Compressed air filtration and treatment
The compressor is only the beginning - air treatment decides the actual air quality in the installation: filters, oil and water separation, drying and condensate drainage. Poorly matched filtration means water and oil in tools and products, and clogged filter elements mean pressure drops and higher energy bills.
Filter elements are usually replaced during machine servicing - the scope of work is described on our screw compressor service page.
What a compressed air treatment system is made of
Cyclone separator
Removes bulk water and contaminants right after the compressor, so they do not load the filter elements downstream.
Pre-filter
Traps dust and larger particles, protecting the fine filter and extending its service life.
Fine (coalescing) filter
Merges fine oil and water droplets into larger ones that drain away - this filter determines the achievable oil class.
Activated carbon filter
Used where the air must be odour-free and free of oil vapour, for example wherever it comes into contact with the product.
Refrigerant or adsorption dryer
Lowers the dew point: refrigerant dryers for typical pneumatics, adsorption dryers where a low dew point is required. Repairs and servicing are described on our dryer service page. dryer service
Condensate drains and oil-water separator
Automatic condensate drainage without air losses, plus separation of oil from water before discharge.
ISO 8573-1 air purity classes in practice
The class is written as three digits, for example 1.4.1. The first digit covers solid particles, the second the water content (dew point), and the third the oil content. The lower the digit, the stricter the requirement, and the more extensive the treatment system needed.
- Paint shops and coating lines - oil and water are critical here because they determine coating quality; typically a coalescing filter plus activated carbon and a stable dew point. This applies to the automotive industry and rolling stock maintenance facilities.
- Food and pharmaceutical industries - the strictest oil and particle classes plus documented filtration are required; see the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry.
- Electronics - a very low dew point and no particles matter most, which is why an adsorption dryer is usually used; details on the electronics industry page.
- General pneumatics - tools and cylinders usually manage with milder classes: a separator, pre-filter and fine filter plus a refrigerant dryer, as in metallurgical plants.
Signs of poor filtration
Water in tools and products
Droplets at outlets, moisture in cylinders, stains on painted surfaces.
Traces of oil
Oil in hoses, on valve diaphragms and on parts - usually caused by a worn coalescing filter.
Pressure drop at the outlets
The compressor runs correctly, yet pressure is missing at the workstations - a typical sign of clogged filter elements.
Frequent pneumatic component failures
Sticking valves, seized cylinders and repeated failures of the same components.
What we do
- We size the filtration to the installation's actual demand and to the purity class required by the process, without oversizing that only costs you in pressure drop.
- We install filters, dryers, condensate drains and oil-water separators, and replace filter elements at servicing according to the manufacturer's intervals.
- We supply filter elements - original (OEM) parts or proven equivalents, according to the customer's preference: spare parts.
- We measure pressure drops across filters as part of a compressed air installation audit and combine it with leak detection to assess the whole network, not just a single component.
Compressed air filtration - FAQ
Frequent questions about filter elements, purity classes and servicing the treatment system.
Need service or spare parts?
Our team will recommend the best solution and send a quotation the same day.
We will size compressed air filtration for your installation
Tell us which compressor you have and what air quality your process requires - we will propose a treatment system and a filter element replacement plan.
Contact
Need an inspection, overhaul or rental? Fill out the form - we'll respond within 24 hours.
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Location
ul. Słowackiego 201 26-600 Radom Mazovian Voivodeship, Poland
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ul. Słowackiego 201, 26-600 Radom