Rotary Screw Air Compressor: What are they?! Worth the hype?

This video summarizes the basics of what a rotary screw air compressor is, why we bought an Atlas Copco Screw Compressor, some of their drawbacks and things you should consider if you're thinking about buying a rotary screw compressor!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Links for this video:
Here's a GREAT, quiet air compressor for small shop or dedicated machines: amzn.to/1OkZ9q7
Thanks to Cleaveland Tool for help with the RapidAir! You can buy through them at bit.ly/1UoPLSY
Music copyrighted by John Saunders
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reach us / CNC Info:
Manufacturing Entrepreneurship Resources:
www.nyccnc.com
Better Speeds & Feeds? provencut.com
Online Fusion 360 Training: bit.ly/LearnFusion
Hands-On CNC Classes: www.nyccnc.com/...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I discovered machining as an adult and am grateful to have found something I love and am able to share with others. We hope NYC CNC not only makes you a better machinist but helps you understand and learn more about how to succeed as a manufacturing entrepreneur! 5 Reasons to Use a Fixture Plate on Your CNC Machine: bit.ly/3sNA4uH

[@zackbrown9321]

I would recommend putting the recip in series with the screw, so you can run either depending on your needs. That will eliminate the screw cycling on and off. After the warranty period, you can probably get a VFD to control the motor on the screw compressor, which will be more efficient and allow for soft starts or throttling without having to cycle off. Also, an additional external oil separator will get the oil down to 1-2ppm in the service lines.

[@ronaldhoustonjr5352]

I would set them up parallel so they could be isolated from one another for maintenance

[@Sqeezerful]

GX5 as in 5KW is roughly 7HP - hence the name

[@basantkumar-dt4ci]

Gx 5 is having 5.5kw motor power = 7.5hp

[@deepakthestunner]

Basant ji nice reply

[@nightmareinaction629]

I work on a 240kw compressor

[@deepakthestunner]

nightmare in action ji where ?

[@seuba1997]

@@nightmareinaction629 I make the maintenance of 3 boge so340 of 250 kw from a client

[@blackstonshingaling]

I've just been using regular cheap white sch. 40 PVC 1/2" glue together pipe and fittings for my shop, it's been around 12 years without any problems, I'm running about 250 feet of it at 180 psi. - Works fine.

[@siggyincr7447]

Yeah, the first time I saw a shop with pvc compressed air lines I thought they were just cutting corners. But 1/2" and 3/4" lines can handle in excess of 280 psi. I've seen a few shops with it, and nobody seems to have any problems with it.

[@MarkFunderburk]

the main issue with PVC for air isn't how it performs when all is well, but how dangerous and spectacularly it fails. It gets quite brittle over time and with UV exposure. It will shatter and send sharp fragments flying when it burst. You can find info about this on Google. I am posting this as a PSA type thing not trying to attack your air line choice.

[@StepSherpa]

i would put up some isolation in the roof

[@tomdchi12]

Noise control in buildings like yours is difficult. Right now you have pretty much the worst-case scenario - each space is 3 pairs of hard surfaces parallel to each other for noise to bounce off of endlessly. As a machine is running its noise builds on top of the echoes, effectively getting louder. The "noise" is pretty much white noise - random across a broad range of frequencies. For talking with people (ie classes) and maintaining a "feel" for the sounds of the machines, you're fighting the "signal vs. noise ratio." I don't know enough about industrial settings like yours to make any recommendations, but there definitely are noise control options for your situation. One common one is hanging "baffles" of sound absorbent material that can be suspended from the ceiling and/or mounted on walls. You probably want to focus on reducing the bouncing of noise in the frequency range of human speech - 80 to 260hz. I suspect commercial systems range from sorta expensive to really expensive, but I'm sure there are some good DIY approximations that people have come up with. Take care that anything you put up isn't a fire hazard (and that might limit what DIY stuff you can do - hosting classes puts you in a more strict situation with building codes and liability.)

[@Fischer977]

why didn't you just put the pistom compressor out in the yard in a cage? i use this because i don't have a yard in my shop

[@Engineerd3d]

Copper pipe would have probably been cheaper and safer for the long term.

[@kenwolfe6093]

You want a wet tank system because the air right out of the screws is hot, the refrigerated dryer works better if it doesn't have to take the excess compression heat out before chilling the air to condense the moisture. The reason you want to try to keep the screws running as continuously as possible is because the oil separator and the oil flow thru the screws needs to stabilize for lowest oil bypass. If the air and oil are flowing through the screws at a stable level, the separator will work at its best. On startup or major disturbance of the flow, the screw can starve for oil and the separator can bypass. Hope this makes sense.

[@ceugenio82]

Wet tank is not needed in this compressor. The compressor comes with a build in after-cooler that eliminates majority of the moisture.

[@anthonyboggs6409]

This machine has a built in aftercool system that will cool the discharge air within 10 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus a few, of your ambient temperature. Running through a dryer without a wet tank is a typical set up for most applications. As long as the coolers, filters, valves and thermostat are working properly and atlas copcos recommended preventative maintenance intervals are executed properly.

[@matthewautton1472]

it's good to see people using decent gear, I just started working for a compressor company and we service and repair up to 200kw units. they are huge and produce an incredible amount of air. screw compressors are incredible machines. this one is only a baby. I took out a motor from a 70kw in the workshop and that baby needed an engine hoist!

