Professionals who work with automotive paints know how important air compressors are, yet they may be expensive. This is why you must make the best air compressor decision initially. As crucial is making sure the tools will consistently provide the paint finish you want, regardless of whether you’re using urethane or lacquer automobile paint.
Here, we’ll discuss the importance of this equipment for your car business and walk you through all the factors to take into account when choosing a kind.
Air Compressors: An Overview
For bodywork painting pros to create a strong and consistent paint flow throughout their paint job, air compressors are a necessary instrument.
However, before we get started, let’s review some often-used technical words related to vehicle air compressor suppliers. To assist you in understanding what we mean by each of them, we’ll describe them below.
- The amount of air in cubic feet for each minute of movement is measured in CFM or cubic feet per minute.
- The amount of compressed air that an air compressor releases after compression is known as “free air delivery,” or FAD. Typically, this is lower than the CFM.
- The unit of measurement for the pressure applied to a single square inch of space is PSI or pounds per square inch.
- Horsepower, or HP, is a unit of measurement for the engine or motor powering the compressor.
The fact that there are several kinds of air compressors accessible is the next item to comprehend. While 2-stage compressors offer about 4 CFM/hp, 1-stage compressors only deliver 1 CFM/hp. Professionals in automotive painting typically choose between rotary screws and piston compressors.
These are among the most widely used solutions in car dealerships. They can withstand the large air volume needed by paint sprayers and are frequently quieter and more efficient.
A rotary screw compressor’s three-stage motor, which provides superior compression performance than a piston compressor, is another reason why many vehicle repair specialists will choose it over the latter. A single-piston motor powers piston compressors, which are often noisier and capable of greater vibration. Additionally, they provide a weaker compression. This makes them unsuitable for painting vast spaces or finishing tasks that can take a while.
Considerations for Selecting an Air Compressor
The second thing to think about is the characteristics that you need your air compressor to have. We’ll walk you through the key factors to think about below when choosing which air compressor to buy for your car repair company.
Dimensions
The size of your tank is a crucial factor to consider as it will impact both the painting process and the effectiveness of your equipment. Having a larger tank will enable you to use your air sprayer continuously for extended periods without having to replenish it. A smaller tank, however, will make spray painting take longer because you’ll probably need to replenish it more frequently when your compressed air runs out.
Price
When buying any equipment for your automobile business, cost is a crucial consideration. While thinking about the cost of your air compressor, it’s important to combine your demands and budget.
For instance, it could be advisable to use a portable or piston air compressor if painting isn’t one of your shop’s primary services and you have a tighter budget. They won’t work as well or as efficiently as a 2-stage compressor, such as a rotary screw, but they will still let you apply paint uniformly over the surface.
However, we would advise going with a 2-stage air compressor if you’re prepared to invest a little bit extra and frequently need to utilize a spray painting gun. Although they are sometimes more expensive, the investment is well worth it.
The pressure of flow and capacity
The required flow pressure varies based on the task. For instance, painting a smaller panel with an adequate amount of time between coats may frequently be done with a lower flow pressure. The reason for this is that it can deliver just the right amount of CFM to paint the area before the machinery needs to recoup its pressure for the subsequent task.
For automotive experts, however, a greater FAD or flow pressure is typically required since it may provide more CFM. As a result, the pressure may stay applied for a longer period. Thus, enabling you to do a range of painting tasks.
ARM
The greatest finish may be obtained by selecting a compressor with up to 20 CFM. This high volume of air in comparison to cubic feet will help achieve the greatest quality finish. Most vehicle repair specialists use high-quality low-volume (HVLP) air guns. If at all feasible, CFM should ideally be in the range of 10 to 15.
Advantages of Investing in a Car Air Compressor
There are numerous uses for an automobile air compressor, so it’s a worthwhile purchase to think about. We’ll examine the top advantages of owning an air compressor for your automobile:
Tire Pressure Checkup
Inflating and maintaining tire pressure is the most popular usage for an automobile air compressor. Uneven tire wear, poor fuel efficiency, and even a flat tire might result from insufficient tire pressure. You can simply fill your tires to the proper pressure levels with an air compressor, and you can check your tire pressure whenever you want.
Effective Car Exterior and Interior Cleaning
You may clean the outside and inside of your automobile with an air compressor for cars. It may be used to remove dust and dirt from carpets, seats, hard-to-reach areas, and even the engine compartment.
Immediate Fixes
Unexpected times and places might result in car breakdowns. The good news is that you can solve certain emergency issues with car air compressor manufacturers for your automobile. For example, you may use it to inflate a flat tire and then drive to the closest petrol station or tire repair business.
Flexibility
The versatility of an air compressor for an automobile is one of its main benefits. It may be useful for a variety of things. such as air beds, air mattresses for cars, air balls for sports, and pool toys.