Quote:
Originally Posted by nxtsoccer
Hello all, I've been building a test electronics board to prepare and practice for the new season. This is 4087's second year and the first pneumatic assembly we've ever done. I've got everything working well so far and just wanted to ask if someone could put some rest to a concern of mine.
Every time I vent the pressure built up in the tanks by the compressor, I feel a lot of water vapor coming out. The amount of water I feel has definitely increased since the first few times I ran the system. Should I be concerned with this water? Is it harming the solenoid, regulators, tanks, cylinder, etc? If so, how can I get rid of the water that's building up without having to take the entire thing apart every few times it's used?
Thanks in advance for the help!
(And sorry if I missed any previous posts asking this same question, I didn't see any when I searched.)
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The moisture is simply condensate from the ambient air being pressurized. In indusrrial air systems this is prevented by havng dryers on the intake air to keep vapor out of the system, but in our simple systems there is not really any way of preventing condensate from accumulating. It is less of a problem in colder, dryer regions than in warmer humid ones. It will not cause problems as long as it does not become too excessive, but like any equipment your valves and cylinders could have some corrosion if they were left with the moisture for long periods. The best way to combat it is same way you prevent corrosion in other tools and equipment, with oil. A few drops of light oil (such as 3 in 1) introduced into the main supply line after the compressor will work its way through the system and keep internal parts lubricated and protect from corrosion. It also keeps your valve spools and cylinder pistons lubricated and working smoothly. Some problems teams experience with faulty valves are from the valves sticking due to lack of lubrication. We add a few drops of light oil into our robot systems 2 or 3 times a year.