[@JoeBlow365]

Hell yeah. Comp tech here in CA. Air is everywhere

[@Aussie50]

Beautiful shop!, first time watching your vids! I have used and worked around a number of screw comps, 10hp to 65hp, and they are definitely a nice compressor compared to piston comps. They are designed to use oil to help sealing of the rotors and pass a LOT of it out the discharge, and the oil separator should catch 99% of it, but a external refrigerated dryer with proper filters and traps, will give you superbly clean air!, again, not cheap, but worth it in the long run!. The one at my old work is an Italian made 10hp unit (ABAC or some company), and the auto-drains did dump a tiny bit of oil outside the shop, but very very little. not enough to show on the sight glass between services, its literally vapor, compared to some piston comps that blurt out oily milky goop every time you drain them. Best of luck with it!, wish I could have one at home and at work :D

[@Aussie50]

The main reason I have heard that continuous run screws are best, is because it keeps the oil hot and that prevents excess moisture buildup in it. which stands to reason, too many short cycles would make the oil milky, as it does in a car engine's cam cover if you do too many 5 min trips to the store, it's the coldest point so it goes all gloopy.

[@angusandleigh]

This is exactly right, although load/unload screws are fine too so long as they are sized correctly and the right size storage receiver is also used...this will keep the load cycles to a point where the heat in the machine is maintained...I generally like to see 165-185F and that keeps the moisture at a vapour so that it will pass the air/oil separator element...had a client once with a 100hp variable speed machine in place where a 30hp modulating machine was running at about 80% capacity (they got a good deal on it I was told)...and this machine normally takes 3/4 of a 20L pail of oil...was called in to see why it was constantly popping the safety relief valve each time it tried to cycle up...drained 2.5 20L pails of fluids from the machine...2 of those pails were water...this machine was running at a 'frosty' 125F peak.

[@jbdragon3295]

We have a couple Ingersoll Rand Rotary Screw compressors. A 20 HP and 7.5HP one. We're in the food industry and so it's powering our 14 bucket scales, bagging machines, metal detectors and other things. There's a lot to do to maintain them. There's no computers in mine and are around 18 years old now. The 7.5HP is backup, but it doesn't keep up with our air needs. We also have a Air dryer our air goes through.

[@chriseustace2067]

Aussie50 i

[@FrozenHaxor]

I wonder if that could be solved with an oil pre-heating system of sort.

[@OTBkid]

@@FrozenHaxor they have a thermo stat on them so it would help only a bit. the best is to load them up and work em like they are designed.

[@bcbloc02]

The rotors are a very tight machined fit (no seals) so thermal expansion and contraction is their enemy. Compressing air makes heat so that is why you don't want a screw compressor cycling as it increases wear on the unit. I have found that one of the best things for reducing compressor noise on a piston unit is to slow the speed down. We have an 80yr old Champion 2stage 4cyl compressor at work that has been maintaining 225psi air for longer than anyone is left alive to remember. The thing only runs 400rpm which is probably why it has lasted and is one of the reasons it isn't real loud. It is probably half as loud as my 5hp Campbell Hausfield.

[@AtimatikArmy]

Your comment got cut off... How do you slow the speed down?

[@eformance]

Change the pulley size. My CH 5CFM 30gal compressor uses the same compressor head as the 11CFM unit, but because it's a 110v compressor they run it at half the speed, produce half the CFM, and half the noise.

[@AtimatikArmy]

eformance That makes sense, thanks!

[@copperheadsevenpointthree8523]

I love the older machines, my granddad's generation sure knew what they were doing....

[@meocats]

there's a new fad about silent air compressors nowadays. one of their features is the speed is 1800rpm instead of 3600. The other feature is the cylinders and valves are large. (california air tools silent compressor for example).

[@ManofCulture]

Screw compressor is equivalent to supercharger :D

[@twm4259]

When I came to a new job it was in a warehouse kind of building with high metal ceilings and it was very loud with a lot of echoing. Later on they did noise abatement by hanging cloth in vertical sections in sort of a zig zag pattern and it made a huge difference. Something to consider.

[@ronkluwe4875]

One other comment and this is based on my 35+ years of building refinery projects that included air systems for plant air and instrument air. For a loop as long as yours, I would recommend using a main header loop at least 2 sizes bigger than your drops to your work stations. This way you have a header system that can accommodate heavy air demand from multiple air stations. If your main header is undersized, you have negated the capability of your compressor (i.e., it cannot push the air into the system fast enough to compensate for the draw down due to pressure drop loss in the piping system).We typically use a 4" header with 2" subheaders to feed about 100 3/4" air supply points in a refinery process unit. This insures constant pressure at all the instrument stations and control valve stations. Think of it this way, if you have 15 drops on your loop and all of them get used at once, you need a reserve in the piping system itself for the compressor to fill up from the tank.You may not have heavy air demand now, but if you plan on future expansion, you might want to consider re-sizing the header loop.Regards;Ron Kluwe

[@ronkluwe4875]

Ran some quick sizing calcs for you and at about 40 CFM of draw, it looks like your current system will go to Zero PSIG at the drop end points with the header it appears you currently have (I am assuming 3/4" tubing throughout). The system is essentially choked at this flow rate as the compressor cannot push enough air into the header, no matter how big the compressor is. If you upsize to a 1.5" header for the main loop, this is only about a 3PSI drop in air pressure at 45 CFM demand and a 12 PSI drop in air pressure at 90 CFM demand. Also, typical practice is to put a large air receiver vessel after the drying system in order to limit surge demand on the compressor. For the volume of pipe in your shop, it looks like a 300 gallon air receiver will give about a 5 minute surge coverage and a 600 gallon air receiver will give about a 10 minute surge coverage. Something to think about to ensure longevity of your air system and flexibility for future expansion. I can fill you in more on this at the BarZ Summer Bash.

[@RobertSzasz]

+NYC CNC there is a difference between pipe of a certain size and a single choke point. Your long run could benefit greatly from a diameter increase.

