SPARTA Takes You Inside the Mechanics of Screw Air Compressors

Août 7, 2025

Understanding the inner workings of a screw air compressor is key to ensuring stable performance, energy efficiency, and long-term reliability. Whether you operate a stationary unit or a compresseur d'air à vis mobile, the performance of each core component plays a decisive role in productivity and safety. Let’s explore what goes on inside a compressor and why maintenance matters.

Core Components of a Screw Air Compressor

A high-performance screw air compressor—such as those offered by Sparta Machinery—is composed of several integrated systems designed to work in harmony. Here’s a closer look at each:

1. Compression Mechanism

This includes the cylinder, piston, inlet valve, and exhaust valve. The cylinder head typically contains four valve ports—two for intake, two for discharge—allowing for efficient airflow control.

2. Transmission Mechanism

This part converts the motor’s rotary energy into linear motion using a system of pulleys, crankshafts, and connecting rods. For screw compressors, smooth and consistent transmission ensures lower vibration and noise.

3. Sealing Structure

High-quality sealing is critical for pressure retention. Both primary and secondary cylinders are equipped with precision packing sets, using spring preload and internal pressure to maintain a tight seal around the piston rod.

4. Lubrication System

To keep all moving parts functioning smoothly, the compressor includes an oil pump, oil filter, pressure gauge, and additional filtration elements to reduce friction and heat.

5. Cooling System

Effective cooling is ensured via water-cooled pipes, intercoolers, and aftercoolers. These regulate internal temperatures and protect against overheating, especially in continuous-use applications.

6. Unloading & Pressure Control

An intelligent pressure control system maintains optimal discharge pressure. The unloading valve helps prevent over-pressurization and energy waste by adjusting load status based on demand.

7. Safety Protection

Safety features include primary and secondary pressure relief valves and electrical safeguards. The primary valve typically opens between 0.24–0.3 MPa to prevent dangerous pressure buildup.

Why Consumables Matter

Even the most advanced movable screw air compressor depends on simple, often overlooked consumables to maintain performance. These include:

• Air intake filter
• Oil filter
• Oil separator element
• Lubricating oil

Each consumable serves a crucial role, akin to vital organs in the human body. When one fails, the entire system suffers. For instance, a clogged air filter reduces airflow and increases internal pressure, placing added stress on the motor. In a standard system operating at 0.7 MPa, any drop in intake pressure or rise in exhaust backpressure can increase the internal compression ratio significantly—from 8 to as high as 11—causing:

• Increased exhaust temperature
• Greater motor load
• Reduced air output
• Shorter lubricant and filter life

Dust contamination from a failing filter can also degrade the quality of lubricating oil, eventually affecting the oil separator, filter, and cooler—leading to costly downtime.

Maintenance = Longevity

Routine replacement of these consumables is essential to preserving system stability. Most air compressor manuals—including those from Sparta Machinery—provide detailed maintenance schedules that outline optimal intervals based on environment and usage. Operators should not only follow these recommendations but also adjust them based on real-world conditions, such as humidity, dust levels, or frequency of load cycles.

Sparta Machinery: Your Partner in Smart Air Compression

Whether you’re running a fixed station or managing off-site operations with a movable screw air compressor, Sparta Machinery delivers engineering-grade reliability and after-sales service. From robust component design to easy-access consumables and intuitive control systems, every Sparta compressor is built for long-term success.

Trust Sparta to keep your operations running cooler, cleaner, and more efficiently.