A Buyer's Guide to Rotary Vane Air Compressors

Choosing the right air compressor for your application can be difficult given the variety of products available today. There are a number of options when it comes to configuration, size, capacity, and brand that can cause a headache for potential buyers. 

Introduction

Rotary pumps are widely used across industries and applications, from power steering in cars to providing pressure for soda dispensers and coffee machines. 

If you're unfamiliar, here is a brief look at the mechanical structure of ratary vane air compressors. 

The rotary vane compressor is comprised of a cylindrical rotar placed inside a cavity or housing. It also has grooves or slots inside which the vanes are placed. The rotor is intentionally placed in a position where it almost comes into conteact with the housing it's encased in, with the off-center placement allowing vanes to be pushed out through centrifugal force. This allows air to be trapped between them, which is ultimately reduced in volume and pressurized by the rotor's motion. 

Our team wants customers to get the most value for their money and has prepared a buyer's guide, listed below, for rotary vane air comperssors to help you consider important factors before making a final decision. 

What to consider when buying a rotary vane compressor

Duty cycle - this is essentially the capactiy for the compressor to run at peak performance before it starts to overheat or massively deteriorate. Typically measured as a percentage, the duty cycle is an extremely important factor to consider when purchasing a compressor. If you need something heavy duty to run for extended periods of time without issues, a high duty cycle percentage is required. 

Not all compressor configurations allow for a high duty cycle percentage, however, the rotary vane typically offers close to a 100% duty cycle figure. 

Maintenance - The major maintenance for rotary vane air compressors comes from replacing the oil, cleaning out filters, and replacing filters at a certain point after continuous use. None of these components are too expensive and they are relatively eas to replace. Rotary vane air compressors tend to have a long operational life if maintenance plans and schedules are followed accurately. As long as you ensure that maintenance is taking place, there's no need to worry about any short term expenditure that involves replaceing or repairing moving parts. 

Long-term costs - We have already established that rotary vane compressors are relatively cheap to maintain. They are also low on power consumptions, which is good when looking at things from an economical standpoint. A tight, air-free seal results in less air loss. The speeds at which these rotors turn are relatively low, typically between 1,000 and 1,500 rotations per minute, resulting in lower power consumption figures and less noise from the device. 

Initial costs - While rotary vane compressors are typically more expensive than regular piston compressors, if you want to run your compressor well over long periods of time, the performance will justify initial costs. Our team offers financing solutions and a price match guarantee on a wide range of compressors. 

Popular brands:

• Mattei Compressors
• Hydrovane
• Champion
• Chicago Pneumatic Air Compressors

Now that you have the needed background information, you can make a purchase knowing exactly what you're getting for the money. If you have any lingering questions, please contact our experts by calling 866-778-6572 or sending an email to info@compressorworld.com