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Zund G3 air compressor
- Thread starter OahuBrad
- Start date
Piston compressors are LOUD and are normally linked to fairly small capacity receiver tanks... this means the compressor motor is forever kicking in to maintain working pressure. This constant loud noise really does become irritating very quickly.
A really nice way to build a compressed air system is to go with a quieter Hydrovane/ screw type compressor. These are industrial machines which are designed for constant use and are much, much quieter. A hydrovane compressor can be linked to a suitable receiver tank which you can locate anywhere you like... you can even stick the receiver tank outside and simply run your hoses to and from it.
A decent set of regulators with water traps is a must... depending on the humidity your compressed air can be pretty "wet"... decent traps filter out moisture and oil leaving you with high quality clean air.
Building air lines in your shop need not be a traumatic experience... nylon hose and simple push fit connectors are more than adequate. These can both be bought very cheaply. The bigger the air flow you need the larger bore hose you need... we find 8mm O/D nylon hose is fine for most things.
There are plenty of hydrovanes knocking about... some of the older models don't have a pressure switch. Without a pressure regulator the compressor doesn't know when the receiver tank is up to pressure so it keeps on pumping. You can retro fit a pressure switch to older hydrovanes pretty easily so it's not too much of a problem. What might be an issue is power.... all our hydrovanes are 3 phase 440v units.
If you do decide to go for a piston compressor be sure to check the noise it makes when running... a piston machine at full chat can be VERY obtrusive.
A really nice way to build a compressed air system is to go with a quieter Hydrovane/ screw type compressor. These are industrial machines which are designed for constant use and are much, much quieter. A hydrovane compressor can be linked to a suitable receiver tank which you can locate anywhere you like... you can even stick the receiver tank outside and simply run your hoses to and from it.
A decent set of regulators with water traps is a must... depending on the humidity your compressed air can be pretty "wet"... decent traps filter out moisture and oil leaving you with high quality clean air.
Building air lines in your shop need not be a traumatic experience... nylon hose and simple push fit connectors are more than adequate. These can both be bought very cheaply. The bigger the air flow you need the larger bore hose you need... we find 8mm O/D nylon hose is fine for most things.
There are plenty of hydrovanes knocking about... some of the older models don't have a pressure switch. Without a pressure regulator the compressor doesn't know when the receiver tank is up to pressure so it keeps on pumping. You can retro fit a pressure switch to older hydrovanes pretty easily so it's not too much of a problem. What might be an issue is power.... all our hydrovanes are 3 phase 440v units.
If you do decide to go for a piston compressor be sure to check the noise it makes when running... a piston machine at full chat can be VERY obtrusive.
Air Supply For A G3 Zund
Good Morning From The UK
Yes We To Have Installed A Hydrovane For The Phenumatic Knife & Router Attachment. The Hydrovane Has A Tank Built Into The Design So Do Not Skimp On The Size Of The Air Storage Cylinder. Bigger Is Better In Our View As The Air Knife Uses A Lot Of Air In Use. You Could Link Two Air Cylinders Together But Pay Attention To How Much The Hydrovane Can Deliver As You Dont Want Your Air Supply Depleted In The Middle Of A Job.
Just Whilst Im Here Has Anybody Used The Zund Cut Centre Software As Opposed To GTK Your Overall Impression/Comparison Please And Also Feed Back On Enroute Users On The Zund Would Be Appreciated.
If I Can Be Of Any Help Please Ask.
Kind Regards To All My American Sign Colleagues
Perry
Good Morning From The UK
Yes We To Have Installed A Hydrovane For The Phenumatic Knife & Router Attachment. The Hydrovane Has A Tank Built Into The Design So Do Not Skimp On The Size Of The Air Storage Cylinder. Bigger Is Better In Our View As The Air Knife Uses A Lot Of Air In Use. You Could Link Two Air Cylinders Together But Pay Attention To How Much The Hydrovane Can Deliver As You Dont Want Your Air Supply Depleted In The Middle Of A Job.
Just Whilst Im Here Has Anybody Used The Zund Cut Centre Software As Opposed To GTK Your Overall Impression/Comparison Please And Also Feed Back On Enroute Users On The Zund Would Be Appreciated.
If I Can Be Of Any Help Please Ask.
Kind Regards To All My American Sign Colleagues
Perry
Bradley,
Here’s a long answer, but it may save you some aggravation later on.
