30 Compressed Air
Learning Objectives
Explain the production of compressed air in the plant
Pneumatic Cylinders
Many tools and machines use compressed air to operate. These are refered to as “Pneumatic” machines. A pneumatic machine will make use of cylinder that fills with air to move another machine part or object. To get enough force, the air is compressed with an air compressor, and flows through compressed air pipes to the machinery.
Pressure
Compressed air is under pressure; the pressure is what causes the air to be able to do work. Creating the compressed air takes a considerable amount of work (and energy) itself. It is important to identify any areas that leak compressed air because it is a waste of energy, and could affect the performance of machinery.
Other Uses
Most likely, you will see compressed air used to remove dry contaminants such as dust and dirt. In a dry processing plant, this is one of the steps of cleaning. In some cases, you will see compressed air used to dry equipment after wet sanitization and before reassembly. Compressed air coming in contact with food surfaces needs to be properly filtered and dried. Special air compressors are used in the food processing industry that filter and remove moisture.