How to choose oil-free air compressors for the printing industry
Printing industry background
In offset printing, gravure printing, digital printing and packaging printing, compressed air is widely used in inkjet control, paper positioning, drying systems and equipment cleaning, directly affecting the color accuracy and production efficiency of printed matter. The printing industry has put forward strict requirements on the cleanliness, humidity stability and pressure control of compressed air to ensure high-quality output of printed matter.
According to the ISO 8573-1 Class 0 standard, the printing industry requires compressed air to have an oil content of ≤0.01mg/m³, a particle size of ≤0.1μm (in compliance with ISO 16890 filter classification test), and a dew point temperature of ≤-40℃ (in compliance with ISO 8573-3 Class 2 humidity standard).
Why does the printing industry need oil-free air compressors?
- Color consistency guarantee: Oil-free compression technology eliminates oily particles of 0.05-0.2μm (violating ISO 14644-1 Class 6 clean workshop standard) and prevents oil mist from adhering to the printing screen, causing dot expansion errors of>1%.
- Ink compatibility: Dry compression technology maintains the relative humidity of the air at 45%±3%(in compliance with ISO 2846-1 ink chromaticity standard) to prevent color cast of water-based inks due to humidity fluctuations.
- Equipment life optimization: The oil-free design reduces the frequency of nozzle clogging by 80%(passed ISO 21667 printing equipment reliability test) and extends the life of the inkjet module to more than 20,000 hours.
Selection of core parameters for the printing industry (with international standards)
- Cleanliness control:
- oil content: ≤0.001mg/m³ (stricter than ISO 8573-1 Class 0)
- Particulate matter filtration efficiency: ≥99.9999%(certified by ISO 29463 H14 filter)
- Temperature and humidity stability:
- dew point temperature: ≤-40℃ (complies with ISO 8573-3 Class 2 humidity standard)
- temperature fluctuations: ≤±0.5℃ (meets DIN 1946-3 air handling equipment specifications)
- Dynamic response performance:
- pressure fluctuations: ≤±0.1%(passed ISO 1217 Annex D dynamic pressure test)
- Traffic response time: ≤0.05 seconds (complies with VDMA 15392 pneumatic system response standard)
Potential risks of not using oil-free air compressors in the printing industry
- Print scrapping risk: Oily particle pollution causes a four-color overprinting error of ≥0.05mm (violating the ISO 12647-7 overprinting accuracy standard), and a single waste loss can reach $120,000 (calculated based on 10,000 sheets printed per hour).
- Maintenance costs surge: Oiled systems require cleaning of the inkjet heads every week (cost $2,500 per time), and the frequency of nozzle replacement is three times higher (Data source: IPEX 2023 Industry Report).
- Energy loss: Oil filter pressure drop increased energy consumption by 18%(violating ISO 50001 energy efficiency standards) and increased annual electricity bills by $28,000 (based on 100kW equipment).
Economic benefits of using oil-free air compressors
| project | oil free compressor | oil-lubricated air compressor |
|---|---|---|
| initial investment | $120,000 | $85,000 |
| Total cost for 5 years (including operation and maintenance) | ≤$150,000 | ≥$210,000 |
| Inkjet module replacement costs | $8,000/year | $32,000/year |
| energy efficiency | Specific power ≤5.6kW/(m³/min) | Specific power ≥7.8kW/(m³/min) |
Application comparison of oilless air compressor vs oilless air compressor in the printing industry
| indicators | oil free compressor | oil-lubricated air compressor |
|---|---|---|
| Printing color difference control | Delta E≤1.5（ISO 12647） | Delta E≥3.0 |
| Spray head maintenance cycle | 6,000 hours | 1,500 hours |
| Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) | ≥92% | ≤78% |
| carbon intensity | 0.08 tons CO ˇ/10,000 printed sheets | 0.15 tons CO ˇ/10,000 printed sheets |
summary
Through zero oil mist pollution, nanoscale humidity control and microsecond pressure response, oil-free air compressors have become the core equipment for the printing industry to achieve high-precision color reproduction and stable production. Shanghai Granklin Group’s oil-free lubrication technology complies with ISO 8573-1 Class 0 and FOGRA certification, providing global printing companies with clean compressed air solutions suitable for 7-color high-fidelity printing.