For over 50 years, Vanair Manufacturing has been an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of mobile power solutions, including air compressors.
From its manufacturing facilities in Michigan City, Indiana, Vanair offers a very comprehensive product line of solutions, including the aforementioned vehicle-mounted air compressors, generators, welders, hydraulics, electrified power equipment, chargers/boosters, engine starters, and custom mobile power equipment.
Beginning in 1972 as Sullair, PTO, a division of Sullair Corporation, Vanair created what it describes, as a new product and a new industry.
Its vehicle-mounted 185 CFM underdeck rotary screw air compressor allowed a trucks engine to drive the compressor via the power take off (PTO). This eliminated the requirement of a separate engine to be carried around to power the compressor.
Immediate benefits were—and are still—freed-up vehicle hitch, weight savings, more available bed space, reduced maintenance and insurance costs, and more mobility for the vehicle and operator.
So yeah, Vanair knows a thing or two about air compressors.
The company recently put out a white paper, providing air compressor advice specifically to utility fleet service managers.
For brevity, Service Truck Magazine has cherry-picked a small portion of the report to present here. It can be seen in its entirety HERE.
Key Factors when spec-ing air compressors
There are many key factors when specifying air compressors.
The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) that the compressor will be mounted on is critical. A typical cross mount compressor is large and heavy—at 2,400+ lbs it takes up considerable real estate on the truck and entails another engine to maintain, and it also costs twice as much as a PTO driven compressor.
Cross mounts require higher GVW’s and may push the vehicle into an area where a CDL is required to operate.
Underdeck air compressors are by far the most popular with utility fleets. The advantages are significant and include:
- Lower cost (half the cost of a tow-behind);
- Frees up valuable real estate (doesn’t take up any truck bed or cargo space);
- Tier 4 compliant;
- Less weight—400 lbs vs. 2,400+ lbs;
- High reliability with 110,000-hour life design;
- High durability;
- Lower insurance costs;
- Easier maneuverability;
- Frees up the hitch
Integrating a PTO underdeck air compressor onto the truck chassis turns the vehicle into a vital tool for: gas, electric, telecommunication, water utilities, and utility contractor companies.
Considerations must also be given for ambient operation environments.
One of many driving factors leading to downtime and lost productivity can be weather-related challenges that may compromise system components, including: water inclusion; ice and snow control chemicals; off-road operations; and many other adverse operating environments
There are significant differences between operations in Phoenix, Arizona in August versus the north slopes of Alaska in January. Phoenix may require additional cooling, while Alaska may require winterization options.
A Vanair patented design that increases uptime is the optional ThermalGuard Weather Protection Kit that uses the vehicle’s warm engine coolant to preheat the compressor oil and regulators to prevent oil starvation and freeze-ups during cold conditions. This option also aids in the elimination of moisture.
Duty cycles are also important when specifying compressors.
Indeed, time is money. On a construction site, the cost of downtime affects equipment use and labor costs, to say nothing of interruption of operational performance timelines.
Powerful redundant transducer and thermistors systems are available to provide uptime, reliability, and dependability for your PTO driven air compressor systems.
The Vanair FailSafe Dual Sensory Redundancy is now standard on Xero air/oil separator tanks and provides critical backup security in the case a thermistor or transducer sensor should fail. If the primary unit fails, the system automatically switches to the backup. The operator will never even know that a fault occurred, providing uninterrupted power.
Optional FailSafe remote mount systems placed in a NEMA box for added protection from harsh environments are also available.
Life-cycle costs are key when evaluating compressor manufacturers. Close attention should be paid to Prescribed Maintenance (PM) intervals.
PM considerations include the amount of compressor oil needed for a change, frequency of maintenance schedule, and the cost of the consumables.
While it may not seem important at the time of purchase, the cost differentials per vehicle can be measured in the thousands, over a 10-year lifespan.
The Vanair UltraLife separator element is located internally in the air separation tank, and provides for: enhanced air quality, assured anti-static grounding system, reduced operating and maintenance cost, and optimized compressor performance with 6,000-hour separator life.
This is six-times more life than the nearest competitor’s spin-on, coalescer element and 15 times more life than any underhood design (the coalescer will last longer than the lifecycle of the vehicle).
Moreover, this innovative design offers the lowest cost of ownership in the industry. Over a 10-year period, this feature saves upwards of $2,000 per truck in routine maintenance costs alone.
As for the key points for specifying the compressor, it is important to understand what type of pneumatic tools are being used. One recommendation is to reference the Vanair Air Tool Consumption Guide.
For example, a 90 lbs pavement breaker consumes approximately 70 to 85 CFM at 100 psi. Are multiple tools being used simultaneously? If crews are using more than one pavement breaker, the minimum compressor spec would be 160 CFM. Are the crews pressurizing services and mains? If so, 185 CFM in dual pressure 100/150 psi might be in order. Are the crews performing plastic pipe fusion? If so, the Vanair Genair PTO shaft driven air compressor and generator system option is a perfect fit by combining compressed air and 9.6 KW of AC power to run the fusion equipment.
For more information on Vanair, visit https://vanair.com/mobile-power-solutions/.