Hydrovane

Hydrovane rotary vane compressors

Hydrovane use a sliding vane air end rather than the twin rotary screws used by most industrial compressors. The rotor turns in an offset cylinder and the vanes slide out under centrifugal force to form the compression chambers. There are no gears, no timing to maintain and no bearings on the drive end — the air end is directly coupled to the motor and turns at motor speed.

In practice that means fewer parts to wear out, low vibration, and machines that commonly run for decades in workshops where a screw compressor would have been replaced. We supply, install and service the full range across the South of England, and hold Hydrovane spares.

Where a Hydrovane makes sense

• General engineering and machine shops where reliability matters more than absolute efficiency
• Garages and bodyshops — low vibration means they can be floor-mounted without special foundations
• Applications with variable demand, where regulated speed models match output to actual use
• Sites where maintenance access is limited and long service intervals are worth paying for

Fixed speed or regulated speed

A fixed speed machine runs at full motor speed and unloads when demand drops. It is simpler and cheaper to buy, and the right answer where demand is steady or the compressor runs loaded most of the time.

A regulated speed (RS) machine varies motor speed to match demand. Where air use fluctuates through the day — which is most workshops — the energy saving is significant, because a fixed speed compressor still draws substantial power while unloaded. The payback on the price difference is usually measured in a small number of years, and we can model it properly if you tell us your usage pattern and run hours.

Sizing

Undersizing gives you a machine that never stops and wears out early. Oversizing wastes capital and, on fixed speed units, energy. The figures we need are your total air demand in litres per minute or cfm, the pressure you actually require at the point of use, and how demand varies through a shift. Many systems run at 7 or 8 bar when 6 would do — every extra bar costs roughly 7% more energy.

Servicing and spares

Hydrovane machines are straightforward to maintain but do need the right oil and filtration on schedule. The sliding vane design is tolerant, not immune — the wrong oil grade will shorten vane and rotor life. We supply genuine Hydrovane parts and service kits, and offer planned maintenance agreements that spread the cost and keep the machine under warranty conditions.

Talk to us

We have supplied and serviced Hydrovane compressors for many years and will tell you honestly if a rotary screw or a different technology suits your application better. Call 0800 0278 442, email [email protected], or visit the trade counter at Hillbottom Road, High Wycombe, HP12 4HJ.