7183