Hope Group TECH Notes

The Hope Group presents TECH Notes as a forum for articles, product news, service tips, and expert advice about air compressors, hydraulics, pneumatics, instrumentation, automation, fluid connectors, seals and o-ring components and systems.

I read somewhere recently that “blue” is the new “black” in high fashion. I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I am pretty sure in the world of air compressors that “aluminum” is the new “copper” when it comes to piping material.

For as long as anyone can remember, as soon as an industrial air compressor was ready for installation, someone was told to call the plumber. For many years, the plumber has had the expertise and the material of choice for industrial air compressor installation: copper pipe. Today, you are just as likely to hear a call go out to “piping specialists” offering an important new alternative to copper: aluminum.

Aluminum has been around for a long time and is famous for its strength and light weight. It has also been famous for its high cost. But aluminum has increasingly become the preferred material of choice for modern air compressor applications. When you study the benefits of aluminum over other materials, it’s easy to understand why this change is taking place. Lightweight aluminum piping solves a lot of the problems that compressor installers have faced over the years. Compared to black iron, galvanized iron, stainless steel, plastic PVC, or the ever-popular copper piping, aluminum is growing in popularity.

Out of the box, aluminum is now less expensive than copper. But, it can be short-sighted to just evaluate the cost of material. The real cost for installing and operating a compressor goes way beyond material selection. For example, modern aluminum piping is easier to install. Easy translates to less costly. The material is lighter, so it’s easier to maneuver, especially in overhead installations. In general, no specialized trades are needed; translation: you don’t have to pay the going rate for a plumber. There is no threading, welding or brazing pipe involved. That is why the cost of a skilled tradesman is avoided.

Other cost-saving aspects of modern aluminum piping are the simplicity of mounting and connecting hardware. Typically, the quick-disconnect designs mean easy, secure and adjustable connections during installation. And when it comes time to make a change to a piping layout, the aluminum pipe is easy to modify.

Down the road, there are additional cost savings when you factor in the aluminum material itself. It won’t rust, the surfaces are smooth and will not get rough, which might contribute to pressure drop and accumulated contaminants. Keeping the flow of air or gas at optimum is a sure way to keep operating and maintenance costs to a minimum.

Whether your application is compressed air, vacuum or inert gas applications, such as nitrogen generators, the benefits of modern aluminum piping far outweigh the cost disadvantage compared to other materials. To recap the advantages:

• Lightweight makes installation easy
• Leak-free connections
• Rust and corrosion free
• Quick disconnect design

I’m not an expert on fashion trends, but even if blue is not the new black, believe me when I say that aluminum is the new copper when it comes to a cost-effective air compressor installation.

The Hope Group recently completed manufacture of this hydraulic power unit for Morgan Construction. It will be installed in a steel mill overseas. It features four 75 HP motors coupled to four through-shafted 70 GPM variable volume piston pumps and a 1,100 gallon reservoir. Flow is distributed through a custom manifold with individual pressure filters. Complete
testing for flow, pressure and electrical
continuity was done prior to painting
and final assembly.

To help our customers take care of their equipment we recommend a scheduled routine maintenance program based on the individual requirements of specific machines. You may require only an annual tune-up or more frequent check-ups for high usage applications. In all cases, it’s important to keep to a regular maintenance schedule to maintain peak efficiency and to minimize the consequences from breakdown.

Hope Air Systems offers a ten percent discount on the cost of routine maintenance parts if they are purchased annually and maintained at the customer’s site. This guarantees the right parts are on hand during routine maintenance and a source of emergency replacement parts if required.

For our Kaeser customers, it is a manufacturer’s requirement that a spare parts maintenance kit be purchased annually to keep the five year warranty in force. Call our service desk to get the details on how to earn a five percent discount on spare parts from Hope Air Systems.


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