[@ronkluwe4875]

Put a 300 or 600 gallon receiver tank in the system and you can run your compressor all day at 20 CFM and maintain 125 PSIG at the outlet points. Even with short term demand (5 or 10 minutes at a time) to 30 CFM you can maintain about 115 PSIG at the outlets. I am very surprised that Atlas Copco would limit the output to a 1/2" outlet size. My bet is that if you look into the guts of the machine, it is the air drying system that is the limiter on flow and that they are using 1/2" tubing for that system. Might want to ask them if a 1" outlet can be installed at the compressor.

[@dingleburry7919]

I waS thinking the same thing... thats some tiny pipe for such long runs. Especially right off the reciever tank... seeing the video more it seems like a very badly made system

[@glennedward2201]

My former shop system had a 15hp piston compressor in a back room and we had 3 80 gallon tanks plumbed into a 3” main line that ran the length of the building and each station dropped off that main. We had two air dryer systems. A main refrigerator dryer, and a secondary for paintwork, powder coating, and so on. We used a lot of air, rarely did it run down it worked well to maintain power tools, etc... sadly the tri piston compressor was ridiculously loud.

[@LethalMercury]

Should have considered a Kaeser SM10. Has about the same capacity tank, but has a built in refrigerator drier, built in oil separator. Also has the computer built into it. We run print finishing machines with it and it’s programmed to run the motor continuously, but only compresses between 115-125. Love it!

[@jothain]

Kaeser is a very solid brand. We have at work Copco's and Kaesers and Kaesers have been superior in reliability.

[@Kal-0000]

Wtf... I thought he was linus for a second there xD

[@lucasvp2005]

Proud of being an intern at Atlas Copco :D

[@gregcollins3404]

My answer to air compressor noise is to oversize the motor a whole bunch. Put a 3hp motor on your 1.5hp compressor and it'll be a lot quieter as there is more torque to drive through top dead center and it "knocks" a lot less.

[@Ozziepeck11]

a larger engine would surly make more noise...

[@SpenserRoger]

electric "engines" are rather quiet

[@Ishiku__aka_xchoibitschibihil]

Greg Collins No. Why not do this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHq0kHSDaMehrdE Ave three phase air compressorb

[@jonfeuerborn5859]

If the sole reason you're bummed about not having a computer on board the compressor is due to the shutoff timer, you could always install an off delay relay in the control circuit to extend the run time beyond the signal provided by the pressure switch. Couple that with either a solenoid actuated relief valve in the same circuit or even a mechanical pressure relief valve to handle the tank overpressuring issue, and you've accomplished the same thing.

[@Sketch1994]

I work at a tobacco facility at this time and Atlas Copco is the name of the game there having at least 20 of their bigger compressors, some even hooked in parrallel to keep up, with all the dehydrators and stuff all around the plant...At this point though there are room heat issues and they will be installing some equally extreme ventilation system in all the compressor rooms before the summer takes a toll on them!

[@JoeBlow365]

That food grade oil really doesn’t like that heat.

[@whatthefunction9140]

can you invest in a tripod or longer arms?

[@davehughes1911]

Heh Heh...Kind of annoying eh? In your face like a Close Talker. I just watch him on the small screen.

[@frankpitochelli6786]

Dylan T lol...good machinist, but he tries to talk past his lungs air capacity which causes him to grab for a mouthful of air....:)

[@zylok1980]

Watching your videos makes me sea sick, great information but the constant motion of traditionally stationary background scenery is pretty hard on the viewer.

[@operator8014]

Well, the reason video makers become popular is that they aren't awful to watch, or they ARE awful to watch, and that's their shtick. This guy is accidentally awful to watch, because despite people giving him pointers on being less awful, it gets disregarded and he keeps being awful. At the moment, his face-cam videos are cringe-worthy to the point of being unwatchable because of exactly the above mentioned reasons. He's stated repeatedly that he is working towards a larger viewer-base and constructive critiquing is how that happens. Bottom line is, better videos are BETTER, and he should really try to aim for better, as his filmography is the biggest letdown in his videos. Aside from the Tormach machines... Hell, even HAAS is worlds better...

[@dailyresearch84]

Brad Gefroh because the content you have posted is worlds better right? You keyboard warriors need a new hobby seriously.

[@DaTa742]

Hi John, I'm looking for a compressor and came across your informative video. How is your compressor working out after 5 years? Did you have any issues with it?

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

I did not even know these things existed till tonight!

[@adrianwilson7536]

passive air dryers don't work well with hot compressed air, the air has to cool and the water condense out before the dryer can separate it. Big systems use refrigeration to cool the air rapidly.

[@Nordic_Mechanic]

true , my home compressor has a refrigerated dryer and even hooked straight at the output of the compressor it gets all the moisture out

[@OverKillPlusOne]

I'd take that tank from the old one and plumb it up as extra reservoir capacity.

[@molak34]

In my workshop I use 2" pipes and that gives me a distributed tank! :D

[@Tjita1]

It's a common way big industries do it - use extra tanks as buffers away from the main tanks, closer to the consumer. This way they can save up on pipe dimensions without loosing performance.

[@danl.4743]

When using extra tanks, is there is a one way valve in the input line?

[@Tjita1]

No, that's not necessary. Air doesn't damage anything if it goes the wrong way in an airline. A manual valve can be useful though, so you can shut the spare tank off for maintenance of either side (it can remain pressurised while servicing the main tank for example).

