Food and Beverage
Oil carryover is one of the first things a food or beverage producer wants out of its compressed air. We supply the parts, design support, and ASME pressure vessels that help production lines run on clean, oil-free air.
Food and Beverage Applications
Food and beverage production uses compressed air for everything from filling and capping to conveying and packaging, and in many of these processes the air touches the product directly or indirectly. Oil carryover from a lubricated compressor can add off-flavors or odors to products and put an audit at risk. Oil-free compressors remove the main source of that carryover.
Typical food and beverage applications for oil-free compressed air and ASME pressure vessels include:
- Beverage dispensing systems, where air purity affects product taste and quality
- Packaging machinery such as fillers, cappers, labelers, and conveyors, which rely on pneumatic actuators throughout the line
- Air knives and blow-off systems used to dry bottles, cans, and containers before filling or labeling
- Dairy processing equipment, where lubricant contamination cannot be tolerated
- Bakery automation and portioning equipment using pneumatic controls
- Bottling and canning lines, including both product-contact and plant air applications
- Brewery and winery pneumatic controls for tank transfer, mixing, and packaging equipment
Because facilities in this industry go through regular safety audits, the compressed air supply is often reviewed as closely as the production equipment.
Oil-Free Parts and Pressure Vessels for Food and Beverage
Producers can work with us on the following:
- Replacement parts and repair kits for Thomas, Gast, and GSE oil-free compressors used in product-contact and point-of-use air applications, from piston cups and cylinder sleeves to flapper valves, gaskets, and bearings
- Air compressor design consultation for facilities that want to tailor a compressor design to their process or extend the life of an existing oil-free system
- Rebuilds of oil-free compressors, from top-end-only work to total rebuilds with motor and eccentric bearings, through our air compressor service and remanufacturing team, so facilities can avoid replacing entire systems
- Custom ASME “U” and “UM” stamped air receivers and surge tanks, in sizes from 1 to 400 gallons
- Pressure vessel sourcing across seven ASME pressure vessel manufacturing facilities, where we coordinate vessel size, materials, and pressure rating to a facility’s needs
Our remanufacturing work replaces wear components such as piston cups, cylinder sleeves, valves, gaskets, and bearings, and our design team can look at component fitment when a facility adapts an existing compressor to a new line. Send us the compressor model and we will point you to the right parts, along with maintenance intervals that fit your production schedule.
Application Example
The following is a hypothetical example, not a description of a specific customer. Consider a regional beverage plant that runs oil-free compressors to supply its packaging line. As those compressors age, worn piston cups and cylinder sleeves reduce output, and the plant starts to see slower fills and more frequent compressor service.
In a situation like this, we would help the plant identify its compressor models and supply oil-free replacement parts for a rebuild, which avoids the cost and downtime of replacing the whole system. We would also suggest maintenance intervals so the plant can plan service around its production schedule rather than around breakdowns.
When the plant also needs to buffer demand from its filling equipment, we can help size an ASME air receiver for the line. The details depend on the equipment and the air demand, so we review those first.
Talk to Our Team
Bring us your compressor model, your air demand, or a question about storage, and we will help you sort out the right parts and vessels. Our 45 years of experience with oil-free compressors and ASME pressure vessels goes into every answer.
Request a Quote or call 1-800-913-0661 to talk with our team.