Which of the following types of maintenance accounts for as much as 70 of all maintenance activity?

What to expect from an SFG20 demonstration

Perhaps we should start with what NOT to expect. No hard sell, no monologues, no lengthy product demonstration.

What you CAN expect is to meet a friendly, professional product expert who is there to listen to you and to find out more about your business challenges. Once we know more about you, we can tailor the demonstration and focus on showing you the functionality that will interest and benefit you the most.

You can expect to spend approximately 30 minutes with a member of our team, at the end of which you’ll know exactly how SFG20 can solve your specific challenges, saving you time, energy and money. We are looking forward to meeting you.

The inlet filter cartridge removes airborne contaminants as the compressor sucks in air. As a result, it accumulates dirt and grime, eventually losing effectiveness. So it’s smart to clean the vents weekly and replace the filter as recommended by your compressor manufacturer. We generally recommend that you clean or replace them at a maximum of 4,000 hours or when the air filter alarm is flashing.

Air line filters are designed to remove solid particles, vapors or aerosols from the air after it leaves the compressors and the air compressor dryers. These filters force the air through sharp turns and tight spots. Some use fiber filters to trap solid materials. Others, called coalescing filters, grab and gather liquid. And absorption filters use carbon or other media to snag lubricants and other compounds. 

Follow the manufacturer’s guidance to determine how often you should replace these filters. But rather than simply watching the calendar, you should really be paying attention to your filter and replace it when it appears that compressor performance has been compromised. Remember the two-PSI-for-1% rule. 

The ultimate solution is to install differential pressure gauges on your filters to monitor the pressure drop. They will give you a visual indication that the filter should be changed.

Moisture separators capture the liquid that condenses after the air compressor’s aftercooler chills the air. That liquid flows into drain traps, causing scale, rust, dirt and any other solid materials to accumulate. These contaminants then build up and can cause the drains to become stuck, allowing air to escape and pressure to drop if the drain gets stuck in the open position. Conversely, those liquids will stay in the air and move downstream if the drains are locked in a closed position. That’s why you need to inspect and clean drains regularly.

You'll want to give your compressor’s motor bearings a little extra TLC. Remember, they need to rotate frequently to allow the compressor to run smoothly and do its job converting electricity into the energy that runs your compressed air system. Grease protects motor bearings from the heat and friction that could eventually damage them and prevent them from rotating freely, which, in turn, could shorten motor life. 

Check with the compressor manufacturer to find out how often you should grease your compressor’s motor bearings, how much, and what type of grease is required.

Oil plays an important role in the life of your compressor. In fact, we call it the lifeblood of your machine. Obviously, it reduces the friction among all the moving parts, also reducing the heat buildup. That’s why it’s so important to follow your manufacturer’s guidelines and choose the right oil for your rotary screw air compressor.

We also highly recommend that you adhere to a scheduled oil analysis program that will monitor the condition of your oil and alert you of contaminants that can severely harm your compressor, causing major expense and downtime. Lubrication is not the place to cut corners and save a few pennies!

The oil in your compressor will experience a steady decline over time, as droplets get absorbed into the air and either escape or are removed by the air filters and drainage system. As a result, you should check the oil level before starting your compressor each day, using either the dipstick or sight glass.

If the level has dropped, it is critical that you take care when refilling the oil. Naturally, you will want to replace what’s been consumed; running your compressor without enough oil will damage key components, causing premature wear and shortened motor life.

But you also want to be careful that you don’t over-lubricate, causing maintenance issues and excessive wear to the rotating assembly. Make sure to remove excess oil prior to restarting your compressor.

Over time, any oil begins to break down and needs to be changed. Once again, you’ll want to consult your manufacturer to determine how often you need to change the oil. You’ll need to calculate the hours of operation, motor speed and other key operating conditions to finalize an appropriate maintenance schedule. One important note: doing regular oil sampling as part of the oil change will be a great help in monitoring your oil quality (more on this below).

If you suddenly find your compressor is using more oil than normal, you may need to seek expert help. Excessive oil use could be an indication of a problem: oil might be leaking somewhere. Or the operating temperature may be too high.

Remember, fluids are typically rated at 8,000 hours, assuming the compressor is operating at 185°F. And the higher the temperature, the faster your compressor oil ages. So, If it’s at 200°F or 220°F, the oil in your compressor will age prematurely.

Many compressors have an oil filter to remove metal filings, calcium and other materials in the oil. Filtering these contaminants out of the oil will prolong its useful life.

There should be instructions from the manufacturer on the frequency. If not, you should probably replace them every 2,000 hours. You’ll want to change your separator annually or when the separator pressure alarm is energized.

Our network of independent distributors can handle any air compressor service request to ensure reliable operation of your equipment.

In which maintenance type are changes made to a system to add new features or to improve performance?

Is the user testing of a completed information system using real data in the real user environment?

Is the process whereby actual users test a completed information system?

Has written or other visual information about an application system how it works and how to use it?