[@donzmilky5961]

Right on the floor there in the back corner, would be a good way to tell if the air stays dry too by flipping the moisture drain on the extra tank and seeing what has accumulated

[@BillyTpower]

John, They can't legally insist on using their oil in order to maintain the warranty. It actually breaks US monopoly law. The reason I know this is because my wife and I run an Amsoil business, and Amsoil sued a company because that was written in their owners manual. Amsoil won their case and subsequently all owners manuals since that court case were changed and now say "use Harley Davidson oil or an equivalent".

[@horseshoe_nc]

I am going guess that case was against either H-D or some luxury car company.

[@jaywalt1311]

The problem would be finding an "equivalent" If they dont have a spec on their oil or no one makes an equivalent then your screwed...

[@BillyTpower]

horseshoe28016 yup

[@horseshoe_nc]

+Billy T I know H-D really pushes their Syn3 oil. I ran Amsoil in my 2010 FLHX (Street Glide) for a while. Only reason I switched is, the shop was open the same hours I was working. That made it difficult for me to get. So I started running Castrol V-Twin synthetic. Both seem like good oils.

[@horseshoe_nc]

+Billy T actually I have also seen Amsoil in one H-D shop a while back.

[@Dr.Stein99]

Hi. The "BAFFLE BOX" on the big new expensive piston compressors - is really nothing much more than an airbox, from a car in a junkyard with a square paper filter. You have an auto-shop with students - you can probably just make the box and put the fittings on the ones you have. Even more so, make a double box - which is a box, inside another box filled with that open cell foam. f-y-i.

[@indoorherbivore]

When you said "my wife caught me taking it home..." I was about to start the popcorn.

[@akshooter271]

Well anything Atlas Copco is incredibly expensive. I work for a dealership that sells their stuff and even their small parts are just crazy expensive.

[@RallyRat]

The other nice thing about having a loop is that you can isolate any small section for maintenance or to make changes without cutting off the downstream part of your system.

[@nellermann]

Great info! Why not build a utility room with some good heavy block and concrete to house the compressors?

[@JimmysTractor]

Very nice compressor! Something to think about with any major addition is not so much the cost of the equipment, but more setup and future costs. You live in Ohio so there are probably at least 6 months where you need to supplement your heating(where the heat from your equipment isn't quite enough to be comfortable). I'm in FL and in planning my 1300sf shop, I have decided to keep my compressor outside under a lean to type shelter. I can't wait to work in the AC, but to avoid huge electric bills, I want to keep as much heat outside. Most people don't take into account that when they are in a cold climate, their 7.5hp compressor doubles as a 5KW heater. In FL where the AC is on 11 months out of the year, every watt used by equipment must be matched by at least a 1/2 watt to fight against the heat. That said, I don't think I could put a $10K air compressor outside. Over the life of my compressor the biggest cost will be the power to run it. If I had an awesome compressor like yours, I would need to get 20,000 hours(4KW@$.125kw/h) out of it to have the power bill equal the electric bill. Just something for those in warm climates to consider- The cost of keeping inside where it takes up expensive climate controled space. Those in warm climates need to keep things like this in mind- Might be time for a video on how to setup your plasma cutter so that the water in the water table is transfered outside after cutting.

[@mrlithium69]

@ 12:52 - "to bleed out moisture if need to" - but it's 3" away from an electrical outlet - that can't be good ;p

[@bozkurt158]

I noticed that too, it does not look safe.

[@drewlarson65]

the only real danger from the small amount of moisture would be corrosion.

[@slamdvw]

easy to add an extension pipe and be below the outlet.

[@snakedike]

I run out of my garage with a fadal 4020 so quiet operation is important to me. I looked real hard at the Kaesers when I started up. But in the end I couldn't justify the expense and went with a large two stage piston pump. It's not too loud and doesn't run that often. I did have to build in a poor man's dryer which consists of about 40 ft of copper pipe to cool the air before a drain valve and a water separator. But it works so well that nearly all the water that exits the pump comes out of the drain. Almost nothing makes it to the separator. If my shop was as large as John's I wouldn't hesitate to put a screw pump in though.

THANK YOUR VIDEO,I SELECT NEW COMPRESSOR 👍👍👍👍👍

[@koerttijdens1234]

I have my piston compressor hanging on thin ropes and it makes less noise now. The ropes are elastic and absorb vibrations.

[@guytech7310]

Thanks John for the very informative Air Compressor video! As far as monitoring your machines. installing cameras in your machines might be useful. Either a multicamera analog security system, or a set of IP cameras permanently mounted in your machines. You could just add a secondary monitor in your office with a split view for each machine. Perhaps even remote e-stop buttons in your office so you can stop a machine if you spot a problem with out have to run across the room.

[@JoggingWithForks]

Awww, look at Judd. He's such a beautiful boy!

[@Scitzo1]

the reason to why some screwcompressors keeps running in idle is to protect the electrical motor from to many start and stops. it's decided from the manufacturer of the motor how many times that you can start the motor during a certain period of time

[@deepakthestunner]

Do u know that period of time which is decided by the manufacturer to protect the electric motor?

[@Liberty4Ever]

Great video as always. For the home shop cheap version of the rotary screw compressor people may want to look at the quiet compressors from California Air Tools. They make 1 HP and 2 HP compressors that are about as loud as a laser printer - unbelievably quieter than the Porter-Cable pancake compressor I had before. It's possible to use one of these per machine and avoid the airline runs and they are very cheap to buy on Amazon. That gives me some redundancy too. It's great to have a quiet shop!

[@megasmart1337]

what a fail to let the compressor run the work way because of incorrect phase order. Should have used a phase rotation indicator(they are cheap)

[@justinmayfield6122]

The paper on top does the same thing, much cheaper! Haha

[@FrozenHaxor]

Yeah a complete fail on their part. Professional installer doing this for living day after day without such a crucial tool. Alot of machinery doesn't tolerate backward rotation at all, doing it this way is just asking for trouble.

