Compressed air in automotive plants

Uses listed for the automotive industry

Table 1.1 of the sourcebook, published by the US Department of Energy with the Compressed Air Challenge, lists example compressed air uses by industrial sector. For automotive it gives tool powering, stamping, control and actuators, forming and conveying. Its marketplace appendix lists general uses across commercial and industrial applications, among them operating rivet guns and chipping hammers, pressurising and atomising paint in spray guns, and running air motors on grinders and drills.

Air tools: why they are used and what they cost

The sourcebook notes that pneumatic tools tend to be smaller, lighter and more manoeuvrable than electric tools, deliver smooth power and are not damaged by overloading, and that they are often chosen for safety because they do not produce sparks and have low heat build-up. It also says they are much less energy-efficient: it generally costs 7 to 8 times more energy for a pneumatic tool to produce the same mechanical output as an electric tool.

Choosing the air quality

According to the sourcebook, air quality is determined by the dryness and contaminant level each end use requires and is achieved with filtering and drying equipment; the higher the quality, the more the air costs to produce. Whether lubricant-free air is required is one of the main factors. Lubricant-free air can come from lubricant-free compressors or from lubricant-injected compressors with additional separation and filtration, and the sourcebook advises weighing the specific end use, including the risk and cost of product contamination, before choosing.

Ultra Controlo equipment

Among the Gardner Denver equipment that Ultra Controlo distributes and services, the Ultra Controlo Industrial 2026 catalogue lists oil-lubricated screw compressors for continuous operation in the food, pharmaceutical and automotive industries. Separately from that listing, the Ultra Controlo range includes ULTRASCREW oil-injected rotary screw compressors, whose datasheet states up to 35% energy savings for the variable speed version; ULTRACECO ESW oil-free piston compressors; and ULTRASEC refrigeration dryers, ULTRADRY adsorption dryers and ULTRAK activated carbon towers for air treatment.