Quiet oil less compressor for air assist?

[Joe Peacock]

I am looking for a quiet, oil less air compressor to run the air assist on my Universal VSL 230. I think the air assist needs to be around 30 lbs. continuous. It will be in kind of an office environment and I need it to be quiet. Ideally it would be able to run for extended periods of time during the day. Inexpensive would be great if that is possible.
I did a search about this but many of the posts are out of date. Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Joe

[Lee DeRaud]

See this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=131085

I just got the big brother to the compressor that Dee Gallo has, and yes, it is very quiet...quite a bit quieter than the laser actually.

(Now I just need the air-assist cone and the hose fitting...both backordered from ULS, go figure.)

[Dave Yanke]

I thought air assist had to be factory installed.

Can you list the parts you are getting? Is it difficult to figure out?

[Bill Cunningham]

If it's operating in "kind of a office environment" and your engraving stuff that needs an air assist, I would think that noise would only be one of your smaller problems..:eek:

[Dan Hintz]

Lee,

Which one did you pick up?

[John Volkmar]

Hi Joe: I have sourced a very nice 4.6 gallon, oil free compressor that runs at 55 decibels, and provides 4.4 CFM @ 90 PSI. It sells for $500.00 shipped to your facility.

Universal Lasers' Air Assist has a Dual Channel design. One line flows through a Nozzle or Back Sweep and the second line provides air flow at the Beam Window, The number 2 mirror box and, finally at the focus carriage to protect the #3 mirror and the cutting lens. This all means that you need a compressor that produces 50 PSI @ 2-2.5 CFM flow rate minimum.

Please feel free to PM with questions.

[John Volkmar]

Hi Dave, your VLS4.60 DOES need to come from the factory with Air Assist installed. The Desktop versions from Universal are already set up with Air-Assist.

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee,

Which one did you pick up?The TC60. (I got the kit with the 3 airbrushes and hoses, just to have one more learning curve to waste time on.:p) More power/volume than the TC18 Dee got, but same noise spec, and a price below my impulse-buy pain threshold.

Based on what I'm reading here, it may not put out enough volume to be an optimal air-assist source (certainly not enough to meet ULS's specs), but since I haven't had any air-assist so far (five years), it's worth a try. Won't know for sure until I can score the extra parts to hook it up.

[Joe Peacock]

Hi Joe: I have sourced a very nice 4.6 gallon, oil free compressor that runs at 55 decibels, and provides 4.4 CFM @ 90 PSI. It sells for $500.00 shipped to your facility.

Universal Lasers' Air Assist has a Dual Channel design. One line flows through a Nozzle or Back Sweep and the second line provides air flow at the Beam Window, The number 2 mirror box and, finally at the focus carriage to protect the #3 mirror and the cutting lens. This all means that you need a compressor that produces 50 PSI @ 2-2.5 CFM flow rate minimum.

Please feel free to PM with questions.
Thanks for the info. I have an air assist "cone" for my VLS230 coming from ULS. It was $140 and I couldn't figure out why it was so expensive. Based on what you describe above, I understand the cost a little better now.
Joe

[Joe Peacock]

See this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=131085

I just got the big brother to the compressor that Dee Gallo has, and yes, it is very quiet...quite a bit quieter than the laser actually.

(Now I just need the air-assist cone and the hose fitting...both backordered from ULS, go figure.)
Lee,
By the big brother do you mean the
Compressor Model TC-60

That is $129+/-?
Joe

[Joe Peacock]

I notice that the compressors mentioned have a 5-30 +/- psi "working pressure". Is this sufficient to run the air assist on the Universal VLS230?
Thanks,
Joe

[Lee DeRaud]

I have an air assist "cone" for my VLS230 coming from ULS. It was $140 and I couldn't figure out why it was so expensive. Based on what you describe above, I understand the cost a little better now.Or not: you already paid for the plumbing John describes when you bought your machine.

The price isn't exorbitant, but I suspect it still qualifies as a "high-profit part".

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee,
By the big brother do you mean the
Compressor Model TC-60

That is $129+/-?
JoeYup: see post #8. It's the biggest one on that site before the noise rating starts climbing.

