Choose the Suitable Aluminium Compressed Air Pipe

Aluminum has the same anti-corrosive properties of stainless steel but without the weight, making it extremely easy to install. Line losses are reduced because of its smooth interior, and it is corrosion-resistant; this means that aluminum compressed air piping far outpaces galvanized air pipe regarding the piping system’s starting and long-term efficiency

Aluminum has the same anti-corrosive properties of stainless steel but without the weight, making it extremely easy to install. Line losses are reduced because of its smooth interior, and it is corrosion-resistant; this means that aluminum compressed air piping far outpaces galvanized air pipe regarding the piping system’s starting and long-term efficiency, meaning that the lifetime cost of ownership is lower than with other materials. An additional advantage of aluminum compressed air piping is the simplicity in reconfiguring the piping system, should the facility grow or move.

Compressed air piping size requirements are directly related to the maximum airflow going through the system. Your airflow is measured in cubic feet of air per minute, or CFM. The greater your CFM, the larger your pipes will need to be to avoid excessive pressure drop.

When sizing compressed air piping, it is important to look at your maximum CFM requirements. This is the CFM of your system at moments of greatest demand. These may be momentary peaks of demand generated by dust collector blow-down valves, cylinder/ram actuation, diaphragm pumps or other systems that use short, intense bursts of air.

You also need to understand the minimum required operating pressure for your system. Your operating pressure is measured in pounds per square inch, or PSI. Most industrial equipment and air-powered tools require between 90 and 100 PSI to operate correctly. That means that the pressure delivered at point-of-use must be maintained at this level.

You can determine the pressure drop for your system by measuring PSI at the air compressor and at the point of use. Be sure to measure the pressure at the points most distant from your air compressor. If you are seeing a drop of more than 3 PSI and do not have a significant leak problem in your system, it may be an indicator that your air compressor piping is too small.