campbell hausfeld 60 gallon air compressor

5030 · Apr 18, 2012

Nicb7800 said:
5030
I am a little confused on your question??? Or answer???? The 175 p.s.i is what the compressor shuts off at, not the amount of pressure that would be getting to the plasma cutter. That is what your regulator is for but I'm sure you understand that already. Also in your cutter it has a feature that will make it shut off if it gets to much pressure. Also your are correct in one respect that it is all about the cfm, and not tank size I have to go over that on a daily bases so you are preaching to the choir. on the other hand this particular gentleman does not have a compressor that puts out 30cfm a more realistic number for him is probably in the neighborhood of 12 to 18 depending on what formula you use. So in order to make the most of the compressor that he has it is beneficial to run it at a little higher p.s.i to try and make it perform a smite better. So there the info do with it what you may. Nic :thumbsup:

175 PSI is sort of the industrial standard for receiver/supply line pressure. The pressure to the cutter is regulated prior to, however, if the receiver pressure is 175, then the supply pressure is 175 and the delivered CFM is limited to the piping diameter or what it will flow at a given PSI. In my case, all my hard lines are 1" in diameter.

What I'm saying is, the lower the pressure the compressor runs at, the longer it last, less heat is produced and it's overall a better scenario.

If the compressor is marginal in CFM delivery, it's a simple matter to add additional receiver capacity with an in line receiver between the point of compression and the use end. That's done all the time in insudtrial settings. I just happen to have adequate receiver capacity, around 175 gallons total.

The more receiver capacity, the less the compressor cycles, no matter what the pressure is set at because there is more CFM of compressed air available. Additional receivers also are a great way to dry down the air. They let it cool down and release the excess moisture prior to the point of usage.

Especially plasma is susecptible to moisture laden compressed air. Plasma needs dry, oil free air for the longest consumable life, especially in mechanized cutting situations. I run a refrigerated dryer off the supply line plus a Motorguard 1 micron cartridge filter in front of the air inlet for the HT.

Additional receivers are so easy to plumb in. A couple isolators (inlet and outlet) and a drain cock and you are good to go.

Nicb7800 · Apr 18, 2012

Your once again partially right, but you are also partially wrong. That scenerio proves true in a a couple of instances. Problem is the larger tank you have the longer that the compressor stays in a heat zone were it is not meant to be in for extended periods of time. So to go to extreme here and lets say your compressor had a 800 gallon tank that's great for storage and half the day it would take to shut off. :laughing: the problem is that compressor even if it was a 100 percent duty cycle builds more heat on the top end (agreed)? Which is fine for a specific amount of time, but the longer it is in that heat zone the more damage that will occur in most of the time the valves, head gaskets, or the top end of the pump. You are correct in saying the higher the p.s.i the more heat and precipitation hence the more rapid brake down. But he is not filling a 120 or larger tank and that pump is perfectly capable of handling that load. Like I said I go over this on a daily bases we have owned a compressor shop for 27 years so I have seen and heard it all, so I don't have to take people's word for it. :confused2: Nic

grsthegreat · Apr 18, 2012

5030 said:
Interesting.

I have a table now (As we discussed via PM a while ago) and I run my Hypertherm at 100 psi post air dryer and motorguard. It specifically states in the Hypertherm manual that pressure above 120 can explode the internal pollycarbonate filter bowl.... You are there BTW.

I allow the Hypertherm to adjust it's own air pressure. The new HT units adjust the cut pressure in machine torch mode using the Ohimic sensing cap and the interface.

I run a Quincy pressure lube 2 stage 7.5 horse on a 100 gallon vertical receiver with two 5 horse single stage units as backup and the only time I get into the backup units is if I'm pressure blasting with soda. All three are capable of a tad over 30 CFM running together..... All have K&N filters BTW.

Keep in mind, the lower the receiver pressure, the longer the compressor lasts, the less the compressed air is heated (less condensate) and the less transient moisture is present in the air lines.

I could run well above 175 with schedule 80 steel piping but why bother. It's the useable CFM that does the work.

Besides, the air conditioning has the get rid of the residual heat the compressors make in the shop.

My compressor produces this pressure. Then my inline pressure regulator bushes it down to 100 psi. Then my hypertherm plasma cutter fine tunes it to operating pressures depending on metal thickness.

I guess i needed to refine my previous answers. My shop is piped in 1" type L copper, and i have lots of running feet of pipe. I also run thru a refrigerated air dryer.

okclumberjack · Apr 19, 2012

bolted mine to the floor but too tell you the truth mine runs so smooth & quiet that probally didnt need to bolt to the floor zero vibration or closes to it IR rocks

LMan1967 · Apr 19, 2012

My 60 gal has been bolted to its pallet for five years. Never an issue.

Soundguy · Apr 19, 2012

I have a 60g CH.. it's bolted to it's HD shipping pallate, and that is lagged to my concrete floor using backer plates above the lags. I also added a couple safety chains to the 'legs' and to a hook, lagged to the floor as well, just in case the wood disintegrated.

At work we have 2 ch units.. one from the mid 80's.. one form about 6ys ago.. both on their pallate. the one from 84 is on the same wood as when it was roleld into the shop... again.. bolted to the floor.

soundguy

5030 · Apr 19, 2012

Chris...

The pallets absorb the vibrations. I'm not a pallet person other than having fuel for the burn pile. Besides, I hate to stub my toes on pallets......

When you solid bolt any machine that vibrates to a concrete floor, at some point the vibrations will crack the floor or loosen the anchors, hence, vibration isolating machinery pads (which I have under all my compressors).

At the shop, we have 14" thick, high tensile, rebar renforced floors and they direct mounted a Wysong 12 foot throat, 1/4" shear using epoxy filled, core drilled holes and industrial anchors. In 2 years time, the shear broke out the floor surrounding it and now it 'floats' independent of the floor itself, moving up and down every time it's actuated. Not good. At some point, it will be moved, the floor replaced and it will be set on pads.

Ken45101 · Apr 20, 2012

I think you are pointing out that, for things that vibrate, they SHOULD NOT have too solid of mounting. Something has to give. The mount must be designed to give in daily use, or it will eventually give by fracturing. Look at a car engine, there are rubber motor mounts. If mounted directly to the frame, something would eventually crack.

I'm no engineer but if you are going to mount a compressor to a concrete floor, I would think a rubber shock mount sandwiched in would be needed.

For those that use the wooden pallets, wood is a good absorber compared to steel bolts and solid concrete.

Ken

Soundguy · Apr 20, 2012

yep.. my compressor dows have some PU feet on it that it is sandwiching to the wood.. but IMHO.. they would be inadequate.. they are flimsy lil things smaller than an exhaust donut.. I like the wood...

soundguy