Another compressor thread - Upgrade or new?

[Pictodent-SW18]

Hi DLN,

I'd like your opinion on whether I should upgrade our existing compressor or buy a new one for a single milling machine (still to be purchased, when it's running I'm planning about ~100 units per month, mixed wet/dry milling, Arum 5x-300 or Coritech 250). I have read a lot around here and also the bulletin from Jensen about Clean Dry Air, and understand the importance of getting properly dried air into a mill.
We have a Bambi compressor, not dry and not oil free, with 150 ltrs/min and a 70 ltrs receiver. It did a great job for our small lab so far and is rather silent. We also like the large enough receiver. It sits in our lab room in the temperate London, UK climate.

Now do you think it's worth getting the air filters/dryers for this compressor to operate a mill, or is a new one a must? If upgrading seems doable, which parts would you recommend?
I have an offer for a Dürr compressor but the receiver is rather small and it's noisier.

As usual, thanks in advance!

 

[doug]

I bought an entire new setup for the mill. 60 gallon tank, put in a refrigerated dryer, with a dessicate and trap just before the mill connection. I also ran addiitional lines to our Whipmix Excavator and the aluminous blaster so everything would be dry. Turned out so nice that I got another dryer unit and put it inline for the other compressor.

 

[adamb4321]

The bambi is no good for milling, it's got a 50% duty cycle ie. it cannot run continuously.

You'll need filters to get any oil vapour out and driers to remove the moisture whichever compressor you get. Some of the Durr compressors have 100% duty cycle, no idea about the one your looking at. It also depends on which milling machine your getting and what material your milling.

The first point would be choose the mill and see what air supply requirements it has.

The figures quoted by compressor manufacturers are often quite optimistic and based on displacement x rpm and take no account of air lose from the driers and diameter and length of the pipe work.

Good quality, dry, oil free compressed air isn't cheap.

Talking to your local compressor company after you have the specs is the best thing. AW Phillips in Dagenham are ok to deal with.