Cubic feet per minute, or CFM, are the measurement of the amount of air that a compressor can pump out every minute. The CFM of a compressor is a critical specification for the tools that is to be operated with it. If the air compressor dont have enough CFM to supply to an air tool, the air tool will not have enough air to perform its tasks.
Despite the importance of CFM, many people believe that the more important specification of air compressors are the horsepower that they feature. However, the horsepower of air compressor only indicate the speed at which the motor will spin. The CFM specification show the volume of air that a compressor can deliver.
Make Sure Your Air Compressor Has Enough CFM
Hence, the CFM of the air compressor need to match the CFM requirement of the air tool. CFM is the measurement of the volume of the air that is contain within the air compressor. Additionally, PSI is the measurement of the pressure within that air.
The PSI represent the pressure that is exerted behind the air within the air compressor. Air tools will require the air to contain specific PSI measurement to perform their tasks. Additionally, many heavy-duty air tools will require the air to have a PSI measurement of ninety in order to operate effective.
However, the air compressor will have to provide the correct amount of CFM at that specific PSI requirement of the air tool. Should the air compressor provide the correct PSI but fail to provide enough CFM, then the air tool will not be able to perform its tasks effective. Air tools such as nail guns will require relatively low unit of CFM.
However, air tools such as sandblasters will require much higher unit of CFM to perform there tasks. Most people will focus on the PSI specification of the air compressor as they know that these air compressors can achieve very high units of PSI. However, many people will not think about the CFM specification of air tools.
Should people use an undersized air compressor for an air tool that require high units of CFM, the motor for that air compressor will have to run constantly to supply the air tool with the required amount of air. By running the motor for the air compressor constantly, that motor may overheat and it may fail premature. Additionally, if the air compressor feature an air tank of small size, it will have to cycle on and off whenever the air tool is in use.
Using a large air tank will allow the air tool to cycle on and off less. In order to purchase the correct air compressor for an air tool, there are steps that you can follow. First, you have to read the specifications of the air tool to determine the highest units of CFM that the air tool will draw from the air compressor at the required working pressure of the air tool.
Additionally, the units of CFM have to be increased by thirty percent. This thirty percent of CFM has to be allow for any air that may be lost through the air hoses that are used to connect the air compressor to the air tool. Additionally, you have to read the air compressor specification to determine the CFM units of air that will be delivered to the air tool at the required PSI for the air tool.
If the air compressor deliver more CFM units of air than the air tool requires, then the air compressor will be sufficient for that air tool. The accessories of the air compressor will impact the CFM and the PSI that is delivered to the air tool. For example, if a hose that is too thin is used to connect the air compressor to the air tool, the thin hose will choke the air that is travelling through it, reducing the CFM that is delivered to the air tool.
Additionally, if the air fittings that are used between the air compressor and air tool begin to leak air, that will lead to a loss of the volume of air that is supply to the air tool. Additionally, if the air filters become clogged with particles, they will lead to a deficiency of air supply to the air tool. Thus, using thicker air hoses and higher quality air couplings will ensure that the CFM of the air supply to the air tool will remain the same.
Additionally, you must drain the air tank regular to remove the moisture that accumulate within the tank as it may cause rusting within the air tank. If there are to be multiple air tools that are to be used at the same time, the CFM specification of each air tool will have to be added together. If the air compressor is not able to supply the air to all of the air tools that are required to be run simultaneously, the air tools will compete for the air that is supplied by the air compressor.
Thus, using extra receiver tanks will increase the air reserve for the air tools. Additionally, these extra receiver tanks will help to smooth out the starting and stopping cycle of the air compressor. In order for the air compressor and air tools to work properly, you have to prioritize the CFM of the air compressor.
By ensuring that the CFM of the air compressor is the same as the CFM requirement of the air tool, the air tool will function as it is intended to function.