[@flyfaen1]

I guess the 5 in GX5 is due to the electric motor being 5.5 kW which is a more logical naming for something that runs on electricity, and does not have an ICE on it :)

[@deepakthestunner]

What is ICE?

[@cygnus1965]

Internal combustion engine

[@dheujsnrhfydhehehshshhdggsd]

those warranty terms violate federal law.

[@jndeprez4362]

Just some misunderstanding in the air compressor world report, POINT 1; a piston compressor still has more compressed air for its power consumption and is cheaper than any '*.*' screw compressor and POINT 2, Frequency regulators save space 'POINT', this is the only advantage. (Is not cheaper in consumption, or purchase or maintenance ) . The best setup is still a 'cascade setup of 3 stationary screw air compressor'! For more technical information contact me via messages, thank you. ... If you do not know a compressor seller the "15 - 30 - 45 rule", maybe it is better NOT to buy to such people, who have their mouth full of energy efficiency !

[@jndeprez4362]

Service all 4000h new oilfilter, (TEXACO = N°1 for scew comp.) all 8000h new oil separator element from (Atlas Copco) all 16.000h V-belt . Long live if you can make a 80% load running heurs. (In onloud the compresser thake 1/3 I nom. and "VERY BAD LUBRIGATION IN ONLOAD MODE / broken compressor or bearings after running 40.000h !". best make space for a very big 1000L - 2500l air tank./ .... hoi "Make in BELGIUM", Make in Italie = made in China / "CRAP".

[@muhammadahmadjaved3960]

I have been using German screw compressor 10 HP since 2010 and its really great.first of all its way quieter than those piston ones (when I hear them now they feel like someone is hammering on my head or if you remember those annoying woody wood pecker cartoons). and I think mine is quieter than yours too.They definetly save me ton of money in long run as I have attached a (30 inch diameter and 10 feet tall) tank (which I made in my own shop) to it as it didn't came with a tank. I only have to fill it once or twice a day and I only need to run it for 10 to 15 minuts. I am running it on its full capacity that is 8 bar pressure.I am using air for plasma cutter, air tools(drills, screw drivers, grinders for small work etc), CNC, and paint jobs.it definitely gives out some oil in the air that is why I keep my tank filled almost all times so that the moisture and oil settles down, and the auto float ball on the bottom of my tank can expel it and I get crisp and clean air for all my tools.I would definitely suggest people to buy this if they need ton of air all day long if not then cheapest is to go with piston compressor.

[@kevinkillsit]

Do you think there would be any merit in going with a piston compressor, but building an acoustic enclosure for it?

[@snakedike]

A lot of people do this. But watch the air temp inside as it can heat up and be detrimental to your compressor. I ended up buying a quieter compressor instead.

[@asyrafkee1250]

Put a inlet ventilation fan, and outlet ventilation fan, they need to be high flow ventilation fan. Put 6 total of them, three inlet, and three outlet.

[@jbdragon3295]

Having the compressor on a pallet is a little dumb. Sure it's ok now, but can be a issue later on. Pallets are generally made pretty cheap. They'll fall apart in time. Wouldn't be good if a top board cracked and then the compressor starts tilting over away from the wall and comes crashing down onto the front side. It really should be bolted down to the ground. The IR rotary compressors at work are bolted down and they're not as tall as they don't have a Air tank under them. My compressor at home in bolted down in my garage. Sitting on a wood pallet is just asking for it. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but sometime in the future it will be.

[@TheWidgetWorks]

Good info. I never even thought of 'stale' air in the lines but that would make sense that you would get a dead spot with water build up. I think leaving on the pallet is a great idea, super easy to move if you need to repair something on it or just paint the wall behind it! I double action compressor is more efficient than a screw but these tend to be really big, over 30 HP, monsters. Even a single action 2 stage compressor is still going to be at least as efficient as a screw. But the biggest, by far reason to run an air screw is duty cycle and life span. Air screws, buy nature, run a 100% duty cycle and last for many years (at least a decade). If you ran a piston air compressor at a 100% duty cycle it would be worn out very quickly, you need to keep them under about 60%. Even then you really are only going to get maybe 15,000 hours out of one before it's worn out. Compared to about 100,000 hours or so life on a screw it 'should' be cheaper to own as it has very little maintenance and will out last many piston compressors.

[@BerndFelsche]

