The Increasing Demand for Screw Compressors Driven by Higher Energy-Saving and Environmental Protection Requirements

May 27, 2024

Air compressors are fundamental equipment for industrial modernization. As the core electromechanical equipment in pneumatic systems and the main component in air source devices, they convert the mechanical energy of prime movers (usually electric motors or diesel engines) into gas pressure energy. Their primary functions include providing air power, gas synthesis and polymerization, gas transportation, refrigeration, and gas separation. Air compressors, commonly used to provide air power, are applied across various significant industries in the national economy, including equipment manufacturing, petrochemical, textile and apparel, food and beverage, pharmaceutical production, mining, and construction. Entering the 21st century, new technologies for air compressors have continuously emerged, with processing precision and auxiliary equipment becoming more sophisticated, thereby expanding their scope of application.

Currently, the primary types of air compressors available in the market include piston compressors, screw compressors, and centrifugal compressors. Let’s delve into each type:

1.Piston Compressors:

These compressors have a long history and feature a relatively simple structure.

However, they exhibit operational instability and consume significant materials during manufacturing.

2.Screw Compressors:

Screw compressors operate more smoothly and reliably than piston compressors.

They do come with a higher technical complexity, making their manufacturing process challenging.

3.Centrifugal Compressors:

Centrifugal compressors function by increasing the velocity of gas molecules.

They then convert the kinetic energy of these molecules into potential energy through a diffuser.

Centrifugal compressors operate smoothly and can be completely oil-free.

However, they are not well-suited for situations requiring very small gas volumes or extremely high compression ratios.

Due to the advantages of higher efficiency, lower noise, high reliability, stability, and easy maintenance, the market scale of screw compressors is continuously expanding. After years of development, developed countries now predominantly use screw compressors as industrial air sources and air power equipment, with a market share exceeding 80%. As the requirements for energy saving and emission reduction in downstream industries continue to rise, and as the production costs and overall prices of screw compressors continue to decline, their application in downstream industries has been steadily promoted. The market share of screw compressors is continuously increasing, effectively replacing piston compressors and growing at a much faster rate than the piston compressor industry.

With China becoming the global manufacturing center, domestic screw compressor manufacturers have assimilated and absorbed technical processes through technology introduction and cooperative production. Currently, the domestic screw compressor industry has matured. SPARTA’s similar products are increasingly approaching the performance and quality of internationally renowned brands and have a high cost-performance advantage compared to international brands. As the level of industrialization deepens and the screw compressor industry matures, the production of screw compressors in China is rapidly increasing.

Screw compressors can provide compressed air according to usage needs and are one of the main power sources for industrial automation control. Against the backdrop of diminishing population dividends, industrial upgrading, and efficiency improvements, the long-term positive trend of the industrial automation industry will drive the demand for the screw compressor industry to achieve continuous rapid growth.

In the fields of construction and mining, air compressors primarily provide air power for equipment such as drilling rigs, shotcrete machines, and piling machines or ventilate and ensure the working environment. Due to the relatively special working environment of construction air compressors, they require higher stability and reliability. Compared to traditional piston compressors, screw compressors have higher efficiency, lower noise, higher reliability, stability, and simple maintenance. They can also be designed with higher power and a wide range of displacement, making screw compressors more advantageous in the engineering field and offering broader development prospects and space in this area.