COMPRESSED AIR QUALITY AND PURITY INSTRUMENTS
Ensuring the compressed air quality according to ISO 8573-1 is one of the most important points when it comes to high-quality production processes. But not only in food and beverage, also in other industrial applications it is important to know the oil contents, the particle concentration and the humidity levels of the compressed air supplied at the point-of-use. Typical air quality audits in regard to the ISO 8573-1 can be time-consuming and costly, it is time to change that.
SUTO is providing cost-effective solutions, which provide real-time measurements on site to make sure the process is always under control, preventing failures and reducing risks drastically.
IMPORTANCE OF COMPRESSED AIR QUALITY/CLEANLINESS AND ISO 8573-1
Choosing the appropriate equipment is the first step to adequate measurement of compressed air quality according to ISO 8573-1
In modern compressed air systems, air quality is an important factor when it comes to process reliability and safety. Compressors draw in all kinds of contaminants at their inlets, which are then transported into the system. Filters are usually installed after compressors to filter out these contents. The three parameters to be monitored are:
- Oil content (measured in weight per volume [mg/m3])
- Particle concentration (measured in counts per cubic meter [cn/m3])
- Water concentration (measured as dew point temperature [°C Td])
Continue for more information and important questions about compressed air quality and purity according to ISO 8573-1.
How to ensure compressed air quality according to ISO 8573-1?
But this is costly, complicated and time-consuming, furthermore the described methods are often not feasible to be performed on site, heavy interruptions and system changes are needed. Another downside is, that compressed air users have no chance to react to on-site changes immediately, as they need to wait for the laboratory results.
SUTO is solving these problems by offering live monitoring solutions for compressed air quality measurements according to ISO 8573-1. The advanced sensors are providing real time readings on site, are easy to install under pressure and enable users to react immediately to changes in the compressor system. This saves customers not only investments on audits, but also prevents production failures and ensures a high reliable process.
Why is compressed air quality a crucial parameter in a compressed air system?
The ISO 8573-1 has defined quality classes for the 3 major parameters, as they are oil contents, particle concentration and pressure dew point (water concentration), this helps users to define the air quality which might be in contact with the end product, according to defined standards. Modern filtration systems are capable to filter out any unwanted contamination of the compressed air used, most likely introduced by the compressors. But in case filters fail or degrade, users must have a reliable real-time monitoring to react on these failures, otherwise production output might be contaminated or even has to be called back from consumers.
In such cases, the damage on the product but also on the brand reputation can have a huge impact. Only a continuous monitoring of the compressed air quality helps to prevent this from happening.
What is the meaning of the ISO 8573-1 compressed air quality classes?
For example, if a system is classified as 1.2.1 according to the ISO 8573-1 it is typically meant that the particle concentration is class 1, the dew point is class 2 and the oil concentration is class 1. For particle concentration, the measurement is divided into 3 channels in regard to the particle size “d”: 0.1 < d ≤ 0.5 µm; 0.5 < d ≤ 1.0 µm; 1.0 < d ≤ 5.0 µm. Each size channel has its own defined limit values according to the ISO 8573-1. The water or humidity concentration is defined as pressure dew point, representing the humidity levels in the compressed air.
Oil concentration is measured in milligrams per cubic-meter (mg/m3) of air. The ISO 8573-1 helps operators of compressed air systems to define the quality of the air and unifies the references and limit values to be used, making it easy to classify systems.
Which measurement principles are used in SUTO oil vapor sensor and particle counters?
SUTO particle counters are based on laser optical sensors. A high efficient laser beam is crossing the air stream, if now an airborne particle passes through the laser beam it will scatter the light. The light-sensitive sensor will detect this scattering and count the particles. Based on the different scattering of different particle sizes, the sensor is able to not only give a quantification but also able to detect the size range of the particles as defined and according to the ISO 8573-1 and ISO 8573-4.
Why is a live monitoring of the quality parameters so important?
SUTO systems are offering live on-site monitoring solutions for a real-time measurement of the air quality. This enables to react in time when something is going wrong. By real-time compressed air quality measurements, operators are enabled to act on changes the moment they are happening and not when it’s already too late.
Where are compressed air impurities typically are coming from?
Furthermore, water and particles in the ambient are also sucked in, compressed and introduced to the system. Multiple filters after the compressor are used to remove unwanted contamination, but small particles, water vapor and oil vapor will still pass these filters. Therefore, driers and activated carbon filters are needed to further filtrate the air.
But also the piping system itself contains components which might introduce impurities. Valves, sealing, connections, quick couplings or other components are often sources of contamination.
Personal advice
Would you like to receive more information about products and applications?
Or do you need personal advice? We will be happy to help you!