What is a booster compressor?
The booster compressor: use and benefits
Compressed air and industrial gas applications can be divided by their pressure requirements: low, medium and high. Most pneumatic tools and equipment work with a pressure of up to 13 bar, supplied by a standard air compressor. Countless operations, from workshop tools to industrial packaging equipment to train braking systems fall in this category. However, applications such as laser cutting and PET bottle production need more. They require anywhere from 25 or 40 bar (medium pressure) to 300 and some applications can go even up to 1000 bar (high pressure). This is where a booster compressor comes in. This article explains what a booster is, why and when you need one, what its benefits are, and how it works.
What is a booster compressor?
A booster is a specific type of air compressor that produces medium- or high-pressure air and gas. It boosts already compressed air or gas to a pressure of up to 1000 bar for those applications that need this higher pressure. This means that a booster is always used in combination with a standard air compressor. The standard air compressor uses ambient air and compresses it to a pressure of maximum 13 bar. The booster then uses this compressed air to reach the required medium to high pressure.
40 or 300 bar
20 to 40 and 200 to 350 are commonly used medium and high pressure. Typical 40-bar applications are PET bottle blowing, stress testing, and industrial cleaning. If they have a stable air or gas consumption, a 40-bar booster is a good produce-as-needed solution for them. However, if they also work with high-pressure cylinders to help handle peaks in demand, they need a 300-bar booster. Aside from cylinder filling, this type of high-pressure booster is also used for applications that by their nature require high pressure air or gas. These include laser cutting, plastics forming, pressure testing, metallurgy, gas handling and many others.
Piston technology
A booster compressor typically uses dedicated piston technology to manage its higher pressure efficiently. It relies on a single-stage or multistage pump to compress air or compressed gas. The piston block and cylinder diameters are specifically designed for this higher pressure, ensuring optimal use of energy and upstream air or gas. Boosters are available with oil-injected and with oil-free compression technology for maximum air quality.
The efficient high-pressure solution
There are a few ways you can achieve compressed air or gas with a higher pressure. These include increasing the pressure of your entire plant, or working with an amplifier or stand-alone high-pressure compressor. Why is a compressor/booster combination the preferred solution? Because it is more energy- and thus cost-efficient. By using already compressed air, the difference between inlet and outlet pressure is smaller than when starting from ambient air. This results in better performance and energy efficiency. A compressor and booster also offer more flexibility. Different pressure booster models are available so you can find the ideal fit for your application. In addition, the standard compressor can also be used for other on-site pneumatic applications.