SMC Pneumatic Air Filters

At SMC Pneumatics, we sell air filters that match the highest standards and will keep your machines running smoothly. We offer various series that will meet your repair and replacement needs, from regulators to ambient air dryers and brackets. Feel free to peruse our wares and study the sizes that will help your machine clean its energy source with ease.

Purpose of Pneumatic Air Filters

Air is a renewable resource. Using it in a pneumatic machine makes the device less expensive than other counterparts, especially those that rely on fossil fuels. The machine compresses the air and uses the pressure to build a force to generate energy. Unless the machine springs a leak, this air pressure will remain consistent during the task and only release when you press the off switch.

This sounds like a viable energy source. Even so, it needs to meet certain standards and legal specifications. Industries ideally have regulations that increase safety for the employees that use the machines as well as the customers that buy the products. In ordinary life, air pollution in living areas can cause health hazards; pollution is equally regulated in industries that use pneumatics.

The natural air around us holds more than the usual amount of nitrogen and oxygen. Other, finer elements exist either dissolved into the air that can harm your pneumatic machine. These can include water vapor, oils, and particles that can prove hazardous to engines and people’s health.

Air filters also catch liquid vapors and dust particles. Liquid vapor, not just water droplets, can gum up pneumatic machines and render them unusable. You also want to get rid of odorants because they are displeasing and can make the workplace less friendly.

To a lesser extent, you want to make sure the air is clean. Many bacteria and viruses travel via gases and winds, and it’s more likely that they will grow in an area that is compressed. You would rather keep your employees healthy rather than leave them sick.

In addition, the bacteria should not affect the products you make or the services you provide with the machines. This can violate regulations and health standards, which in turn can lead to uncomfortable investigations. A dentist who uses a contaminated pneumatic machine for cleaning, as an example, could face a lawsuit if they get a patient sick. You would rather avoid such lawsuits or citations.

Why Do You Need To Replace Your Air Filter?

Much like filters in air conditioning units, air filters get worn out over time. They also will get clogged with particles, and the blockage hampers their ability to function. At best, you may have reduced flow rates. In the worst case, the air filters will fail, and you have a contaminated energy supply within your machine.

You need to replace air filters when their clogging costs you money in operations. This can happen when you notice the machine is gummed up, and output has significantly reduced. An installed pressure differential gauge can let you know when is a good time to make a replacement. If you notice changes in the gauge’s measurement, then it’s a good time to check for clogs and particle excess.

Types Of Pneumatic Filters And Air Treatment Equipment

This all seems straightforward. Even so, there are different types of filters that you could use for preventing clogging in a machine and increasing air quality. Your machine may be more sensitive than others, or larger and handles more tasks. Or it may be tiny, like a dentist’s drill in the office, and requires a very specific filter to handle the germs that come from patients’ teeth.

General filters strive to move all possible particles, usually under 40 microns or um. Some can pick out particles as tiny as .01 m. Even so, you may want a more specific filter for your machine. We sell the following filters for your benefit.

Don’t forget to purchase a bracket as well. A bracket will mount the dryer and hold it in place. You want to ensure that the filter will hold, especially when you have to pass more air through the filter than usual, or you want to ensure that the layers all work.

Water Separators

Water separators use centrifugal or a coalescing principle to remove water and solid particles from the air. A centrifugal device will use rapid rotary motion to spin out the water droplets and dust or dirt particles. They require no cartridges replaced within it since the device relies on motion rather than on catching actual particles.

A coalescing separator works as a net, having airflow through a filter cartridge. They use two layers to remove dirty water droplets from gas that enters its chamber. The layers catch the droplets, force them to condense into liquid, and then drain them. You need to replace the cartridges on this one because the particles get caught in them, and can cause clogging.

At SMC, we sell mist and micro-mist separators. They will remove water, oil, and dirt particles.

Air Dryers

Much as the name implies, air dryers focus on drying out the air after cleaning it. They’re known for having a relatively simple installation process.

How does it work? The process is quite simple. Relatively warm air enters the compressor, and then in the filter, it’s cooled so that water vapor will condense and separate from the gas. A water trap removes the vapor, and the air is reheated. It’s dryer in that there is no water in it.

Our AMG series will remove 99.9% of water droplets from compressed air. These parts incorporate clay and carbon into improving air quality.