Really enjoy your videos since I discovered them a little while back. Did you consider a scroll compressor? (Did you know about them?) Price point is similar to screw compressor, perhaps a bit lower now that there are NC tools to machine the scrolls accurately; even in China. ;-) Some types are oil-less on the air side. i.e. oil has no chance to mix with the air being delivered. Quite popular in the food processing and medical application areas They are also more efficient than screw and piston compressors. Compressed air is already a very inefficient way to transmit power - something to keep in mind if you employ lots of air tools. Air tools are neat; they are small and light but an air motor needs (IIRC correctly) about 3 times as much power at the compressor. As for your noise problem, you can, if they're not going to be in the way of gantries, hang "soft" timber panels vertically from the rafters. Compressed fibre timber (MDF-like) is relatively cheap. I wouldn't use anything less than half an inch thick because it is too flexible and prone to tearing. Proper noise attenuating panels are made from dense polymer foam but I hesitate to recommend those in a place where hot metal flies through the air. Suspend the panels loosely with wire cables through reinforced eyelets. I'm _guessing_ from the videos that 4 ft by 8 ft panels could be suspended "on edge" with their bottom about 10 ft off the floor (lower and closer to the noise sources is better, but you have to keep lighting and the ability to move stuff on the floor in mind). Hang the panels at "random" angles to form a labyrinth through which sound won't travel directly. Try to avoid parallel panel faces in a direct line. The panels work in several ways; first they absorb some of the sound energy; second they lengthen the path of sound between the source and the listener and thirdly; they set up interference between sound waves as they reflect from unequal distances. And, if it's good enough for the Sydney Opera house; hang some panels off-vertical above areas where lots of noise is made from tools that are moved around a lot; like a fabrication floor. This will reduce the amount of sound that reaches the roof. Talk to an electrician about the possibility of incorporating lights in such panels to negate the shading of the fixed lighting that they produce. You could paint the panels in bright colours to seal their surface but keep the finish rough and "soft". Lighter colours will minimise the amount of light that the panels "steal". If you have far too much time on your hands, you can use a router to cut patterns in thicker panels to break up the smooth surface before painting. Grooves, stipples, etc will more effectively attenuate the higher frequency noise. There are also some tricks that can be played with small holes but manually drilling thousands of them will not be fun; not even to watch. BTW: your walls will also be reflecting sound. Make up some mobile sound screens to place around areas where work happens sometimes and where a permanent screen is impractical. It's better for the noise to hit a "soft" screen than a hard wall. P.S. Get yourself a sound level meter and some instruction on how to use it well. You wouldn't cut metal without measuring it first; and the same goes for cutting sound. No need to spend even hundreds of dollars. Apps for mobile devices are at best of marginal utility. They tend not to be very repeatable form one day to the next. Acoustic specialist spend big on spectrum analysers, etc. but a fundamental understanding of sound, listening and measuring can achieve worthwhile noise reduction at a fraction of the cost.

[@elbuggo]

As I understand it, for one or another reason the sound waves tend to cluster in the corners, so sound damping in the corners is by far the mot efficient strategy.

[@rx7sportscar]

I did not read all the comments. Maybe it was already said maybe not. One of the reasons they like to continually run them is some of the starters in big plants cost 20 grand. that have say a 200 hp to 500hp air compressor. It is bad on the starter to start the machine repeatadly.

[@silverssonyoutube8438]

i have one the same model at work . very good unit , very fast to refill with air .

[@sethhughes2163]

You said 600'... lol. In our smallest shops ( manufacturimg and maintenance... ) we have over 600 DROPS, 200 - 220 operators, mechanics, technicians, fabricators, etcetera. All done in " screw pipe "... ASTM carbon steel pipe... that smallest building is over 1,800 feet long and 500 +/_ feet wide with numerous compressors. Even doing my proof house/prototype shop in town... was a pain in the pin feathers! I will say, yours turned out like you designed it... and is functional and sanitary! KUDO'S my friend, I realize this was shot 7 years ago... but still deserves a " pat on the back "! Respectfully, Seth

[@hampusrundlof7002]

This video contains a lot of good information that is otherwise hard to find

[@molak34]

The oil in the screw is noy to lube but to seal. There is no contact between the 2 screws or the housing. That's why you have 2 helical gears right next to the screw, to sync them and avoid the contact and the wear.

[@angusandleigh]

The oil in a screw compressor is for three things, a seal as you mentioned also a lube and the coolant.

[@u-genefabricationmachine4725]

Hi John this is the type of equipment I connect automated controls to for Seimens technologies if you look on your air compressor it may have a RS485 or a Back Net connection on it if so you can install a Back Net / RS485 Management Module to connect to your Computer , just thought I would pass that on to you

[@SolarizeYourLife]

You literally need to construct a building with insulation just for the Piston compressor... You can't just put it outside, your neighbors will HATE YOU...

[@TheLizardmusic]

That compressor has 5kw electric motor so its named after 5. GX7 has 7kw motor etc. Directstart screw compressor is more economic. 3 phase compressor is good if u have much use of air because it halfs power take so u don`t need very big fuses and cables. On 3 phase It runs on standby to cool off its contactors . Wet tank is much better than dry tank. dryer doesn`t need to do so much work because a most of water is in a tank.

[@johnberry6077]

THE REASON that you NEED a Rotary Screw air compressor is because, sooner or later, you need to run a basic AIR CHUCK (i.e. an attachment that permits you to steadily blow a stream of air, for the purpose of dispersing accumulated sawdust or metal filings.) None of the PISTON -style air compressors can "run" an Air Chuck attachment.

[@daviddudeskie6940]

If you dont have a large demand for air rotary screw compressors might not be the economic option. They are more suited for larger shops or manufacturing facilities that have higher demand. You can buy them with a VFD that will slow it down and unload it when the demand is low.

[@ALAPINO]

If you're not here for "nerding out," what are you here for? Haha.

[@deerjerky1]

i did not see a air dryer in your air system and my system runs all the time and only makes air when needed . my system is a 10 hp ALUP making 31 cfm like your vids

[@theplotz]

Part of the reason why the screws like to run continuously is to keep the moisture boiled out of the coolant. The oil acts as a seal filling in the gap between the screws, so they don't actually touch. Also in the book for my 5hp IR screw they make mention of the starts and stops over heating the motor. Says if more than 8 starts an hour then turn switch to run continuously. One thing about the oil maintenance is that service intervals are quite high, 5-8k hours

[@RubenAmial-pg4kp]

Wait till finds out about rotary screw compressors…… mind blown!!!

[@tonytee.1864]

We have a screw compressor where I work and it is quieter than our old piston compressors. But not quiet enough. Our screw compressor is outside of the main building in a dedicated shed here in Florida. Its Way quieter! My piston compressor at my home shop is also in a dedicated shed separate from my shop and it's perfect! I can still hear it in case something goes wrong and I know when it's running , But it's not assaulting my eardrums.