What Perry and Andy, both from the UK, said is great advice. When it comes to consistent air demand for equipment that cannot afford to drop in flow or pressure, require the consistent and reliable flow from a “screw” compressor. I have run several screw compressors over the years and though not as cheap as piston they do remove many of the issues of poor air. They will run 24/7/365 without missing a beat; although they do need diligent service about every 8000 hours (oil change and separator filter, most important).
You mentioned 10cfm but didn’t say at what pressure, this can dramatically affect the Horse Power you will need. 10cfm say at 80psi is quite a lot of air when use constantly (unless the demand is intermittent). As they are not a cheap investment, make sure you obtain one that will service all your current and future air supply for the entire operation. I have had to upgrade capacity several times as we didn’t realize exactly what our air demand was with the various tools and equipment.
The dryer the air the less issues you will have with digital printing equipment. Being in Hawaii, I don’t have to point out the obvious issues with humidity. Screw compressors are better at removing moisture with in the compressor. You do not need “medical or breathable” quality air, but you may as well go close.
Run the compressor through a refrigeration dryer into a large vertical reservoir tank, both with automatic drains. Always run the pipe uphill. This allows any moisture condensation in the line to run back towards the tank or any trap points. The perfect air line would be copper pipe as it will “sweat” less in your climate, however it’s expensive (unless you have a brother in law that’s a plumber). If not, then steel pipe (slower and heavier to install) or plastic pipe (quicker and easier, but watch you low points where moisture will settle). Run it through the ceiling and put several shut off values and connection points along the way. You never know where you may need air supply in your shop later and solid pipe is good for this.
I learnt long ago to pay better attention to air quality than we are typically told by digital equipment suppliers, “Yeah, you just ran an air hose right up to the printer!”
Here’s a long answer, but it may save you some aggravation later on.
What Perry and Andy, both from the UK, said is great advice. When it comes to consistent air demand for equipment that cannot afford to drop in flow or pressure, require the consistent and reliable flow from a “screw” compressor. I have run several screw compressors over the years and though not as cheap as piston they do remove many of the issues of poor air. They will run 24/7/365 without missing a beat; although they do need diligent service about every 8000 hours (oil change and separator filter, most important).
You mentioned 10cfm but didn’t say at what pressure, this can dramatically affect the Horse Power you will need. 10cfm say at 80psi is quite a lot of air when use constantly (unless the demand is intermittent). As they are not a cheap investment, make sure you obtain one that will service all your current and future air supply for the entire operation. I have had to upgrade capacity several times as we didn’t realize exactly what our air demand was with the various tools and equipment.
The dryer the air the less issues you will have with digital printing equipment. Being in Hawaii, I don’t have to point out the obvious issues with humidity. Screw compressors are better at removing moisture with in the compressor. You do not need “medical or breathable” quality air, but you may as well go close.
Run the compressor through a refrigeration dryer into a large vertical reservoir tank, both with automatic drains. Always run the pipe uphill. This allows any moisture condensation in the line to run back towards the tank or any trap points. The perfect air line would be copper pipe as it will “sweat” less in your climate, however it’s expensive (unless you have a brother in law that’s a plumber). If not, then steel pipe (slower and heavier to install) or plastic pipe (quicker and easier, but watch you low points where moisture will settle). Run it through the ceiling and put several shut off values and connection points along the way. You never know where you may need air supply in your shop later and solid pipe is good for this.
I learnt long ago to pay better attention to air quality than we are typically told by digital equipment suppliers, “Yeah, you just ran an air hose right up to the printer!”
Last edited:
Much appreciated
Aloha people,
You've all been a great help in getting the knowledge I needed to make an educated decision. We needed a compressor which required 11cfm at 145psi. Not knowing what the actual demands were was what left us in confusion. After discussing it with our local supplier we ended up getting a piston unit, mainly because of cost but upgraded to an 80gal tank with a high end refrigeration unit.
Thanks again and Aloha!
Aloha people,
You've all been a great help in getting the knowledge I needed to make an educated decision. We needed a compressor which required 11cfm at 145psi. Not knowing what the actual demands were was what left us in confusion. After discussing it with our local supplier we ended up getting a piston unit, mainly because of cost but upgraded to an 80gal tank with a high end refrigeration unit.
Thanks again and Aloha!