Heico Direct

So why a silent air compressor?

Air compressors can be very noisy and if you are working in a shop, at home or require a mobile air supply this can be a real problem. The Bambi range of Silent Air Compressors are specifically designed to operate at low noise and vibration levels, in fact the Budget range of oil filled compressors run at levels as low as 40 decibels which is equivalent to the hum of your kitchen fridge!

The Oil Free range of compressors offer noise levels as low as 50 decibels and are ideal if you require a totally clean air supply such as in dental surgeries.

So which compressor is right for me?

When deciding on which air compressor to buy the first thing you need to think about is the tools that you will be using and how many you will be using at the same time. Will you be using 1 staple gun for occasional short usage or several impact wrenches on a production line that is running 24/7?

The compressor tank size and power of the pump determine the output of the air compressor and this output must be able to meet the requirements of the tools that you are using.

The main attributes you need to consider when deciding on an air compressor are:

Horsepower (HP)

Every compressor has a pump that compresses the air that is stored within the tank. Pumps are rated in horsepower (HP) and the HP of the pump impacts directly on the compressors performance. The amperage (Kw) of a compressor pump also indicates how powerful it is. You can see the HP and Kw ratings of all our Bambi Air Compressors in the relevant Spec Tables.

PSI

PSI stands for ‘Pounds per square Inch’ and is a measurement of the amount of pressure that is applied. All air tools require a minimum amount of PSI to run properly so this is a key area to consider. Pressure is also measured in BAR and the maximum BAR working pressure is shown for all our Bambi Silent Air Compressors.
 

If your tools spec shows its PSI requirements you can convert this to BAR by using our PSI to BAR Conversion Table.

CFM

Your tools will use air at a rate that is measured as either CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) or LPM (Litres per minute), so you must ensure that the air compressor can deliver the output required by your rated tool (it’s advisable to add a little more CFM/LPM requirement to your tool’s rating so that you know the compressor can deliver).

Your tool should have a spec plate or hand book that details the relevant CFM or LPM figure. This could be shown as either:

CFM (Displacement) – this is the amount of air a compressor will produce in theory

CFM (FAD) – this is the actual amount of air the compressor will produce in cubic feet (FAD = Free Air Delivery)

LPM (FAD) – this is the actual amount of air the compressor will produce in litres

Making sure that the CFM (FAD) or LPM (FAD) that a compressor produces matches the requirement of your tools is key!

If your tool shows CFM (Displacement), divide this figure by 3 to get the CFM (FAD) figure i.e. CFM (Displacement) 10 CFM, divided by 3 = 6.5 CFM (FAD).

The average CFM or LPM figure shows the output required from the compressor to power your tool on an average work cycle, this assumes that your tool will be used only for about 25% of the time on average i.e. 15 seconds for every minute. If you need to use your tool continuously then you should buy an air compressor that can supply 4 times that actually required by the tool. Small, occasional nailing/stapling jobs can usually be supplied by a compact compressor while firing nails continuously would require a large air supply.

All of our Bambi Air Compressors show the LPM (FAD) that they produce but if your tools shows CFM simply multiply this figure by 28.316844 (this figure equates to 1 CFM) to find the required litres per minute.

For further Compressed Air Conversion Formulas for CFM, LFM, PSI, Bar etc follow this link to our Conversion Formulas Page     

Tank Size

The tank size of your air compressor is measured in litres and this shows how much stored air your compressor can hold at any one time. This figure will give you some idea of how long you can run your tool before the compressor needs to replenish the tank. The tank size allied with the PSI/BAR and HP of the pump will directly determine how quickly your compressed air supply is replenished.     

Which Bambi Silent Air Compressor is right for you?

We supply all 4 ranges of Bambi Silent Air Compressors, each one designed for specific requirements:

Budget Oil Filled Range – Budget by name but not by nature! This great value range is ideal for those users where ultra-low noise and relatively small air volume is required. With noise levels as low as 40 decibels and virtually no vibration when running, this range is ideal for home or small workshop use as well as having mobile options.

HT Oil Free Range – Ideal for where low maintenance, oil free air is essential, including scientific instruments, door controls, autoclave locks, stapling and picture framing.

VT & VTS Oil Free Ranges – When you demand the highest possible air quality for critical applications, this is the range for you. Ideal for dentistry, scientific laboratories, food packaging, pneumatic controls, hospital ventilators and drink dispensing.

So now you are ready to choose your silent air compressor! Follow these links to our comprehensive selection:

Bambi Budget Oil Filled Silent Air Compressors

Bambi HT Range Oil Free Silent Air Compressors

Bambi VT Range Oil Free Silent Air Compressors

Bambi VTS Range Oil Free Silent Air Compressors

If you still have any questions we are here to help. Simply use our Contact Page to send us your question and we will get straight back to you.