From the air in your car tires to electronics and industries like construction and healthcare, compressed air is a part of our everyday lives. Typically made up of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen, compressed air is an excellent medium for the transfer and storage of energy. As a result, this method offers a flexible, versatile and safe method for powering a variety of applications.
Why Use Compressed Air?
Safety and flexibility are two important reasons for choosing compressed air. In situations where electrical equipment can pose a safety hazard, compressed air offers a safe alternative that can be used on wet floors or in tight, overloaded areas. Compressed air is also easier to use, particularly in remote or hard-to-reach locations when working with tools. With electricity, it would be nearly impossible to run a line in areas like a mine or on a roller coaster. But compressed air provides location flexibility while giving users an advantage of variable speed and torque.
Additionally, compressed air tools are lightweight. Since they can be manufactured to be lighter in weight, more ergonomic and longer-lasting, this can balance out the cost of air with the cost of labor and replacements. So while the cost of compressed air can be as high as seven to eight times that of electricity, it’s often worth it for many companies to invest in these premium tools. These factors, among others, make compressed air an excellent choice for many different applications.
Everyday Uses of Compressed Air
While industrial users would seem to be the most common consumers of compressed air, so are you, your friends, family, the business you visit, and more.
At Home
Your home is full of compressed air. If you grab a beer when you get home, compressed air was used to power the machinery during the clarifying process. Your rice, dal and other grains are sorted on the farm by screw compressors powered by compressed air. Your favorite outfit has been touched by heavy-duty air compressors, with the textile industry using them for weaving, spinning, texturizing and dyeing. Even the pumps used to inflate your bicycle wheels, basketballs, footballs, etc. are an example of compressed air usage.
Medical
Found in both medical and dental offices, compressed air helps these professionals do their jobs better. Compressed air lets dentists clean teeth more thoroughly, while the pharma industry uses it in processes to eliminate the risk of product contamination. In hospitals, the oxygen tanks contain air compressors to generate life-saving oxygen.
For Fun
Like to spend time at Disney or Knott’s Berry Farm? You might be surprised to learn that amusement park rides use compressed air to apply brakes on roller coasters or to power popular animatronics. Even Hollywood uses compressed air—in action movies, special effects like explosions are created with the help of compressed air.
Automotive
Air compressors are huge drivers (pun intended) in keeping your vehicle moving smoothly. They let you inflate your car’s tires with ease or help to fill the gas for your CNG-driven (compressed natural gas) vehicles. Even pneumatic air brakes for smaller vehicles, large trucks and buses are powered by compressed air.
At Work
While it might seem strange, we use air to break concrete and rocks in construction, mining and more. In these situations, compressed air is used in the tools, with the force breaking the material apart. Compressed air also helps to power these work sites safely and efficiently.
It’s amazing what simple air can do. Helping both businesses and individuals, air compressors let users optimize their productivity and efficiency. While it’s possible to manufacture compressed medical air on site, doing so requires a significant investment in equipment and physical space, as well as ongoing on-site service, maintenance, testing and certification.
As medical gas experts, CalOx provides certified compressed medical air to your site by qualified technicians. We can also handle storage, certification and maintenance tasks on your behalf in order to completely take the hassle out of compressed medical air for your business. Contact us today for a quote.
Sources:
https://www.atlascopco.com/en-us/compressors/wiki/compressed-air-articles/what-is-compressed-air
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_air#:~:text=Compressed%20air%20is%20an%20important,be%20used%20to%20propel%20vehicles
https://www.cp.com/en-in/compressors/expert-corner/blog/compressed-air-in-everyday-life