Radicle Lab requires compressed air to operate many functions in the lab. To ensure
proper operation, ample flow and pressure must be supplied to the lab. Many different
sizes of air compressors can supply the lab, but keep in mind a compressor must supply
enough flow AND pressure. Check your compressor specs.
Generally, a compressor cannot instantaneously supply enough air to keep up with peak
demand from the Radicle Lab, so it is important to store up air in a tank to provide a
reservoir from which the lab can draw. The larger the tank and the higher the pressure
inside, the more air it stores and the less the compressor will have to turn on and off.
There are two common types of air compressors: piston-type and screw-type. Which type
you have will affect the pressures and storage volumes you need, but the total volume of
air the lab needs will remain the same.
Piston-style Air Compressors:
- Higher tank pressure
- Higher line pressure
- Smaller tank
- Lower upfront cost
- More noise from compressor
- Shorter pump and motor life
Screw-type Air Compressors
Screw compressors typically run at lower pressures than piston compressors, so the
storage tank will need to be larger for a screw compressor to ensure enough air is stored. If
a screw compressor and a piston compressor happened to have the exact same pressure
and CFM specs, then everything else in the system could be identical, too.
- Lower tank pressure
- Lower line pressure
- Larger tank
- Higher upfront cost
- Quieter compressor
- Longer pump and motor life
Other Air Infrastructure Notes:
- The tank pressures listed above are minimums, so the compressor will need to fill
the tank to 10-25psi higher than this and maintain that elevated pressure.
- Regardless of compressor type, it is helpful to have a filter-regulator between the
compressor and the lab so the lab will see a steady regulated pressure.
- The lines going to the lab can be hard pipe or soft hoses, but hoses must not have
coils smaller than 2ft (0.6m) in diameter to avoid flow restrictions.