Introduction

General manufacturing includes industries like automotive, electronics, and textiles. These industries use compressed air in many parts of their production processes.

This category most likely includes most of the factories in your local industrial park/area. Although these typically will also house factories with compressed air systems in the 'workshops and small scale' and 'food, beverage and pharma' categories.

Why They Need Compressed Air

Compressed air is needed to power tools, run machines, and move materials. It helps in automating tasks and keeping production lines running smoothly.
Typical Requirements

Manufacturing plants usually need compressors that are reliable and can provide a steady supply of air.

The air often needs to be clean and dry, especially for sensitive tasks. Energy efficiency is also important to keep costs down.

**Typical Compressor Setups **

Compressed air systems in this category are typically either located in a dedicated compressor room (together with filters, dryers and air receivers), but also very commonly the compressor installation is simply installed in a corner of the factory or some other convenient location (at the loading bay, on top of the offices, mounted to the wall, behind stacks of goods so it's impossible to reach... you name it, I've seen it.)

While that's convenient and cost-saving (and often even encouraged in the marketing brochures of air compressors), those are not the best locations for a long trouble-free and efficient (energy-saving!) compressor setup.

Compressors and Equipment Used

We'll typically see one or two rotary screw compressors of various sizes, with standard air filters and a refrigerated compressed air dryer. This will give the minimum air quality needed for most general-purpose applications.

All these items could also be found in a single 'all-in-one' machine where the dryer and filters are located inside the machine, creating a very compact setup while still providing a basic quality of compressed air.

Examples of Specific Use-Cases and Needs

Automotive Assembly
    Needs: High-pressure air for tools and painting.
    Air Quality: Clean air to avoid paint issues.
    Compressor Type: Oil-injected screw compressors.

Electronics Manufacturing
    Needs: Precise, clean air for small, delicate parts.
    Air Quality: Oil-free air to prevent contamination.
    Compressor Type: Oil-free rotary screw compressors.

Textile Production
    Needs: Continuous air for looms and handling systems.
    Air Quality: Clean air to keep fabrics free of dirt.
    Compressor Type: Rotary vane or screw compressors.

General Assembly Lines
    Needs: Reliable air for tools and automation.
    Air Quality: Depends on the task but often moderate to high.
    Compressor Type: Reciprocating or rotary screw compressors.