[Joe Peacock]

Anybody use this one? (http://www.airbrushcity.com/comp45/)

ARIES Model # A111 Just a Little Bit of Dynamite! Fully Automatic 57 PSI Only 5.8 Pounds

http://www.airbrushcity.com/comp45/aries_web_132.jpg


QUIET OPERATION! 58 db
Adjustable Air Pressure Regulator
Oil-Less - Oil free operation
1/8 BSP & 1/4 BSP & NPT airline connection
Auto ON @ 43 PSI - Auto OFF @ 57 PSI
110/120 Volts - 1/6th HP
Weight: 5.8 lbs
Size: W 6" x D 6" x H 5"
2 Year Warranty


Click on photos to enlarge

So Small
Fits in Palm of Hand

http://www.airbrushcity.com/comp45/aries_web_show_sm.jpg

Super Special
Bonus - Includes
Thread adapters for 1/4" NPT and 1/4 BSP to connect almost any Airline.
Plus Moisture Filter http://www.airbrushcity.com/accessories/index.2.jpg (http://www.airbrushcity.com/1801.htm)
$99.50

https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif

[Lee DeRaud]

Anybody use this one?
QUIET OPERATION! 58 db
Like I said: twice as loud.

[Paul Brinkmeyer]

I know ULS specs say more air, as does most every one else.
On my ULS I run 8 psi most of the time, cone off and air to the cone shut off.
When I need the cone on, I only run 5 psi. system wide. That happens because when I open the air for the cone, the pressure drops beacuse of more ways for the air to escape.

If I cut a lot of thicker wood, I will increase my overall air pressure system wide to 14 psi max.

I started out with the higher pressures that ULS asked for when I first got my system, and I had to clean my moving lens about every 4 - 6 hours depending on what I was doing. Now I still check the lens every day, but I actully have to clean them less than once per month, on average.

I only use a airbrush compressor and have never had a water problem, and can hardly hear it run.

[Dan Hintz]

I run mine around 10psi, so these systems should be more than adequate.

[Lee DeRaud]

I know ULS specs say more air, as does most every one else.
...
I only use a airbrush compressor and have never had a water problem, and can hardly hear it run.That's kind of what I was hoping to discover: the pressure is no problem, but the CFM figure from ULS sounded way high, given the tiny tubes the air is being pumped through.

[Joe Peacock]

I know ULS specs say more air, as does most every one else.
On my ULS I run 8 psi most of the time, cone off and air to the cone shut off.
When I need the cone on, I only run 5 psi. system wide. That happens because when I open the air for the cone, the pressure drops beacuse of more ways for the air to escape.

If I cut a lot of thicker wood, I will increase my overall air pressure system wide to 14 psi max.

I started out with the higher pressures that ULS asked for when I first got my system, and I had to clean my moving lens about every 4 - 6 hours depending on what I was doing. Now I still check the lens every day, but I actully have to clean them less than once per month, on average.

I only use a airbrush compressor and have never had a water problem, and can hardly hear it run.
Paul,
I notice you said with "Cone off". This means when you physically remove the cone, right? My manual says that terrible things can happen if you leave the cone on!
Joe

[John Volkmar]

Just to clear up operating your Universal Laser with Air Assist. If you are running air into a standard Air Assist equipped machine, you should always have the nose cone on. You must remove the nose cone if you aren't running air because the heat build up will crack the cutting lens almost immediately.

Running the machine without the nose cone but with air turned on will contaminate the cutting lens very quickly. There is a small hole drilled into the nose cone bracket right by the cutting lens. In effect you create a venturi at the lens when air is turned on. If you don't have the cone on, this venturi effect contaminates the cutting lens very quickly.

Machines equipped with computer controlled air asssist, can turn off the air flow to the lens only, and this type of system can run with Air on, but no nose cone on.

[Paul Brinkmeyer]

to add to this a little.

On my machine with standard Air Assist air, there is a small black knob where the air goes into the laser thats only functioin is to turn the air for the cone off if you are running without the cone. That way you can turn on the air if the cone is on the machine, and turn off the air to the cone if the cone is removed, and leave the air for the other optics on.
Before I knew about that valve for the cone, I turned the air off to the whole machine when the cone was off.

In the for what it is worth catagory,
I do run into issues with the lens getting very dirt very fast if you run with the cone on and no air to the cone.

I do run with the air on all the time for the optics, and only use the cone if I am cutting something that needs it like wood.

[Dee Gallo]

I'm with Paul. I also found that if I used air assist all the time, I got a lot less "dust" from plastics which I engrave a lot. The noise was pretty loud, so I got the quiet one and now I can always run the air with no annoying noise. It keeps my machine much cleaner and I think it makes the engraved lines look better too.

:) dee

[Joe Peacock]

Thanks for the info. I have an air assist "cone" for my VLS230 coming from ULS. It was $140 and I couldn't figure out why it was so expensive. Based on what you describe above, I understand the cost a little better now.
Joe
I tried the $140.00 Cone from ULS for my VLS230 and it did not help in my application. I am cutting PETG .030" and I tried it with the protective coating off the PETG hoping it would stop the "smoke damage" along vector cuts and it didn't do enough good to warrant having it. If anyone wants to buy a nearly new (less than 30 minute use) one PM me and I will cut you a heck of a deal!
Joe