Sandblasting air compressor sizing
Sizing guide by nozzle orifice and job type with compressor class recommendations.
Size blast air
Industry: Steel and metals
Compressed Air for Metal Fabrication, Steel Mills, and Welding Operations
- Since 1978
- Sullair dealer since 1984
- 14 locations
- under 2 hour response
Metal Fabrication Air Spec Plate
- CFM range
- 25 to 750+
- Pressure
- 90 to 200 psi
- Blast air
- Dry, 90 to 125 psi
- Laser air
- ISO 8573-1 Class 1-2
- Dealer
- Sullair since 1984
What compressed air system does a metal fabrication or steel operation need?
A metal fabrication shop typically runs three or four different air applications with different pressure, moisture, and oil-content requirements. Blasting needs volume and dry air at the nozzle. Plasma needs clean dry air at the torch. Laser cutting needs the cleanest air in the building. Machine tools need reliability and consistent pressure. The pages below cover each application with sizing tables. This page covers the system that serves all of them from one compressor room.
Metal fabrication compressed air lineup
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Rotary Screw for Shop Air
- Output
- 100 to 1500 CFM
- Pressure
- To 175 psi
- HP range
- 25 to 350 HP
- Use
- Fab shop base load
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Oil-Free for Laser Air
- Air class
- ISO 8573-1 Class 1-2
- Use
- Fiber laser assist gas
- Pressure
- Up to 200 psi options
- Cert
- TUV type tested
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Portable Diesel for Site Work
- Output
- 185 to 1600 CFM
- Use
- Field fab, site blasting
- Towable
- Full fleet available
- Rental
- Short-term options
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Air Treatment for Fab Shops
- Moisture
- Refrigerated dryer
- Filtration
- Coalescing and particulate
- Desiccant
- For laser and blast spec
- Use
- Multi-circuit quality map
45 + Years in Business
14 Midwest Locations
4.7 Star Google Rating
Metal fabrication applications and air requirements
Starting points for sizing each application. All CFM values are at the tool or nozzle. Add hose losses and a 20 percent reserve before picking the compressor. Use the CFM calculator to combine simultaneous loads.
| Application | Typical CFM | Pressure | Air quality note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandblasting (single nozzle) | 50 to 200 CFM | 90 to 125 psi | Dry; desiccant for coating specs |
| Plasma cutting (up to 100A) | 5 to 20 CFM | 60 to 120 psi | Clean and dry; no free oil |
| Laser cutting (fiber, air assist) | 10 to 50 CFM | 100 to 200 psi | ISO 8573-1 Class 1-2 |
| Air grinders and die grinders | 20 to 35 CFM each | 90 psi | Standard filtration |
| Welding fixture air and clamps | 5 to 10 CFM | 80 psi | Standard |
| Machine tools and chip blow-off | 5 to 15 CFM each | 80 to 100 psi | Standard filtration |
Run the numbers yourself
- CFM calculator: combine simultaneous blast, plasma, laser, and machine tool loads into one compressor size.
- Air receiver tank calculator: size storage that holds pressure when a blast pot or plasma table cycles hard against the shop header.
- Compressed air leak calculator: put a dollar figure on the aging fittings and drops that quietly steal capacity from every station.
Application-Specific Guides
Sandblasting Sizing by nozzle orifice, pressure, and job type. Stationary blast room and portable diesel guidance. Plasma Cutting CFM and PSI by amperage class, moisture requirements, and consumable protection. Laser Cutting High-pressure assist gas quality, fiber laser requirements, and system design. Machine Shops Whole-shop sizing, tool mix, duty cycle, and piping for machine shops.
What compressed air really costs
- 10% of US industrial electricity goes to compressed air Source: US DOE Compressed Air Sourcebook
- 20 to 30% of compressed air is typically lost to leaks Source: US DOE Compressed Air Sourcebook
- 75% of ten year compressor cost is energy, not purchase price Source: CAGI life cycle cost data
- under 2 hr average emergency response across our territory Source: Brabazon dispatch
Where metal fabrication operations use compressed air
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Abrasive blasting
Blast rooms, structural steel prep, and surface treatment for coating and welding.
-
Plasma cutting
Clean dry air at the torch for quality cuts and maximum consumable life.
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Laser cutting
High-pressure clean air as assist gas for fiber lasers cutting carbon steel.
-
MIG and TIG welding
Purge gas lines, fixture air, and pneumatic clamps for welding cells.
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Machine tool operations
Air actuators, tool changes, chip blow-off, and coolant system air.
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Grinding and deburring
Air-powered grinders, die grinders, and sanders for finishing work.
-
Part cleaning and blow-off
Cleaning machined parts, fixtures, and conveyors before inspection.
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Pneumatic material handling
Air cylinders, slides, and hoists moving stock and finished parts.
What keeps fab shop air out of trouble
Four disciplines separate a shop that cuts and blasts at full rate from one that loses production to moisture, pressure drop, and undersized equipment.
