VDMA-Einheitsblatt December 2014 VDMA 15390-1 ICS 71.100.20 Replaces VDMA 15390:2004-03 Compressed air purity Part 1: Typical application specific purity classes according to ISO 8573-1:2010 and guidance for achieving and monitoring of a respective compressed air purity for industrial applications Druckluftreinheit Teil 1: Typische anwendungsspezifische Reinheitsklassen gemäß ISO 8573-1:2010 und Anleitung zur Erzeugung und Überprüfung von entsprechenden Druckluftreinheiten für industrielle Anwendungen Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.v. (VDMA) Continued page 2 to 31 Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.v. All rights reserved to VDMA Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.v., Frankfurt/Main Modification, amendment, editing, translation, copying and/or circulation only with permission in writing from VDMA. Exclusive sale: Beuth Verlag GmbH, 10772 Berlin Price group 15
Page 2 Contents Foreword... 4 Introduction... 4 1 Scope... 5 2 Normative references... 5 3 Terms and definitions... 6 4 Symbols, units and dimensions... 9 4.1 Reference conditions... 9 5 General principles for contaminants in compressed air... 9 5.1 Particles... 9 5.2 Humidity and water... 10 5.3 Oil... 12 6 Standard series ISO 8573... 13 6.1 History of ISO 8573-1... 13 6.2 Purity classes according to ISO 8573-1:2010... 13 7 Typical purity classes of compressed air applications... 14 8 Attainability of the purity classes through compressed air treatment... 18 8.1 General principles... 18 8.2 Treatment components... 19 8.2.1 Field of application in compressed air treatment for separation of contaminants... 19 8.2.2 Systems with typical minimum compressed air purities at the inlet area... 20 8.3 Compressed air purities achievable with treatment components... 20 8.3.1 Particle purity classes achieved through filtration... 20 8.3.2 Humidity and water purity classes achieved through water separation and drying... 21 8.3.3 Oil purity classes achieved through filtration and adsorption... 21 8.3.4 Compressed-air Filter Regulator Lubricator (FRL) units... 21 8.4 Impact of the compressed air network... 22 8.5 Centralized treatment of compressed air... 22 8.6 Decentralized treatment of compressed air... 23 8.6.1 Elimination of impacts of the compressed air network... 24 8.6.2 Generation of a higher compressed air purity... 24 9 Monitoring of compressed air purity... 25 9.1 Indirect verification of compressed air purity... 25 9.2 Direct verification of compressed air purity... 25 9.2.1 Particles... 25 9.2.2 Water/humidity... 25 9.2.3 Oil (total oil content)... 26 9.2.4 Micro-organisms... 26 Page
Page 3 9.2.5 Other gaseous contaminants... 26 9.2.6 Alternative test methods... 26 9.3 Test methods according to ISO 12500 und ISO 7183... 26 9.3.1 ISO 12500 series... 26 9.3.2 ISO 7183 standard... 27 10 Maintenance and exchange intervals for wearing parts and maintenance parts... 27 Annex A History of particle classes regarding ISO 8573-1... 29 Bibliography... 31
Page 4 Foreword This VDMA Specification is a supplement to the International Standard series ISO 8573. It particularly considers the revised part ISO 8573-1, Compressed air Part 1: Contaminants and purity classes, which has been published in April 2010. This VDMA Specification has been prepared by experts of the technical department Compressed Air Technology of the Compressors, Compressed Air and Vacuum Technology Association of VDMA in collaboration with experts of the Fluid Power Association. It is based on the specification VDMA-Einheitsblatt 15390:2004 which has been established by member companies of the Compressed Air Technology Association of VDMA. The development of this VDMA Specification reflects many years of experience in the treatment of compressed air. The VDMA Specification provides orientation and guidance on dealing with and on precise practical implementation of the mentioned/stated standards. It should be pointed out that the respectively stated items, tables and lists can only represent individual examples and that, therefore, also other methods and descriptions exist. The VDMA Specification neither claims completeness nor precise interpretation of existing legislation. The VDMA Specification shall not replace the study of relevant directives, laws and regulations. Furthermore, the particular nature of the respective products as well as their various applications need to be considered. The following member companies contributed to the development of this VDMA Specification: ATLAS COPCO Kompressoren und Drucklufttechnik BEKO TECHNOLOGIES Bosch Rexroth Donaldson Filtration Deutschland Festo FST GmbH Filtrations-Separations-Technik KAESER KOMPRESSOREN Knocks Fluid Technik MTA Deutschland Parker Hannifin ZANDER SMC Pneumatik Introduction This VDMA Specification provides the user of compressed air with a practice-oriented guidance regarding compressed air purities needed for their compressed air applications and described as purity classes according to ISO 8573-1:2010. Extended descriptions, explanations and notes support better understanding and thereby improve the practical application of the standard. Due to its extent, the definition of fundamental terms and the various practice-oriented notes, this VDMA Specification is by now regarded as a small compendium to compressed air treatment. Note that the practice-oriented guidelines stated herein are neither exhaustive nor sufficiently detailed to cover all process-specific requirements. The typical purity classes can only be used as a guidance principle for the decision on compressed air purity needed in a given case.
Page 5 1 Scope By way of example, this VDMA Specification describes on the base of the standard series ISO 8573, among others: which typical compressed air purities are needed for the various compressed air applications, how the compressed air purities can be achieved through compressed air treatment, how the compressed air purities can be monitored, and how the compressed air purities can be maintained by servicing. This VDMA Specification serves as principle guidance for compressed air users in the industrial sector and forms the basic document of the VDMA Specification 15390 series. For applications with extended requirements regarding the purity of or the supply with compressed air in general, e.g. in the field of food or pharmaceutical industry, more parts of this VDMA Specification series are available which supplement this VDMA Specification. This VDMA Specification is designed as a supplement to the International Standard ISO 8573-1:2010 and provides additional descriptions, explanations, and remarks. Other parts of the standard series ISO 8573 are referred to in the respective text passages. This VDMA Specification covers the application of the standard ISO 8573-1:2010 to the whole compressed air system with focus on compressed air treatment. The purity of compressed air at the final consumer is defined by the type of compressed air generation, centralized compressed air treatment, compressed air network and decentralized treatment. If the centrally generated compressed air purity is negatively affected by the compressed air network or if final consumers need a higher compressed air purity for their application as provided by the centralized compressed air treatment, then a decentralized treatment is essential. Since energy is directly or indirectly spent for compressed air treatment, this VDMA Specification also considers the energy efficiency of compressed air treatment.