What Type of Gas Compressor Is Right for You? Reciprocating, Rotary Screw, Scroll and More Once you have made it past the choice of whether to get diesel, electric or gas, your compressor search must be narrowed down further by the method in which it works. Different styles have certain uses they are best suited to, and it’s important to make sure that the gas compressor you choose fits your particular requirements. Below are a few types of air compressors, as well as the industries and application in which they are most commonly utilized. Reciprocating gas compressor: Utilizing crankshaft-driven pistons, a gas reciprocating compressor can range from 5hp to well over 1,000hp on the industrial end. Available in single or multi-stage, the larger models of this compressor is frequently seen in large industrial applications. Although they are exceptionally efficient, the multi-staged version of these compressors are also quiet large and loud. Rotary screw gas compressor: As the name suggests, a rotary screw design compresses air using two counter rotating helical screws. As they turn, they force the air into smaller and smaller chambers, decreasing volume and increasing pressure. This type of gas compressor can vary from 3hp up to more than 500hp with pressures fluctuating accordingly. As with reciprocating, rotary screw styles are often seen in industrial applications. However, the oil-less versions are often seen in medical research and semiconductor manufacturing applications. Scroll gas compressor: Frequently referred to as both scroll vacuum pump and simply scroll pump, a scroll gas compressor utilizes two interleaved spiral scrolls to compress air. Usually, one of these coils is fixed, while the other orbits rather than rotates. Significantly quieter than most gas compressor configurations, scroll compressors are frequently found in air conditioning systems, vehicle superchargers, and vacuum pumps. These are just a few types of gas air compressors, and if you’d like more information and assistance with figuring out which gas compressor is best for your requirements, call or e-mail Compressed Air Systems. We’ll be happy to help you whether you’re right down the road in Tampa, Florida, you’re across the state in Cocoa, or you’re smack in between in Orlando.