Most people think of air filters as the boxy items they find in their furnace or even in a car. This isn’t entirely wrong, but this is just one of the many types of home and industrial filtration used throughout the world. Yet there’s another common everyday filter that people may not know about: compressed air filters.
Think of compressed air filters as like the oxygen tanks that scuba divers use. That compressed air found in scuba tanks is meant to filter the air in a diver’s lungs. These types of filters are similar to that, only they’re often designed for use by machinery rather than by humans.
Air intake filters such as these are made for a variety of industrial filtration applications. For instance, compressors, like those used by construction workers to control pneumatic tools, are just one place where these air filters are in use. Another is in the gas and oil industry. Air/oil and mist separators have to remove water and air in oil filtration systems, so everything runs smoothly.
Yet one area where even consumers may have air compressors is in their cars. That’s right, compressed air filters are found in engines of everything from motor vehicles to large factory machines. Why are these filters needed for these parts? Because engines have so many working parts — valves, cylinders, nozzles, and others — they need to be kept clean and functioning. Filters play a big role in doing that.
No matter what kind of machinery you happen to be using, though, there’s a good chance there’s some kind of filter inside of it. Filters are designed to keep out moisture, dust, air, and sometimes even harmful contaminants. This creates a better, cleaner world for everyone — and one that functions consistently, too. Without filters, industry would cease as machines became too clogged with dust and dirt.
So next time you rely on transportation or buy something that was made in a factory, remember to thank filters for making it possible!
