Air

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BOC offers clean and dry air in a range of supply options in over 30 countries.

Supply options

Call Us or Email Us for advice on the most cost effective supply option to meet your needs, these include:

• Compressed air – cylinders for convenience, portability and small volumes.
• Bulk air – on-site generation or delivered by pipeline.

Processes that use air

Many manufacturing operations use compressed air, typically at a pressure of 7 bar, to power a range of equipment. Compressed air is often preferred to electricity because it is safer and more convenient.

Plant maintenance

Compressed air is used for plant maintenance, for:

• Air tools – such as paving breakers, air hammers and air-drills. Screwdrivers and wrenches can be used for plant maintenance work provided that air outlets are well placed throughout the plant.
• Sprinkler systems – which are often controlled by air pressure.
• Air jets – for speeding up the process of machine cleaning, moving heavy loads, and also for cleaning boiler tubes.

Production lines

Compressed air used on production lines for:

• Pneumatic tools – convenient for industrial production as they allow automation and speed. They can have a low weight-to-power ratio and can be used for long periods without overheating. They also have the benefit of low maintenance costs.
• Shot blasting and buffing – used to finish surfaces or prepare them for finishing operations, in automotive, shipbuilding and other industries.

Other processes

We supply cylinder air in a full range of purities and packages for:

• Brazing and Soldering – when combined with a fuel gas, air produces a flame with a lower temperature than an oxy-fuel flame. An air-fuel flame is suitable for brazing and soldering alloys with low temperature melting points.
• Instrumentation calibration and as a carrier gas – with a range of certified gases for laboratory use.

Industries that use air

Our cylinder and bulk compressed air is used across all industries, from small workshops to large factories [see the full list of industries that we serve].

The Iron and Steel and Oil and Gas industries use very large quantities of compressed air, which is provided at very low cost as a by-product of nitrogen and oxygen production. It is used to power pneumatic valves because of increased safety compared to electricity.

We supply certified air products to Laboratories and Research institutions for instrumentation, calibration, as a carrier gas and for use with lasers.

Safety Information

• Compressed air must not be used under any circumstances to clean dirt and dust from clothing or off a person’s skin, due to the risk of embolism.
• Shop air used for cleaning should be regulated to 15 psi unless equipped with diffuser nozzles to provide lesser pressure.
• Goggles, face shields or other eye protection must be worn by personnel using compressed air for cleaning equipment, as flying objects or dust can lead to eye damage.
• Static electricity can be generated through the use of pneumatic tools, therefore equipment must be grounded or bonded if it is to be used where fuel, flammable vapours or explosive atmospheres are present.

Technical Information