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Moisture control at the tool
Plasma torches, laser cutting heads, and blast nozzles all degrade with moisture in the air supply. Refrigerated drying handles the baseline in temperate climates. Laser assist circuits and formal coating specifications typically require a desiccant polisher downstream. Mapping which circuits need which specification avoids over-drying the entire shop and saves energy.
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Oil-free versus oil-injected for metal fab
Most blasting, plasma cutting, and mechanical tools run fine on oil-injected compressors with standard coalescing filtration. Laser cutting with compressed air as the assist gas requires cleaner air because oil contamination fouls the lens and nozzle and degrades cut quality. A dedicated oil-free machine or a high-efficiency coalescing filter train on the laser circuit is the practical choice.
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Sizing for simultaneous use in a fab shop
A multi-station shop runs blast rooms, plasma tables, and machine tools at the same time. Sizing from nameplate CFM of each tool overstates demand because not everything runs simultaneously at full rate. A diversity factor of 0.6 to 0.8 on the total connected load gives a realistic base, with a 20 percent reserve on top. An audit confirms it.
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Pressure requirements by application
Blasting needs 90 to 125 psi at the nozzle. Plasma cutters run 60 to 120 psi at the torch. Laser assist gas for fiber lasers cutting thick carbon steel runs 145 to 200 psi. Machine tools run 80 to 100 psi. A single compressor at 125 to 175 psi covers all these applications. The laser circuit uses a secondary booster or higher-pressure machine if pressures above 175 psi are required.
Recommended setup for metal fabrication shops
For most metal fabrication shops, the foundation is a 50 to 150 HP rotary screw compressor with a refrigerated dryer serving the general shop load: tools, blow-off, actuation, and plasma. A dedicated clean-dry circuit from a coalescing filter bank feeds the laser. Blasting runs from the same header if CFM allows, or from a dedicated machine sized to the blast room. See the application pages for detailed sizing: sandblasting, plasma cutting, laser cutting, and machine shops.
If you run one application, not a full shop: the hub guides above are built
for shops engineering a full compressed air system. If you need a single compressor for a
plasma cutter or a blast room, go directly to the application page and its sizing section.
That is the faster path to a specific recommendation.
Typical project: fabrication shop air system
Three compressors to two, 35 percent energy reduction
A common scenario in this industry is a fabrication shop running three separate compressors for blast rooms, plasma tables, and machine centers, each at high duty cycle, with no dryer on the plasma circuit. A typical project starts with an audit that often uncovers significant leak loss from decade-old connections, then replaces the three machines with two properly sized rotary screw units: one for the shop base load and one dedicated to the blast rooms. A refrigerated dryer on the main header and a desiccant polisher on the plasma and laser circuits clear up the cut quality complaints. The result is lower compressed air energy spend and fewer weekend emergency calls. Brabazon audits the system, sizes the machines, and installs the drying and distribution for this kind of consolidation.
Metal fabrication air support across the upper Midwest
Factory-trained technicians dispatch from 14 branches with an under 2 hour average emergency response. Find your nearest branch:
Questions engineers actually ask us
What size air compressor do I need for a metal fabrication shop?
Start from the tools that run at the same time: add their nameplate CFM, apply a diversity factor of 0.6 to 0.8 since not everything runs at full rate simultaneously, then add 20 percent reserve. A shop running two plasma tables, one blast room, and several machine tools might land in the 200 to 400 CFM range. The CFM calculator on this site does the math from tool count.
Does plasma cutting need oil-free compressed air?
Not necessarily, but it does need clean, dry air. A standard oil-injected compressor with a quality coalescing filter and refrigerated dryer meets most plasma manufacturer air quality specs. The key is holding moisture and oil aerosols below the torch manufacturer limit, which is specified in the plasma system manual.
Why does laser cutting need different air than a plasma cutter?
Fiber laser assist gas for cutting must be cleaner than what most plasma systems require because oil contamination on the lens or nozzle degrades cut quality and can damage optics. ISO 8573-1 Class 1 or Class 2 air is the typical spec. A dedicated oil-free compressor or a high-efficiency filtration train on the laser circuit is the common solution.
Can one compressor run sandblasting and machine tools at the same time?
Yes, if it is sized for the combined demand. A blast nozzle pulling 100 to 200 CFM is the dominant load. Machine tools and blow-off add 50 to 100 CFM on top. A 75 to 150 HP rotary screw covers both in a typical shop. Separating them onto a dedicated blast header with a booster valve protects machine tool pressure while the blast pot runs.
Who services metal fabrication compressors in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri?
Brabazon has dispatched factory-trained technicians from 14 Midwest locations since 1978 and has been the authorized Sullair dealer since 1984. Our under 2 hour average emergency response covers fab shops, steel service centers, and welding operations across our territory.
Where to go next
Get Your Fabrication Shop Air System Designed
Tell us your blast rooms, plasma and laser stations, machine centers, and shift schedule. We size the compressor room, dryers, distribution, and circuit quality map from the tools up.