SimpleAirSL

[red vette mike]

This is an Ingersol-Rand product made of extruded aluminum. It is a compressed air piping system. My question is whether any of you folks have used this system and what your thoughts are as regards the system: Easy to install? Do you need a conduit bender to install? Costly? Other thoughts?
Thanks for any advise.
Mike

 

[BoilermakerFan]

This is an Ingersol-Rand product made of extruded aluminum. It is a compressed air piping system. My question is whether any of you folks have used this system and what your thoughts are as regards the system: Easy to install? Do you need a conduit bender to install? Costly? Other thoughts?
Thanks for any advise.
Mike

I used to work for an I-R distributor. You don't have to have a conduit bender, but it would certainly make for a cleaner, faster, and lower cost (less fittings) installation. Were you planning to use the metal compression fittings or the quick-lock plastic fittings? The plastic fittings are lower cost and are "guaranteed" not to leak. My sales manager did not like the idea of the plastic fittings, but I thought they were slick. Very easy to install the piping. It's from I-R so it's not cheap. I-R doesn't make it, they just rebrand it, so that adds at least 15% to the cost right there. It's comparable to the GaragePak systems by one of the other companies, I think you can find the competitive aluminum tubing systems for less money. You might be lucky enough to live in a city with a lot of competition and that would drive prices down.

I was planning to put the 1" size in my garage, but I left the distributor for another sales job. I didn't have the money to buy it before I left (hence why I left), even at cost. Now I have the money, but there is no way I'd pay street prices for it. Since it's primarily designed for industrial/commercial installs, the material is expensive, but it saves a lot of install time for a trained mechanical contractor. The customer pays about the same (or even less) overall installed cost as a black pipe installation w/o the rust issues and the mech. contractor makes more profit based on a higher return for his time.

It's a good system and easy to install after you read the installation guide. If you know how to bend electrical conduit, it would be even easier to install. The fittings are expensive and if you buy the SL valves, they are even more expensive.

Ask for the list price of the materials, then ask for your cost. If your quoted a 10% discount or more, your getting a great deal, but I still think you will be surprised how expensive it is. A Silver-solder braized copper tubing installation is cheaper and is the option I will be pursuing when I complete my system in the Fall.

 

[MXtras]

A little off the topic of the thread - sorry. There is no need to use silver solder (braze) when joining copper for use with air up to 175PSI. You can just use regular solder.

If the IR thing is extruded aluminum, how is it that it can be bent? If it is in the annealed condition that's fine but the annealed condition does not last long without being stored in a climate controlled environment.

?

Scott

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I was taught to only use silver solder with copper line for compressed air. That's the only way the mechanical contractors I dealt with would put it in as well.

The SimplAir SL & EL are annodized, extruded aluminum. I don't know what the alloy is, but it's not a 6xxx or 7xxxx series.

Here's a link to their expanded brochure:
SimplAir Brochure

I couldn't find their installation manual online, though I have a hard copy of it and might even still have a PDF of it in my archive backup of my old work files.

 

[Kruse]

Some opinion and observations:
As I am only happy to see alternatives to "black" pipe in Compressed Air systems, the price is always a factor.

Alternatives:

Copper though it is getting more expensive, is still the most beautiful.
In case of a fire in your shop, copper is the only pipe-system that will not spring a leak from exposure to heat.
(A leaking air supply system will feed a fire very effectively.)
----
PVC - Is not an option. Not secure as everybody, even the industry points out. It is very unsafe.
I believe some of the confusion regarding PVC pipe for shop air may relate to some of those systems that "worked for years, no problem" could have been ABS systems. Not always easy to spot the difference I would assume.
----
ABS - This plastic is safe and some pipes are approved for compressed air.
IpexInc has a system: DuraPlus.
Length of pipes: ?.
Sizes: 1/2 : 3/4 : 1 : 1-1/2 : 2 : 2-1/2 : 3 : 4 :
Must be glued. Has nice easy curved corners. Very smooth inside.
Probably not too expensive. (Register to get the data sheets and prise list)
----
HDPE-Alu-HDPE - IpexInc has a system: DuraTec. Pipe/coil is blue.
http://www.ipexinc.com/Content/EN_US/2_0_Products/2_1_Industrial/2_1_4_2_Duratec.asp
HDPE inside and outside of the pipe/coil, Alu in the middle.
Length of pipes/coil: 100feet and 300feet.
Sizes: 3/8 : 1/2 : 3/4 : 1 :
Insert-twist the nut. Dual O-ring seal.
Nickel-plated brass or stainless steel connectors.
Extremely smooth run.
Somewhat sharp corners, but the alu-pipe/coil can easily bend/straightened.
The pipe/coil is cheap. (Register to get the data sheets and price list)
----
Alu - Ingersol-Rand has a system: SimplAir EL and SL.
http://www.irtools.com/partsandaccessories/supply/simplair_piping.asp
Length of pipes: 10feet EL and 16feet6inch SL
Sizes: EL: 5/8 : 1 : 1-1/4 : SL: 1/2 : 1 : 1-1/4 :
Insert-twist the nut.
Reinforced plastic connectors on EL. Metal connectors on SL
Smooth run.
Very sharp corners, but the alu-pipe can be bend.
Price: ?.
--
Alu - (Also comes as Stainless steel pipes.) TransAir from Legris (French)
(The system used by http://www.garagepak-midwest.com )
http://www.transair.legris.com
For Catalog: click [TransAir Offer], then [Catalog] etc.
Length of pipe sections (includes 1 (2*1/2) connector: 10feet and 20feet.
Sizes OD: 5/8 (16,5mm) : 1/2 (25mm) : 1-1/2 (40mm) : 2-1/2 (63mm) : 3 (76mm) : 4 (100mm) :
Lots of innovative connectors, looks like plastic but are metal.
Pipes are enamel baked blue or grey(for Vacuum). Pipes can be bend.
Insert-twist the nut.
Price : ?.
----

Lots of choices. Smoother run than steel pipe, less loss of pressure.
No contaminants in the lines.

One thought on those thick pipes for main lines...
If it is just a small system, you can regulate early and use small dia pipe.
For larger systems, or where more users are tapping air at the same time,
using larger pipe with higher pressure "extends" your "tank" capacity lessening
the pressure loss down the line. If drawing air from nabouring connectors with local pressure regulators , a thicker supply line will see less intermediate pressure loss.

Ramble over for now.

 

[AndrewM]

Honestly I had to giggle at the silver solder comment.

I paid ~$11 for my spool (a pound) of silver solder, and still have over half left.

That was a very small dimple in the project. Lead would have been what... 7-8 bucks? 4 bucks wasn't even 1% of the project.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Honestly I had to giggle at the silver solder comment.

I paid ~$11 for my spool (a pound) of silver solder, and still have over half left.

That was a very small dimple in the project. Lead would have been what... 7-8 bucks? 4 bucks wasn't even 1% of the project.

Indeed, the silver solder is not much more, but I do believe that it requires more heat (1000F-1300F for silver brazes vs about 400F-450F for 95-5 solder), and requires a little extra care and effort in making the joint, and yes, every dollar does count nowdays.

According to the Copper Tube Handbook, by the Copper Development Association, you would not want to use a 50-50 Tin-Lead solder, as, at 150F for pipes up to 1" the joint would not be suitable for over 150psi, leaving you too little of a safety margin. You would want to use a 95-5 Tin/Antimony solder which at 150F for up to 1" pipes, is good for 625psi, lots of safety margin.

Charles