COMPRESSED AIR TESTING SOUTH AFRICA
Compressed air is used in critical industrial processes where manufacturers strive to produce high-quality products. It is often regarded as the fourth utility, after electricity, natural gas and water. However, compressed air is more expensive than the other three utilities when evaluated on a per unit energy delivered basis.
Compressed air testing comprises of standardized procedures used to determine the quality of the produced air. These test procedures verify that the compressed air being supplied to industrial processes is free of impurities.
Considering the damage impurities can cause to health, equipment and final products in sensitive manufacturing processes, proper compressed air testing guidelines must be adhered to during all process cycles requiring compressed air usage.
SKYSIDE uses the ISO 8573 compressed air test standards to test your compressed air. ISO 8573 is an internationally-recognized set of standards that applies to the purity of compressed air in an industrial setting.
This testing protocol is both an efficient and cost-effective method for determining the level of impurities present in a pressurized gas sample.
- Particulate contaminants (ISO 8573-4)
- Water (ISO 8573-3), and
- Oil (ISO 8573-2 & ISO 8573-5).
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Compressed Air Contamination
Air is compressed by air compressors that draw in ambient air through an inlet valve, compress the air to the required pressure, dry it and release the air through a discharge valve into a storage tank and piping network.
Contaminants can originate from the intake air, the compressing equipment, and the compression and drying process. For example, the compressed air dew point temperature is known to rise with increased pressure, and this results in the frequent creation of water within air systems.
The 3 common sources where contaminants originate include:
- Contaminants in the surrounding ambient are drawn into the air system through the intake of the air compressor. Ingested contaminants appear in the form of water vapor, hydrocarbon vapours, natural particles, and airborne particulates.
- As result of the mechanical compression process, additional impurities may be introduced into the air system. Generated contaminants include compressor lubricant, wear particles and vaporized lubricant.
- A compressed air system will contain in-built contamination. Piping distribution and air storage tanks, more prevalent in older systems, will have contaminant in the form of rust, pipe scale, mineral deposits, and bacteria.
SKYSIDE will work with you to determine your sources of contamination and make sure it is safe.