[@firstlast7867]

John, If a salesman's commission is say 10%, will he/she sell you a $7,000 compressor or a $2,000 compressor? You main need seems to be quiet, an outdoor intake with a filter/muffler solves this problem nicely for the price of PVC pipe and some plumber time. The cost is sunk now and you seem to be happy with your decision so that is good enough. Sometimes our purchases are more to keep up with the other guy. The business question is what does the additional cost add to the bottom line over the life of the asset, describing the number of hours one works can easily slip into rationalization. Once the costs are sunk, there is only one option, use the capital or lose the income from said capital. A large mold making shop recently featured in a mold making magazine has 30 employees and 32,000 square feet or about 1,000 sq foot/employee. They appear well run. It comes down to capital/labor in the case of a small business owner. If you are not incorporated, your capital will cost you an additional 15% employment tax; it is real and it can be a drag. Think of purchasing a $250K machine and adding $37,500 to the amount needed to pay for it only half of which is deductible. It can wear a guy down, cause self doubt without understanding the cause. In your case, the difference between a $2K compressor and a $7K compressor is only an additional $750 for employment taxes assuming you are not a corporation. Something to think about. Keep up the good work.

[@jasonjohnson6216]

I have a small shop and was considering a screw compressor thinking it was an end to all my compressor issues. I thought they last forever, bla bla bla. I'm going to bury a piston compressor under my slab. Thanks

[@KenPaisley]

We have the same compressor, just the Quincy version of it, at the VW dealership I work at. Total waste of $10,000, it sucks!

[@tobystewart4403]

I was looking at entry level water jet machines recently and noticed that all the popular designs have ditched screw compressors and have moved to piston. They are using small tractor engines as the cylinder housing, wee 3 cylinder blocks, that drive a machined head and cam that does the air pumping. The moving parts are far simpler, the air is dry, and the total cost is less than half of screw compressors, with better performance all around. I think if they are too noisy, a sound proof box is the answer, not a screw compressor. What is the pipe draining out the bottom of the unit, bleeding off brown waste fluid? Really? On a new machine? It looks like a cancer patient that can't go to toilet properly, with its colostomy bag. It seems a bad design, full of compromises and clumsy solutions. Also, for what you want to program the machine to, a 12 dollar micro processor and 25 dollar 5 inch touch screen would be fine. It seems cheap that they didn't put that on a 7000 plus machine. Cheap or out of date, both of which are red flags.

[@RRRRR7-c7r]

Standard electrical is 40amp breaker= #8 wire not #10. That would be minimum code. A electric Motors longevity can be greatly reduced when the wire is undersized. If you panel is close to hundred feet away (wire length) you actually used #6). The idea is that when the motor is under load you have voltage drop and that can be multiplied with undersized wire. This in turn raises the amperage which creates more internal heat in the motor reducing the winding life. There are people that burn out their basic power tools everyday on undersized power cords that are too long and have no idea why. Point being it can run on #10 but how long?

[@davidcorbett6694]

As a service engineer on rotary screw compressors,, iv never listened to as much misinformation as your peddling.. You my dear man have no idea what your talking about,,,

[@TeamAirCenter]

Team Air Center is your official Kaeser Air Compressor distributor in Michigan and Ohio. Please visit www.teamaircenter.com for additional information.

[@Ecksterphono]

The after run on a screw compressor is so that the oil can cool. What happens is once pressure is reached in the tank the check valve in the screw housing opens and the return cooled oil floods the bottom of the screw vanes in the sump. If the compressor stops the oil would boil due to the generated heat of the hot oil on a stopped screw, under the circumstances the hot or superheated oil may also pose a fire hazard or cause varnish build up on the screw rotors and this wouldn't be good so cooled oil has to flood the bottom of the rotating screws.

[@taiwanluthiers]

The CNC shop next to mine (I use their air because I really only need it for paint guns and air sanders) just bought a new screw compressor because the old one died... it had low oil level and the guy who came to fix it said the wrong oil was used. He said screw compressor starts at 10HP, but it has a computer that basically keeps it on at slower speed bypass mode and it basically maintains about 7 bars at all times. The unit is also smaller and lighter compared to a normal compressor. The box for a silent normal compressor (basically a belt drive compressor inside a sound proof cabinet) was twice the size of a screw compressor of the same size. This can present a problem however as it takes 2 people to carry it and theft is a problem...

[@travisshrewsbury7169]

screw type is the way to go for sure,our service trucks have them now and we beat them up daily,PTO driven operating @ 175 psi driving 1 inch impact all day,but,our big one was 11 grand,worth it just not to hear a piston type all day

[@danbentler9742]

John Why are frequent starts and stops bad? Starting current is 4 to 9 times running current. On compressors this may be for 10 to 40 second especialy so on recips ie piston. On larger motors they wil specify number of starts per hour. Both the windings and the rotor get heated durning start. Both recips and rotary or any other compressor for that matter benefit from unloaders. Yes the compressor is stil rotating but the discharge pressure is zero. I just read BCB Bloc below he talks abot heating the compressor piston or scews in a rotary -- good comment. Hot cold at frequent intervals is hard on equipment. Air lines look OK to me I like the take air out the top of the pipe. Water does condense in the headers so they should slope. A tank at the end of a hader makes a handy place to dump the water and also helps to lower friction loss in the piping. Down legs to connectors or machines should have the tee as you showed with a dran valve at bottom. Water in compressed air is hard on air motors and actuators. After coolers go a long ways to remove water from air. If ypu put one close to compressor discharge you can use warmed water to heat other rooms. Cold water from aftercoolers ie from the air can be used as source of chill water. You spent money to heat that water in compressing it then more to cool it so why send the results down the drain? Auto drains ?? Dont think much of em - fine when they work BUT put in a manual valve to check em - everytime I did this they worked flawlessly - I dont understand that - must be Murphy Law. Dan Bentler

[@rwbishop]

I bet if you build a nice tight carpet lined 3/4" plywood enclosure around it, and maybe plumb the intake somewhere, it'd be hard to tell if it were running. Mass and freedom of gaps are main keys to acoustic insulation... don't forget to design in provisions for cooling air and maintenance should you do it.

