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February 25, 2020
FRLs – Filters, Regulators and Lubricators – guarantee the efficiency and durability of pneumatic tools. Including an FRL in your air system is vital to running an efficient air line set-up and key to achieving a good return on investment. Adding an FRL in close proximity to the power tool will ensure the required airflow pressure, as well as good air quality by reducing the risk of moisture and dust in the air line. The FRL also helps maintain your air line by providing lubrication.
Discover more in video:
An FRL system combines 3 main functions in one system: filtration, regulation and lubrication.
Dust in an engine could block the air flow and reduce the power of the tool leading to increased maintenance costs as well as high air consumption. Any dirt and rust could also damage the engine resulting in power loss and early wear. This increases tool repair costs and the risk of incident during production.
This is important because if the pressure is lower than the one recommended by the manufacturer, the tool can’t reach its performance level and the profitability is decreasing. If the pressure is too high, the tool wears out early. It could also breakdown leading to operator injury and a risk of damage to the application.
Without lubrication a tool wears out and will stop reaching its maximum level of performance. This in turn leads to a loss of productivity and increased maintenance costs. The graphics below illustrate the durability and the service life of the tool’s air motor with and without lubrication maintenance:
Achieve optimum performance of your tool’s air motor with good lubrication:
Estimated figures based on laboratory tests carried out on pneumatic motors.
(1) Tool’s motor power output
(2) Oil quantity
(3) Tool manufacturer recommendations (available in operator/product manual)
Achieve optimum service life of your tool’s air motor with good air lubrication:
Estimated figures based on laboratory tests carried out on pneumatic motors.
(1) Tool’s motor power output
(2) Oil quantity
(3) Tool manufacturer recommendations (available in operator/product manual)
There are many different types of FRLs, and so when specifying an FRL there are 4 key considerations:
Important: Make sure you always check manufacturer recommendations. Read more about how to select the right FRL here.
Most pneumatic tool users do not achieve the best performance from their tools because of the air line setup. To maximize the benefits of using FRLs there are 4 rules to bear in mind:
Tips: Refer to our check list in our “Is your air tool installation right?” Technical guide to confirm that your installation is well set-up.
Pneumatic tools are designed and specified to work at 90 PSI (6.3 bar) dynamic air pressure and with lubrication (find all information in the tools’ operator manuals available in the Chicago Pneumatic website). A higher pressure could affect the tools lifespan, and operator safety (excessive vibration, or abrasive over-speed and burst risk). We recommend using a gauge equipped FRL with every tool to adjust pressure.
A clean air installation guarantees productivity and return on investment.
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How well do you know the impact of the air line installation on your productivity? Test yourself by taking our quiz below and answer all of the questions to get your score at the end.
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