Tamturbo Touch-Free VSD Turbo compressors offer the most advanced air compressor technology on the market. To help you understand the benefits of a Tamturbo air compressor, here are eight of our most frequently asked questions.
1. Do Air Compressors Produce Clean Air?
While many air compressors are marketed today as oil-free, these compressors still need oil to work. Internal moving parts of these units are oil lubricated and oil is needed to disperse the heat generated from the friction of the mechanisms.
Oil vapors are released in the air and oil very often leaks onto floors, sometimes even directly to the air ends, compromising the compressed air quality. These compressors require frequent oil changes and service to oil system, increasing the costs.
Tamturbo Touch-Free™ VSD Turbo compressors are 100% oil-free. The internal parts move using magnetic levitation. Therefore, with Touch-Free™ Technology, there is absolutely no need for lubrication. The condensate water produced from the moisture in the air is clean and can in most cases be safely disposed down the drain.
2. Are Air Compressors Energy-Efficient?
Air compressors consume up to 10% of the global industrial electricity. “Oil-Free” rotary screw and reciprocating compressors also lose efficiency over time due to wear on the PTFE-like coating on the screws and deterioration of the lubricant, compressor’s internal mechanisms causing them to consume greater amounts of electricity.
Compared to standard “oil-free” compressors, Tamturbo units offer consistent, lasting energy efficiency throughout their wide capacity turndown range. This provides your company with reliable compressed air and much lower energy bills.
Additionally, if your manufacturing facility utilizes heat in some form (in the production process, for facility heating, etc.) the market leading heat recovery options multiply your savings. In most cases the compression heat is not utilized, but Tamturbo technology provides up to 93% energy recovery, up to 90°C (194°F) temperature. This can mean hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) of annual savings.
3. How Often Do Air Compressors Need Maintenance Work?
Compressor maintenance is typically charged by the hour and increases your overall cost of ownership. Most standard rotary screw or reciprocating compressors require preventative maintenance often from 1,000 to 4,000 hours. Depending on the operating conditions of the air compressor, this could mean extensive routine work every 3-9 months.
Tamturbo has eliminated the need for time-based maintenance with our innovative design. The Touch-Free™ technology means that parts won’t wear out due to friction, and the only parts that need to be changed occasionally are the air intake filters and certain valve O-rings.
4. How Often Should the Air Inlet Filter Be Changed?
Air inlet filters are the first line of defense against contaminants in compressed air. They trap dust and debris particles, preventing damage to the compressor internal mechanisms, ensuring output of only clean compressed air.
The frequency with which you need to replace air inlet filters depends on firstly your compressor room air quality and also how much you operate the compressor. On a standard rotary screw or reciprocating compressor, the rotary screw manufacturers’ business model and profitability depends on service and maintenance, and the inlet filters’ replacement is an important part of this profit stream.
Therefore, the filters are often replaced more often than practically necessary, typically every 1,000 hours. Also, the quality of the inlet filters is typically not very high to keep the costs down and profit up, rendering customers vulnerable to increased costs for these basic components.
Tamturbo air compressors give you the cleanest air in the industry due to the superior design of our air inlet filters and Touch-Free™ operating system. With remote and preventive maintenance solutions and diagnostics, our compressor can issue an alert early to notify of the coming change of the inlet filter.
5. How Does Touch-Free™ Technology Operate?
A rotary screw air compressor relies on a pair of interlocking, helical rotors to trap and pressurize air, and reciprocating compressors use pistons driven by a crankshaft and piston rods. These moving parts have a high risk of damage and always wear due to friction between the components.
Tamturbo Touch-Free VSD Turbo compressors use a unique, state-of-the-art Touch-Free™ technology to compress the air. The rotating parts do not touch, so they don’t wear down, which means there is no reduction of efficiency or risk of failure. Touch-Free™ technology uses permanent magnet motors and Active Magnetic Bearings (AMB), to levitate and rotate the turbo impellers.
6. Which Industries Benefit from Compressed Air?
Nearly all industries use compressed air to power tools and machinery. Furthermore, many industries need compressed air that is 100% clean and free from oil contaminants to secure the quality of their products and in consumer goods to protect their consumers.
Tamturbo compressors are used by e.g. the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and medical, paper, electronics, automotive, and textile industries, to name a few. The compressors provide oil-free compressed air that ensures their products comply with laws and regulations for product safety and quality.
These customer segments benefit not only from clean air but also the reliability and care-free maintenance offered by Tamturbo air compressors. This is necessary for smooth, continuous operation, and ensures a consistent pressure and flow of compressed air that won’t interrupt the factory workflow.
7. Are Tamturbo Air Compressors Cost-Effective?
Tamturbo compressors are virtually maintenance free. The only consumable item is the air filter, and in most operating conditions, their replacement is required only every two to three years. Compare this to change every 1,000 hrs in other compressors! Changes in operating environment that can affect the compressor performance are detected via remote monitoring. When required, changes to compressor parameters are based on this information to keep the compressor operating without disruptions.
Energy is the largest single cost element in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of an air compressor. The energy efficiency of Tamturbo compressors is high because (1) The un-deteriorating compression with the Touch-Free™ (no wear) technology, (2) Wide and highly efficient capacity turn-down range to match the compressor output to plant demand and (3) Lower compressed air pressure as overpressure is not required like in ON/OFF-controlled compressors.
You can choose between owning the air compressor outright or simply paying for the compressed air you use with Tamturbo Touch-Free™ Air. Touch-Free™ Air is an alternative option for businesses who want to upgrade their current compressed air system. You do not need to buy the compressor or pay for any maintenance and service. Tamturbo will install and maintain the unit for you without interrupting your production schedule or the need for CAPEX investments.
8. Does Tamturbo Offer Tech Support?
Tamturbo Touch-Free™ VSD air compressor technology requires from no to very little maintenance as there is virtually no component wear or failures. Furthermore, Tamturbo air compressors come with access to our remote monitoring, maintenance and tech support services. This, in addition to reliability of the compressor also provides customers with additional benefit of operational compressor optimization.
The Tamturbo software remotely monitors the operation and condition of your compressors and performs regular diagnostics. Notifications are sent to you if anything happens. For example, when inlet filters or other components are approaching the replacement time. With this, Tamturbo helps you optimize the air compressor’s operation to your facility needs.
If your business needs clean, reliable compressed air, Tamturbo has the technology to deliver reliable compressed air that is cost-effective for your business and kind to the environment.
