Which Medical Air Technology does your facility utilize? Do you know the difference between the different technologies? Which technology is the right choice for your application? I will try to answer these questions and offer additional information about well-known Medical Air technologies and some insight into some new technologies that have hit the market recently.
The Reciprocating Medical Air Compressor has been a mainstay in Medical Air systems for healthcare. The simple piston design is reliable if properly maintained, and probably one of the most widely used systems still today. Ranging in size from 1hp to 30hp, this technology is good for small, medium and large facilities.
The Scroll Medical Air Compressor has been around for some time now and has proven to be a reliable and efficient technology, which is sure to be around for years to come. One scroll moves while the other is fixed. Air is drawn in and compressed as it is squeezed toward the center. System sizes range from 2hp to 15hp and are available in many configurations to meet different demands. Since the scroll design is compact, it uses a much smaller footprint than other systems on the market. The small footprint and low maintenance requirements make this technology the right choice for many facilities.
The Rotary Tooth Medical Air Compressor utilizes a fairly new technology in the healthcare segment. The rotary tooth systems are designed for larger facilities, which in the past had no choice but to use water lubricated medical air systems. This was mainly because no other technology could meet such high demands. Today however, that has all changed. The rotary tooth systems range in sizes from 20hp to 75hp and have the option of variable speed. Variable Speed Drive (VSD) is a revolutionary design which is changing inefficiency to ultra efficiency. Independent studies have shown significant energy savings and some VSD Medical Air Systems have actually earned the“Energy Star” status. The VSD matches the motor speed to the demand which creates an almost perfectly efficient system, which these days is an important factor when making energy conscious decisions. If your facility is large and has large demands for medical air, the rotary tooth system with variable speed drive is the right choice.
