There are several reasons why your compressor parts must be abrasion resistant and we’ll be outlining a number of these.
If you have one or more machines running in your company, then compressor maintenance is required to ensure that your equipment can stand the test of time without breaking down when you least expect.
Moreover, it is not enough to select the best piece of equipment out there since there is great care to its management is also essential.
If you agree with us, then let’s show you what you stand to gain by making the bearings, valve, a distance piece, cylinder and other components in your compressor abrasive resistant.
What is Abrasion Resistant?
Abrasion-resistant is the ability of a material to withstand wearing or rubbing away which is usually caused by the friction created during the material’s use.
This means that when a material rubs on another without its structural form being worn down, such material is said to be less susceptible to mechanical wear.
Wear, on the other hand, is as a result of a harder surface sliding along a less hard surface which causes the latter to lose its appearance.
It is also worthy to note that wear can occur in fixed and moving parts of a machine which brings about the need to use abrasion resistant materials on both mobile and immobile compressor parts.
For the construction of roads, floors, or pavements, the use of abrasive resistant materials is very important. Likewise, the same can be said about mechanical equipment such as compressors.
Classification of Surface Abrasion
Surface abrasion in compressor parts can be classified into wear, scuffing, and fatigue.
Think of it this way, as a surface keeps moving along another, it stresses their adhesive property which could lead to the deterioration of either.
Let’s take a road for instance, it is fixed while the car tires running on it are immobile.
Nevertheless, both surfaces (road and car tire) can wear down if their surfaces they are not abrasive resistant.
Factors That Determine the Abrasive Resistance of a Surface
The abrasion resistance of a material is dependent on certain factors and these are:
- Good curing
- Mix proportions
- Aggregate hardness
- Aggregate/paste bond
- Placing and compaction
- Materials and surface finishing
Why Your Compressor Parts Must Be Abrasion Resistant
For the part that may be of utmost concern, here are some of the reasons why your compressor parts must be abrasion resistant:
1. To enable the machine to maintain its surface and structural integrity:
The first noticeable change in a machine that is not abrasive resistant, is a difference in its appearance.
Due to prolonged scratching, rubbing, and scuffing, the material on its surface will be removed, which will, in turn, tamper with its structure.
Other noticeable changes will include pilling, fading, peeling, cracks, and slurry.
However, to obtain maximum efficiency, the form of the machine must be maintained. This can only be made possible if it can withstand mechanical action.
2. To keep the machine useful for a long time:
Imagine setting up the best rotary or centrifugal compressor only for it to break down within a few months.
The latter can be averted and with the use of abrasive material which helps to preserve the usefulness of the machine.
As a consequence, the service life of your compressor can be extended if it is abrasion resistant.
How to Make Compressor Parts Abrasive Resistant
There are several ways to make your compressor parts abrasive resistant in a bid to wade off wearing.
However, when choosing the appropriate wear resistant material, there is the need to use a measure that provides sufficient resistance.
This is because the economic cost of producing or maintaining a particular component may be too large if too much wear resistance is provided.
With that in mind, some of the ways to make compressor parts abrasive resistant include:
- Using abrasion resistant materials
- Taking advantage of proper lubricants
- Covering items with an abrasion resistant material or coating
- Controlling the cause of abrasion
1. Abrasion Resistant Materials
Manufacturers can settle for a wide range of abrasive resistant materials for their compressor parts.
However, their choice will be dependent on the level of stress each surface will be susceptible to on a daily basis.
Accordingly, some of the materials that can be used to support resistance are:
- Alloys
- Rubber
- Nylon
a. Alloys:
Alloys are usually made up of two metals and they are very useful in machines that undergo heavy and repeated impacts.
That is to say, they are largely employed in machines whose jobs are typically abrasion and some of these are grinders, sanders, and edges of trowels.
Their functionality in each case is to provide a light but strong base on compressor parts on which they are used.
Some examples of abrasion resistant alloys are:
- Cobalt
- Cast iron
- Titanium
- Stainless steel
- Aluminum bronze
b. Plastics:
In a bid to prevent rusting, stick, or scratching of machine parts, plastics or rubbers which as abrasion resistant can be used.
These are materials that are waterproof and lightweight and can help to ease friction.
They can also act as an insulator where electricity is not conducted and fewer machine vibrations are produced.
As such, this creates an enjoyable working environment for staffs since less noise is produced from the machine.
c. Nylon:
Nylon is a stiff engineering plastic which has wear properties and as such, it is abrasion resistant.
This material can be used industrially to provide a smooth and lightweight surface of machine parts in order to decrease wear on mating parts.
What it does, is to prevent the absorption of moisture which can potentially reduce the damage that may be caused by chemicals and even petroleum.
Similarly, nylons can replace metal bearings and they take away the need for external lubrication.
Asides prolonging the life of your machine, it reduces weight and operating noise.
Nylons can be used for:
- Gears
- Wheels
- Rollers
- Wear pads
- Seals and gaskets
- Bearings and bushings
2. Lubrication:
One more way to make compressor parts abrasion resistant is to lubricate them.
This will ensure that there is no resistance as parts of the machine come in contact as they operate. Even parts that strike on immobile objects can be lubricated to ensure their prolonged use.
Nonetheless, the lubricant must be tested for quality control in order to ensure that it can operate under a wide range of conditions.
3. Abrasion Resistant Coatings:
Abrasion resistant coatings can be created specifically to meet the needs of a manufacturer and they can either be applied on machines by thermal spraying or plating.
What these coatings do, is to provide smooth compression parts where there are no microscopic pits, peaks, or valley, then a coating becomes needful.
As a result, you can reduce the friction in machines by covering their surfaces with abrasion resistant coatings.
However, it is worthy to note that the coating you use is entirely dependent on where the machine will be placed: will it be inside or outside, or will it be exposed to high temperatures, chemical, water that could lead to its rusting.
To that effect, polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE is a popular abrasion resistant coating made of carbon and fluorine.
This coating is waterproof and has weathering resistance which makes it one way to go to beat down on the abrasiveness of your machine.
In the same vein, this coating can be used in high-temperature environments and it is stable in temperatures up to 500oF.
PTFE can be used for:
- Manifolds
- Pump parts
- Seals and gaskets
- Chemical resistant tubing
- Valve and fitting components
- Bearings and bushings (bearing grades)
Conclusion
Now that you why your compressor parts must be abrasion resistant, you can carry out the measures we’ve outlined above to ensure that these parts do not break down.
It could be through the use of alloys, plastic, abrasive coatings, etc. Each material is best suited to the kind of machine it will be used on and the stress level the machine will undergo.
Therefore, it’s now up to you to ascertain which among these is the best to implement to ensure your machine’s durability.