Selecting your pipe material and size
Incorrectly sized or badly designed compressed air pipe can result in excessive system pressure drop which can harm your production and efficiency.
We can design, supply and install an airline system for you as well as offer advice for the best suited material for your air line pipework system There are several materials available each with their own advantages; Copper A copper pipe airline installation is good for an installation that has a lot of obstructions. The price of going around a steel beam in aluminium is upward of $150. Doing the same thing in the same size copper pipe would be more than half the price. The smaller lengths can be bent onsite which also saves money on installation and having the ability to expand the pipe also saves on extra fittings. Due to having similar installation costs and a 25 year guarantee - Crimped fittings means no need for oxy/acetylene welding during installation. - Fast installation - Won't Rust - Durable - Easy to add onto - 25 year guarantee on joints and fittings - Price of fittings cheaper than aluminium fittings & plastic - No chance of leaks once fittings have been soldered or crimped Aluminium Aluminium airline pipework is great for long straight runs as the labour savings far outweighs the additional cost of the fittings. Also aluminium pipe is great in areas where your customers will see your workplace. The light blue pipe looks great as well as meeting AS1345 for Identification of the content of pipes. - Quick & easy to install - Easy to add extra drops or tee off from - Doesn't rust - Cost of labour to install greatly reduced due to light weight lengths - Wide range of fittings - No gas required to install - 10 year guarantee on joints and fittings Plastic Poly Pipe Plastic compressed air piping is one of the cheapest options for your installation. It is great for temporary setups or when being installed in a cable tray. The pipe tends to sag if not fastened at least 250mm apart. Also keep in mind that plastic pipe has a rather large wall thickness. If you were considering an installation in 25mm copper for example you would have to install 32mm plastic to get similar flow rates. Also we don't recommend installing plastic poly pipe directly out of your compressor due to excessive heat. - Won't Rust - Quick & easy to install - Pipe & fittings are cheap - Air leaks can pop up over time - Pipe tends to sag if not bracketed enough - 5 Year guarantee on joints and fittings Galvanised Steel Galvanised steel is very durable. The labour aspect of the installation will drive the price up however the cost of materials is relatively cheap. Along with copper and stainless steel; galvanised steel piping will stand the test of time. - Will rust over time from joints - Durable - Fittings and pipe is cheap - Very labour intensive - Pipe threader/cutter required Stainless Steel Stainless steel piping is required in corrosive or wash down environments and is usually specified by your plant/design engineer. The pipe can be either welded, screwed or crimped together. - Crimped fittings means no need for welding or screwing and fast installation - High chemical resistance - Durable - Resistant to rusting - Lengths and fittings quite expensive - 25 year guarantee on crimped fittings - Very labour intensive if welding or screwing (alternative is crimping fittings) |
Use the charts below to select your pipe size based on the length and your air usage
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