Screw VS Piston Air Compressor

In recent years, screw air compressors have gradually replaced piston type air compressors. They become the mainstream in the air compressor market. The following mainly introduces the difference between screw type and piston type.

Differences	Screw air compressor	Piston air compressor
Scope of application	The widest scope of application.	The large scope of application, generally used in high-pressure fields.
Construction	The two rotors continue to operate, changing the cavity volume to shrink.	The crankshaft drives the piston to reciprocate to rest. It transforms the cylinder volume to contract.
System configuration	Air compressor + air storage tank + primary oil filter + air dryer + secondary oil filter	Air compressor + after cooler + low temperature type air dryer + three-stage oil filter + air storage tank + cooling tower + water pump + dry road valve
The balance of forces	Good, There is no unbalanced inertial force difference.	Not good. As the crankshaft rotates, the piston changes greatly. Generate a lot of inertial force.
The vibration and noise	Small, and no foundation is required.	Large, generally require a foundation in addition to microcomputers.
Air pulsation and pipe vibration	Small	Large
Cooling methods	air-cooled, water-cooled; air-cooled is recommended, no additional investment. The heat exchanger cleaning only uses contraction gas blowing.	Most big models are cold water, which requires an additional cooling system, such as a cooling tower, water pump, and valve. Increased the level of complexity of the system, there is a possibility of water leakage. It is inconvenient to clean the water-cooled heat exchanger.
Efficiency and energy consumption	High efficiency. Energy consumption is reduced by 15%-25%.	Low speed, low efficiency, and high energy consumption.
Volume and weight	Small size and lightweight, saving raw materials.	The large size and heavyweight.
Operation and maintenance	High degree of automation, simple and convenient operation and maintenance.	Low degree of automation, many spare parts, complicated operation, and maintenance.
Drive mode	Direct drive and belt drive	Most are belt drive
Compressed air quality	Low exhaust temperature, low oil content, and low quality of impurities.	The exhaust temperature is high, and the oil content and impurities are high.
Reliability and longevity	High reliability and long life. The life of the main engine can generally reach more than 60,000 hours. Lubricating oil: 4000 hours; Intake filter: 4000 hours.	High failure rate and short life. Lubricating oil: 2000 hours; intake filter: 2000 hours.
Repairability	Generally, no repair is required. When maintenance is required, the maintenance personnel are required to be not very high.	The wearing parts are updated frequently and the maintenance workload is heavy. But the maintenance is less difficult.