An air preparation has two functions:

1. Bringing and keeping the quality of the compressed air at the desired level

2. The (central) pressure control of the machine

This means that an air preparation unit can literally be seen as the heart of a well-functioning pneumatic system. But what do these two main tasks actually mean?

Second air supply function: central control of the machine

The second core function of air supply is the (central) control of a machine or component. Examples of this are:

Central regulation of the desired compressed air working pressure

• Realisation of switch-on and switch-off functions
• Carry out central measurements using integrated pressure or flow sensors
• Controlling certified safety valves at various safety levels.

Modular design

In order to achieve the desired compressed air quality and to be able to control the machine reliably and precisely, the air supply must consist of specific components. Festo has therefore designed its air supply units to be modular. This makes it possible to combine all the necessary components with each other and, if necessary, to replace or exchange them according to therequirements of the application or the environment, even when these change. In this way , all functions can be built in a compact way in one place within a machine.

In a next blog - in which the composition of an air conditioning system will be discussed - we will elaborate on this.