Successful Air Strike

For manufacturers, deciding what geographic market to test a new product can sometimes be a process of random chance, such as drawing straws or flipping a coin. But when it was time for Doosan Portable Power to roll out its newly enhanced Ingersoll Rand P185 air compressor, the decision was obvious — California.

“California is unique in that it has its own specific rules governing emissions,” said Darrin Martin, district manager of California for Doosan Portable Power. “CARB requirements and the market conditions in California drove us to provide an air compressor with a 49-hp engine that is Tier 4 compliant and delivers 185 cfm of air.”

The California Air Resource Board (CARB) is the clean air agency for the state. It was established prior to the federal Clean Air Act and serves as the state’s enforcement arm for state and EPA regulations regarding pollution. Since the 1990s, the state has required owners of portable equipment with 50-hp and higher engines to obtain a $620 permit to operate them. The state itself is in dire straits financially and construction spending went from $80 billion before the recession to $22 billion in 2009. 2010 is forecast to gain slightly from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and possibly reach $24 billion. This directly correlates to how much money contractors are going to have available for capital investment.

“This presents certain problems for contractors in California,” said Alfonso Fernandez, vice president of sales, California, for Volvo Construction Equipment & Services. “There is very little municipal and state work out here; however, federal work is slightly better. Still, contractors need to do more with less.”

Volvo Construction Equipment & Services of California supplies construction equipment for construction, industrial and oil and gas, as well as municipalities and county agencies. Although a majority of its business is supplying heavy equipment, such as earthmovers, pipe layers, demolition and road machinery, approximately 35 percent of its revenue comes from the sale and rental of Doosan Portable Power air compressors, both large and small.

“Air compressors are used in the construction segment for several applications like demolition, sandblasting and drilling,” Fernandez explains. “For industrial segments, compressors are used as backup air for stationary compressors, and the oil and gas segment uses large, high-pressure units for drilling applications.”

The Popularity of a 185 Compressor

The most common and versatile air compressors found on construction jobsites are 185-cfm units. According to Fernandez, small air compressors like the Ingersoll Rand P185 are used by municipalities as either a truck-mounted unit or tow-behind unit to power hand-held tools for road maintenance, infrastructure repair and so forth.

“A 185-cfm air compressor is very versatile,” said Rus Warner, manager of global air products for Doosan Portable Power. “We were the first to introduce a 185-cfm compressor to the market.”

Volvo Construction Equipment & Services of California supplies machinery for construction, industrial and oil and gas, as well as municipalities and county agencies. Approximately 35 percent of its revenue comes from the sale and rental of Doosan Portable Power air compressors.

With 100-cfm machines, it took two compressors to run two 90-lb breakers. With the 185, two tools can run at once. That is why it’s the most popular size in the construction industry.

The 185-cfm air compressors definitely fill a sweet spot in the construction market because of their versatility. Not only can it operate two tools simultaneously — thus saving time, fuel and expense for the contractor — it is applicable to many different jobs.

“The key applications for 185-cfm air compressors are powering pneumatic tools, such as breakers, asphalt cutters, chippers, jackhammers and light sandblasting,” said Warner. “The 185 is also used for pressurizing pipeline jobsites and residential sprinkler systems.”

Service and Maintenance

Portable air compressors are designed to be rugged and handle rigorous environments. However, Warner said it is important the contractors follow manufacturers’ recommendations for daily, weekly and machine-hour maintenance.

“Preventive maintenance will more than pay for itself if a routine maintenance schedule is developed and followed,” Warner said. Warner’s short list for daily maintenance includes:

1. A general walk-around, checking for leaks.
2. Checking the engine oil and the compressor oil sight glass on the separator tank.
3. Monitoring the level of radiator coolant.
4. Checking to ensure all gauges and lamps are in working order.
5. Checking the air cleaner service indicators and fuel/water separator drain.
6. Draining any water that has collected from the fuel filters.

Each week, the operator should inspect the fan and alternator belts and the battery connections. Check the tires and the lug nuts before and after transporting the air compressor. If the air compressor is working in a dirty environment, the filters should be checked daily and replaced when necessary. Every month, a full inspection of the air compressor should be conducted. The hoses should be inspected for fraying, along with the automatic shutdown system and the air cleaner system.

Portable air compressors are designed to be rugged and handle rigorous environments, so be sure to give them the TLC they deserve. At a minimum of 500 hours, all filters should be replaced, including the oil filter in this spin-on oil separator.

At a minimum of 500 hours, all filters should be replaced. Another key enhancement of the P185 is the redesign of the oil separator. It is now separate from the pressure vessel and is easily accessible for service. It is externally mounted and allows for filter changes within five minutes vs. 60 to 90 minutes.

“This is an important redesign component because it increases the probability that the machine is going to be maintained properly,” Warner said.

Other 500-hour maintenance points include inspecting the fasteners and guards, as well as replacing the fuel/water filter element and compressor oil filters, which will increase efficiency and save fuel. For contractors in California that use a 185-cfm air compressor, this is all good news.

“The key selling points for an air compressor in California are CARB-compliance, reliability and aftermarket price,” said Fernandez. “Doosan Portable Power gives us that. The technology and reliability of the machine gives the P185 the highest resale value of any other portable air compressor in the industry.”

Dawn Buzynski is a public relations representative for Two Rivers Marketing, based in Des Moines, Iowa.