Air Compressors for Plastic Manufacturing
Plastic manufacturing supports various industries, including building, aerospace, packaging, electronics and transportation, where polymer materials play integral roles.
Chicago Pneumatic designs, develops and delivers durable air compressors for the plastics industry. Our compressors are expertly engineered and tested to withstand plastic-making conditions.
Benefits of Air Compressors in Plastic Manufacturing
At Chicago Pneumatic, we manufacture high-performance air compressors and air treatment equipment for professional and industrial applications. Proper compressed air solutions for plastic applications increase uptime and productivity and reduce power costs.
Manufacturing facilities are constantly under pressure to operate more efficiently due to increasing concerns about climate change, greenhouse gases and energy production. Air compressors can help generate power in ways that are cost-efficient and compliant with energy regulations. Variable speed drive (VSD) compressors save power and consume less energy by adjusting to your air demand for specific applications.
Air compressors also offer great dependability and can operate consistently while sustaining constant performance through variations in temperature. Electric air compressors offer the virtually emissions-free operation plastic manufacturing facilities need for indoor operation.
Air Compressor Applications in Plastic Manufacturing
The plastic manufacturing process requires reliable consistent airflow that Chicago Pneumatic Compressors can achieve. These applications include:
- Thermoforming: Thermoforming uses compressors to turn plastic sheets into three-dimensional shapes like plates.
- Blow molding: Air compressors pump compressed air to inflate molten plastic into desired shapes.
- Extrusion molding: Compressed air is used to push molten plastic through an extrusion molding machine to form long pipe rods.
- Injection molding: Compressed air is also used to inject molten materials into molds.
- Cooling: Compressors help in cooling and molding processes since the plastic-forming process uses molten plastic that should be cooled down to harden.
- Conveying: Pneumatic conveying is used to move chemicals used as solvents from one point to another through airtight pipelines using airflow.
What Types of Compressors Are Used in the Plastic Manufacturing Industry?
Chicago Pneumatic is a market-leading distributor and manufacturer of compressed air products. There are two types of air compressors that can be used for plastics manufacturing:
- Fixed speed rotary screw compressors: Due to their long service life and reduced maintenance needs, fixed speed rotary screw compressors are a popular compressed air solution in plastics manufacturing. These units run continuously at one speed.
- Variable speed rotary screw compressors: The air flow of a variable speed rotary screw compressor is regulated by a variable speed drive, often known as VSD. This option uses the variable-speed drive technology to control the speed of the compressor in a correspondent fashion, demanding from the compressor only what is needed. These compressors are best for applications in plastics manufacturing that often require different air flow demands.
Contact Chicago Pneumatic Today
We have experience designing efficient and reliable compressors, and our products can be tailored to our customers' needs.
For all your industrial and professional air compressor system needs, contact Chicago Pneumatic online.