Agriculture is an industry that has been around for centuries with many hard and true methods of completing tasks. Agriculture and farming are areas that are rapidly advancing with the use of machinery and automation to increase efficiency and speed up production. Because of the use of pressurized air from air compressors in today’s agriculture environment, we are observing less energy being exerted and thus a friendlier economic effect. Let’s go over a few of the main areas in agriculture that utilize compressed air system equipment.

Vehicle Tire Inflation

Probably one of the most obvious and common uses for an air compressor is to inflate vehicle tires. On a farm, there are many different vehicles that need tires inflated such as tractors, ATVs, or trailers. This helps maintain efficiency, reliability, and safety on the farm.

Pneumatic Hand Tool Use

Many pneumatic hand tools used for maintenance and repairs on a farm utilize compressed air to power them. Tools like staple guns or paint sprayers commonly used on barns and other farm buildings are most likely powered by compressed air. This also extends to many cleaning tools used to spray off surfaces and help with general site maintenance.

Fertilization

Many crop sprayers utilize large amounts of compressed air to be able to distribute their fertilizer and pesticides widely across the farm.

Water Pumps

It’s no surprise that water is essential to any life on a farm. Compressed air is utilized to bring water to certain areas such as various crops for watering.

Greenhouse Ventilation

Greenhouses require specific temperatures, clean air, and ventilation to run properly. Compressed air is many times used to control all these aspects and maximize energy and cost benefits.

Pond Aeration

Fish farms use compressed air to aerate ponds to maintain a healthy environment for fish to grow and develop. Successful pond aeration systems rely on quality compressed air.

Dairy Machinery Operation

Air compressors ensure that dairy machinery is consistently working to produce efficient, constant, and healthy dairy produce. Machines such as milking robots utilize the pressurized compressed air to operate.

Materials Transport

Some farms do their own packaging on site, and because of this they utilize conveyor belts to transport the product. Many product conveyors use compressed air to provide a steady, consistent movement of their materials through the cleaning and packaging process. Put simply: air compressors keep the conveyors moving. Industrial vacuum pumps are commonly used for conveyor transport, and this can apply to transporting any grain, powder, or substance into storage locations.

Wastewater Treatment

Air compressors are utilized in many ways in the wastewater treatment process. First, an oil-free air supply is crucial preventing bacteria from entering your wastewater treatment process. Blowers are installed for this aeration process. Backwashing, pumping water backwards through the filter, is also required as a form of preventative maintenance that extends the longevity of your filter- also performed utilizing compressed air.

Winterizing Irrigation Lines

This process on farms is especially important here in the Midwest where we observe very harsh, cold winters. Compressed air is used to clear the irrigation lines of any excess water to prepare for winter and prevent pipelines from freezing. This helps sustain a long lifetime for the farm’s infrastructure and helps save on costs by being proactive instead of reactive.

Packaging & Filling

For farms that do their packaging onsite, air compressors maintain efficient, safe, and sealed packaging of produce and dairy products. Certain precision compressors are used to dispense the exact measured amounts of liquid consistently to all bottles/packages distributed down the conveyor belt. Compressors are then also used to pump refrigerants into large refrigerators to properly store freezer and refrigerated foods before distributing out to the stores.

Silo Power

Compressed air is used to power various silo systems that transport materials such as grains into silos for storage. This is detailed in the materials transport section.

Zorn is committed to ensuring effective air systems.

How can Zorn Compressor assist you with your agriculture compressed air needs? We provide solutions to all the above processes and more! Reach out to your local Zorn representative today for an onsite evaluation and quote.

Zorn is the Midwest leader of custom, engineered compressed air and vacuum solutions. We provide the best customer experience by understanding your applications and needs and offering an unparalleled commitment to customer satisfaction.

Our comprehensive product and service solutions keep you running 24/7.

• Reliable equipment
• Trusted brands
• Seamless, easy installation
• Post-sales support
• Local, 24/7 service

Our compressed air experts look forward to meeting you to discuss your equipment and support needs. Please contact us directly at (262) 695-7000 with any questions or to schedule service for your system moving forward.

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• Importance of Oil-Free Machines in the Dairy Industry
• Compressed Air Applications for the Dairy Industry
• The Zorn Compressor & Equipment Difference
• Back to Compressed Air School Part 3: Air Compressor Mechanics

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