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How to deal with an old air compressor starts with one decision: prove whether it’s safe, efficient, and useful before you repair it, sell it, scrap it, keep it as backup, or remove it from the site. Age alone isn’t the trigger. The measured condition is.

Running Compressed Air To A New Building Or Extension is a pressure-system modification, not a plumbing job. In the UK, it can trigger a PSSR 2000 review before go-live, and the decisions made on pipe size, ring main layout, drainage and filtration decide whether the new building reduces losses or l

Belt-driven air compressors power production lines across South Wales and beyond, but the drive belt is one of the most neglected components on the machine. A properly tensioned V-belt runs at 95-98% transmission efficiency. Let it slip through inattention, and that efficiency drops by up to 5%, mea

The hose connecting your compressed air system to your tools is rarely treated as an engineering decision. It should be. The wrong air hose can starve a tool of pressure, trigger PUWER compliance failures, or shatter under load in a cold UK workshop.

Industrial filtration might not sound very exciting, but it is one of the most important processes in modern industries. From the water you drink to the air you breathe, filtration plays a silent yet vital role in ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency. Why is industrial filtration important? Let us dive in and explore how it…

A fume extraction system is designed to capture and remove harmful fumes, gases, and particulates generated during industrial or manufacturing processes like welding, soldering, or chemical handling. These systems filter and ventilate contaminated air, protect worker health, ensure compliance with safety regulations, and prevent damage to equipment and the environment. Why a Fume Extractor Matters…

Hydraulic systems allow modern machinery to work in high-force applications with precision control. Using incompressible fluid to transfer energy, hydraulics power everything from industrial machines to construction equipment. In this post, Control Gear answers the question, ‘How does a hydraulic system work?’ and explains the principles it uses and its main components. How Does a…

Nitrogen and oxygen are essential supplies in many industries, including food & packaging, lighting, fabrication, oil & gas, electronics, welding, and pharmaceutical. Annual gas production in the UK now exceeds 4 million tons. Unfortunately, purchased supplies are delivered in pressurised bottles to a higher purity specification than is often necessary. Confusion abounds regarding purity, quality,…

Heat recovery for air compressors captures waste heat generated during the compression process and repurposes it for useful applications like water heating or hot air for space heating. When air compressors operate, most of the electrical energy consumption is converted into heat energy. A heat recovery system takes this excess heat from the compressor –…

In simple terms, transient losses are the energy wasted during non-steady-state operations in air compressors. Unlike continuous losses like air leaks or friction, these inefficiencies happen during short operational changes, for example, when – Starting the compressor. Switching from full load to unloaded states (blow-off losses). Shutting down the system. Think of it like driving…