Standards

CAGI Releases Compressed Air Purity Guide

By Chad Larrabee, Technical Editor, Compressed Air and Gas Institute

The Compressed Air and Gas Institute has released a Compressed Air Purity Guide to help industries achieve clean, dry compressed air and improve system reliability. The guide applies ISO 8573-1 to classify contaminants such as particles, water and oil, and defines purity levels for plant, instrument and process air. It also outlines key technologies like dryers and filtration systems to ensure optimal air quality and equipment protection.

Read Full Story

Safe Compressed Air Drying Systems for Class I, Division 1 Environments

By Jess Elley, Product Marketing Manager, Suburban Manufacturing Group – Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions

Learn how engineers can safely remove moisture from compressed air systems in hazardous environments by eliminating ignition risks through pneumatic controls. This article explores design considerations, performance characteristics and reliability factors for regenerative desiccant dryers operating in Class I, Division 1 locations.

[ Read Full Story ]

Trust Through Testing: Inside the CAGI Performance Verification Program

By Jayme Leonard, Digital Marketing Specialist, Atlas Copco Compressors

To further support transparency and confidence in compressed air system equipment performance, CAGI established the Performance Verification Program. This third-party testing initiative verifies that participating manufacturers’ published performance data, such as energy consumption, flow rate and efficiency, are accurate and consistent with industry standards.

[ Read Full Story ]

Pressure Dew Point Monitoring: The Key to ISO 8573-1 Compliance

By Simon Gleissner, Managing Director, SUTO iTEC

The ISO 8573-1 standard defines clear limits for various compressed air quality parameters. This helps users classify their systems consistently, compare results across applications and set the right requirements for specific processes. This article explains the key points of the ISO 8573 standard and guides you through the correct way to measure and classify pressure dew point for compliance.

[ Read Full Story ]

Meeting ISO 8573-1 Compressed Air Quality Specifications

By Ron Marshall, Chief Auditor, Marshall Compressed Air Consulting

The ISO 8573-1 was developed to provide standardized classes for compressed air purity in terms of particles, water and oil to drive the planning and design of compressed air systems in order to deliver the quality desired or required. This article explores why testing compressed air quality is as essential as choosing the right filtration, discusses real-world experiences, illustrates the risks of assuming things are right and explains the value of compressed air measurement.

[ Read Full Story ]

The Case For Low Horsepower, Two-Stage Rotary Screw Air Compressors

By Ed Maxwell, CEO, Eastern States Associates

The isentropic efficiency of single-stage rotary screw air compressors, as reported by CAGI data, typically falls between 65% and 75%. Since isentropic efficiency is the ratio of ideal work to actual work, this range suggests these air compressors consume roughly 33% to 54% more power than the theoretical minimum for the given air pressure output. Much of the discussion in this article is theoretical since low-horsepower two-stage air compressors are new to the U.S. market.

[ Read Full Story ]

CAGI Personnel Certification: How to Have Your Own Personal Performance Verification Program

By CAGI System Assessment Section

CAGI sponsors and oversees a performance verification program for some types of equipment. In this program, which is expanding to include additional types of products, a third-party verifies performance data that is stated by manufacturers. Participants in these programs are able to use a standardized CAGI datasheet to state performance. The datasheets and verification process provide customers with assurance that they are getting what they pay for in terms of performance.

[ Read Full Story ]

Isentropic Efficiency of Rotary Screw Air Compressors

By Brian Parks, Fourth Utility Consulting

Many astute air compressor users have noticed the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) air compressor data sheets, dated after June 2020, have a new term listed; isentropic efficiency. Isentropic Efficiency will be the new standard of reference for a true comparison of the overall efficiency of air compressors at any rated discharge pressure. Now users can see which company produces the most efficient product with an easy reference percentage number. The compressed air industry, in conjunction with CAGI, has been trying to make fair comparisons between air compressors for years.

[ Read Full Story ]

Achieving “Technically Oil-Free” Compressed Air

By David Swartz, Gulf Coast Regional Sales Manager, Sauer Compressors USA

In this article we will discuss how to achieve actual oil-free air from your air compressor, no matter what type of air compressor it is. Air compressors of all designs turn mechanical power into pneumatic power by successively concentrating air across compression stages. A rotary screw air compressor, for example, utilizes rotating helical screws to drive air forward, increasing its pressure by reducing the volume of space the air mass takes up. Mechanical compression of this nature takes quite the force and energy to accomplish, which equates to heat generation and physical wear inside of the compressor.

[ Read Full Story ]

ISO 50001: How Manufacturers Can Achieve a Low-cost and Low-carbon Future

By Graham Coats, Energair

For an organization to prove that it meets the standard it has to undergo a management system audit, either internal or external. The question, therefore, is how can those utilizing compressed air effectively evaluate their assets’ performance as part of an ISO 50001 energy management system and, in doing so, grow their bottom line and minimize their negative environmental footprint.

[ Read Full Story ]

Verifying Compressed Air and Gas Safety and Quality in Medical Applications

By Trace Analytics

Compressed air and gases are vital to numerous healthcare facility operations. Commonly used for breathing, sedation, and the operation of medical instruments, healthcare facilities must rely on these utilities for lifesaving and therapeutic benefits. The quality of the air and gas produced by the facility’s compressed air systems is paramount to their efficacy in promoting positive outcomes for patients.

[ Read Full Story ]