Are using siphon or direct pressure abrasive delivery? We’ll show you how to tell at the end of this blog post if you aren’t sure.
Your gun blasting nozzle size. Every blasting cabinet and portable pot has a standard published gun size. This determines how much compressed gas you will use and the size of your compressor. The compressed air consumption for each delivery method will be published. Direct pressure models blast at half of the pressure rating as siphon models to achieve the same abrasive power. For most models, the compressor storage tank should not drop below 90-100 PSI to ensure proper operation. There are many sizes of pressure nozzles and siphon guns. Please refer to our chart for the correct size. Cabinets can recycle abrasives but never exceed the maximum impact velocity. Portable pots that don’t recycle blast using as much pressure as you have.
What type of abrasive you intend to use. This information will help you determine how much compressed air you need. Cabinets can recycle abrasives and use harder abrasives that portable pots. They only use the abrasive once. Because you know that the abrasive won’t be reused again, blasting at the highest pressure possible will be necessary if you use a portable pot. You can determine the nozzle size to ensure that you blast at a maximum of 100 psi for a portable pot. This is critical as blasting at less than half the pressure will take 4 times as long to clean.
The voltage of your electrical power supply. The residential power supply voltage is usually 208 or 230 Volt, single-phase power supply. This power supply is sufficient to run large air conditioners, heat pumps, and electric dryers. You can only use this power if you have air compressors that are 5 horsepower or more. However, motors that are higher than 5 horsepower are still 5 hp motors. To install a circuit breaker capable of running your compressor, you may have to reach the main power panel. Motors that are listed at 6 or 6-1/2 horsepower, or even 7-1/8 to 8 horse power, aren’t really any different from standard motor listings of 1, 2, 5, 7 and 7-1/2 horsepower. It is possible to buy a 25-27 cfm compressor for your home shop that runs on a single-phase, 5-hp, 220 or 208 volt motor. You will likely purchase a horizontal tank compressor if you choose this route. You can double the cfm you use and the frictional will be squared, allowing for faster part processing. 25 cfm is faster than 16!
You will know if you have 3-phase power. For machinery to be operated in manufacturing facilities, 3-phase power is required. Avoid purchasing anything that will be used in a small shop or at home that uses 3-phase power. Also, phase converters won’t work with compressor pumps that have a constant rpm speed.
Pro Tip: Siphon delivery requires a gun that has two hoses attached. One for compressed air, and one for abrasive delivery. Direct Pressure has only one hose that can contain both compressed and abrasive air. Direct pressure uses only half of the blasting pressure to achieve the same abrasive speed.
Let’s sum it all
After you have all the information, you should do your research and look at all available models to make sure you get the correct air compressor for you machine. This includes the abrasive delivery system, gun size, abrasive type, and electrical power source. Budget can be a factor in your purchase decision. However, if the compressor is not powerful enough, you might have to buy another one.
