Air compressors are essential equipment in automotive shops as they deliver power to a range of applications. But choosing an air compressor for automotive painting and other auto shop tasks can be challenging because there are so many options. However, it’s worth the effort because selecting the best small air compressor for your shop will go a long way toward ensuring high levels of efficiency, as well as high-quality work. This blog provides tips to help auto shop owners choose the most suitable automotive air compressor for their specific needs.
Applications for Automotive Compressors
Like all businesses, automotive shops must conduct work efficiently and achieve high-quality results if they want to satisfy their customers and remain profitable. Automotive air compressors can help auto shop employees and mechanics work faster and better because they provide a source of dry, contaminant-free compressed air to a variety of automotive applications and maintenance activities.
Some common uses for small air compressors around the shop include:
| Tire inflation | Small car air compressors are used to inflate tires on cars that are being repaired or maintained. |
| Pneumatic tool operation | Repair shops use pneumatic tools, such as air wrenches, air ratchets, air drills, air grinders and spray guns, to complete engine repairs and body work because they are easier to operate and lighter weight than electric and battery-operated tools. Automotive air compressors are needed to power these and other pneumatic shop tools. |
| Cleaning | Before painting, a vehicle’s surface must be clean, dry and dust free. Small air compressors are used to efficiently and effectively remove contaminants from cars before being painted. Additionally, small car air compressors can be used to detail the hard-to-reach spots on the interior of vehicles during detailing. |
| Painting | Using air compressors for automotive painting allows smooth, even layers of clear coat paint to be applied with a high-quality, professional finish. |
| Housekeeping | It’s important for an auto repair shop to maintain an image of cleanliness for customers. Small air compressors can be used to blow dust, dirt and debris out of the bays and other areas of shop. |
5 Considerations for Choosing a Small Air Compressor for Your Auto Shop
Because automotive air compressors are the workhorses of autobody and repair shops, it is essential to choose the best small air compressor for the specific needs of the shop. The selected compressor should be properly sized, be compatible with the shop’s tools and work well in the environment. Careful consideration during the selection process will ensure that the chosen compressor performs well in its duties, allowing technicians to be efficient in their tasks while producing high-quality work.
Here are five important factors to consider when purchasing a small air compressor for use in an automotive shop:
- Airflow/CFM: The compressor’s airflow, or cubic feet per minute (CFM), rating is the most critical consideration as it is a measurement of the airflow that a compressor is able to produce and will determine whether the small air compressor can effectively carry out the necessary operations. In auto shops, the CFM needed to perform a single task varies, with some common functions requiring as little as 2 or 3 CFM and others needing upwards of 20 CFM. For example, activities like painting will likely demand a higher CFM, while cleaning and inflating tires requires a smaller airflow. To establish the required CFM for your shop, make a list of all the tools that will depend on the compressor for operation and determine the required CFM for each tool. Add the CFM for each tool that will operate at the same time to determine the total CFM requirement for the shop (for example, if 3 tools that each require 10 CFM will operate simultaneously, a compressor with a CFM rating of 30 would be needed). It is recommended to multiply that number by 1.3 to account for peak demand and future expansion.
- Pressure/psi: The pressure, which is measured in pounds per square inch (psi), is another important consideration as it determines the operating pressure of the compressor. The necessary psi is determined by the required psi of the tool or device with the highest psi to ensure that it will operate effectively. Tools with a lower psi can be equipped with pressure regulators.
- Application: Auto shops may handle anything from autobody painting to repairs to detailing. When selecting an automotive air compressor, it’s important to know how the compressor and connected tools will be used. For a shop that does only repairs or detailing, a compressor that supplies intermittent compressed air might work well; however, autobody shops and shops that need an air compressor for automotive painting will likely want a compressor that provides a continuous supply of air.
- Electrical service: Ensure that the shop’s electrical service is adequate for the selected compressor. Uneven power distribution and fluctuations will impact the performance and efficiency of the tools and can damage the compressor. Also, be sure that a power source is available in the area where the compressor will be set up.
- Shop environment: In addition to ensuring electrical service, be sure the area of the shop where the compressor will reside provides adequate ventilation as compressors tend to get hot during use. Additionally, many auto shops may want a small air compressor that is portable and can be moved around, while a stationary compressor may better serve other shops.
Taking the time to select the best small air compressor for your shop, based on its individual requirements, will provide big benefits as it will allow technicians to more efficiently and effectively perform their tasks, providing customers with reliable, high-quality work so they keep coming back. For assistance in selecting an automotive compressor for your shop, contact the experts at HTE Technologies, a Tavoron company, today.