[@richarddutchholland4780]

You should have gone for larger pipe work, it’s a receiver and you’ll get less pressure drops and your compressor will stay off longer once it’s full. You should also have a bigger differential on the pressure switch if you want the machine to run on and time out. Larger Atlas Copco compressor over 160kw have only three starts per hour so run on time is long, it’s all to do with constantly stopping and starting the motor as it’s more efficient to keep the motor running than going through the star delta start cycle plus there’s less wear and tear on the contacts. . You should have gone for a GX model around 3kw as they switch off when pressure is reached and only start when the pressure switch is activated

[@billh308]

I am curious, there was actually a discussion about this on one of the machinist forums with how far you have come. From your days in your city apartment to now owning a full blown machine shop. We can't help but notice how you are dropping large sums of money on tools, and we can't help but think you are over extending yourself on budget. Perhaps it is none of our business, but you are inspiring, it makes most of us happy to see you doing well, but also leaves the question, how are you doing well? I don't see many products for sale on your page. Is there more to the story? For those of us who would like to do the same as you, any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[@doubletappinhillbilly]

Sounds neat but, for the cost I'll just keep large old school compressor outside my shop in a well shed type building so I dont have to listen to it. This new style is pretty sweet however. May transition to one once price drops.

[@fisheatinweasel]

This may sound like a dumb idea, but have you ever considered using something like a 'baby monitor' for your machines? A microphone at the work station tied into a bluetooth earpiece could provide a level of peace when you must walk away.

[@btrswt35]

I dont know if it would be worth the extra cost. Buy two pistin style compressors, put them at either end if the building, have two separate loops and build enclosure around both if your concerned about noise. At least then you have done redundancy and aren't relying on one compressor for everything. Probably would have saved a decent amount of money too.

[@4DIYers]

Excellent video and beautiful shop!

[@tedballou]

FYI, I use Pex water pipe for all my air distribution. Rapid air is expensive, Pex is cheap. 5 plus years and no leaks or blowouts.

[@enigma1701a1]

be glad you didn't get the computer. we got an ingersoll rand variable drive screw compressor with a computer what a piece of shit. it was always broken. we finally got just a regular ingersoll rand screw compressor and haven't had any problems. they do tend to blow oil as long as you have oil separators in the system you should be fine .

[@victorreppeto7050]

Your model may be equipped with air bearings? If the air to the bearings is cut off when the motor stops (so the system does not bleed down) then the bearings will start up dry. A computer can detect the pressure drop and start the air to the bearings before it starts the motor. Your model probably has ball bearings. just a guess

[@daleharshberger9683]

The reason an induction motor need to be constantly running is to prevent hard starts and stops (wear and tear). Every time an induction motor starts, a draw of the amps increasing draws on the meter. So, in commercial usage letting induction motors continually run is cheaper than having the motor turn on and off. Same principle on A/C chiller systems to cool large buildings.

[@ouimetco]

What kind of stuff you doing in your shop there? How many cfm the screw produce? The old polar is good, 30 cfm right? Did you need more?

[@Dakakeisalie]

You ought to plumb your old piston compressor into your system. Not for the compressor but just the tank as additional storage. Looks like you would at least double your capacity. At least until you sell it or whatever.

[@j.m.5995]

Piston compressors compress the air gradually but tend to release high pressure pulses of air whereas these compressors compress gradually and release lower air pressure streams continuously.

[@MFM_Gaming]

Sound resistant panel. have them from the ceiling down 3 or 4 foot around the diffrent areas of the shop. hanging fire resistant hanging panels. Kind of acting like baffles.

[@sambaumgarten6807]

If you had to buy a compressor again, would you stick with the Rotary Screw or would you buy another 2-stage piston compressor?

[@alfredvignes5526]

no refrigerated drier, you can't get good dry air without it, you may think it is dry close to compressor system but you will find moisture condensing closer to the end of a line. long term the screw will deliver air longer than a reciprocating compressor only if they are maintain if not keep your recip. and patch it up

[@lisaludwigfirearmsinstructor]

Sad you didn't get a PLC. Seems your salesperson didn't qualify you properly.

[@fixitlane]

The screw needs to get the oil hot enough that it keeps the moisture flashed off in the air. When the air is pulled in, it is ingesting water as in humidity as well. You need to keep the oil hot to get rid of it.

[@ladjkaoz]

sounds like too much care... I would rather build a box sound proof for a not so noisy piston or a piston less compressor like the qst 30/60.

[@torque350hp]

Lol. Caught by the wife, they just dont understand. Great video though.

[@carmelpule6954]

I hate those right-angle joints with the main run. I met situations where they sucked up and not blew down somewhat as the old carburetor does! I would have made the main run using a larger diameter pipe.

[@thegreatga]

From experience working with idiots, you never want to dead head a rotarty screw compressor and then immediately release that pressure. The end result is blowing all the oil out of the system into the air dryer.

[@KA-tu2em]

There a compressor type that can handle higher temperatures? I need to compress a gas to around 600F, is this possible?