The FRL is a combination assembly for your pneumatic system, consisting of a filter, a pressure regulator, and a lubricator. As you can see when you watch dust motes dance in the sunlight, even atmospheric air isn’t clean. After being inside a pneumatic compressor, it will be hot, wet, and laced with dirt particles like rust.
You risk damaging and contaminating your whole system by using air in this condition, which reduces the lifespan of its parts. Before it reaches any air-driven devices, the air downstream from your compressor must be cleaned and lubricated. Your FRL comes into play here.
What Is The FRL System?
Short for Filter Regulator Lubricator, FRL stands for Filter Regulator Lubricator. The individual components of an FRL unit can be purchased and installed separately, but nowadays manufacturers are more likely to provide them as a complete package.
After the compressed air leaves the compressor, the filter cleans it. A filter separates out liquid contaminants such as water and oil from compressed air and traps solid particles such as rust, dust, and dirt. Generally, filters fall into three categories: general-purpose filters for removing water and solid particles; coalescing filters for removing oil vapor and odor; and vapor removal filters for getting rid of oil vapor and odor.
General-purpose filters work by centrifugal or cyclonic force, spinning the inlet air and forcing contaminants downward, where they collect in a bowl and can be drained. Condensate or coalescing filters remove aerosols and other fine particulates from the air by using a specific type of material. As these particles coalesce onto the filtration material, they are once again drawn downward by the mass of accumulated droplets.
Pressure regulators are special types of valves. The purpose of the compressor is to reduce and control the air pressure to the required level so that downstream pneumatic equipment can operate most effectively. Constant output pressure should maintain regardless of fluctuations in input pressure or downstream demand. There are two types of pressure regulators: relieving regulators reduce the air pressure and automatically exhaust any remaining excess, while non-relieving regulators require an additional exhaust valve.
A lubricator element of an FRL is responsible for injecting a controlled amount of lubricant into compressed air once it’s been cleaned and regulated, to prevent friction between downstream components. Furthermore, the lubricant helps flush out any compressor oils that remain in the system as vapors.
Unit of Combination FRL
Pre-assembled FRL units are packaged together by manufacturers and are grouped according to body size and connection port size. The parts can connect using threaded nipples or modular face connectors. As a result, components can remove more easily for cleaning or servicing. There are also units that combine the filter and regulator in a stacked assembly, where the filter head becomes the regulator body. As the major components share inlet and outlet connections, this type of assembly is very compact.
How To Choose The Right FRL For Your Compressed Air System
When choosing your FRL unit, you should take several factors into consideration.
1. NATURE
The material of your unit is affect by its working environment. Metal is the best material to use for FRLs in industrial environments that is expose to extreme heat, cold, chemicals, or salt. Some industries can use FRLs made of composite materials, such as polycarbonate or nylon.
2. SIZE OF PARTICLE
Your filter’s capacity is determine by the size of the particles it can filter. Filters with a micron rating of 5-40 is use in most applications, but you can also get filters with a micron rating of 0.1 microns or even 0.001 microns, for pharmaceutical or medical applications.
Also, read Drain Valve
3. AIRFLOW
It is important to choose an FRL whose airflow capacity is higher than the tool you will be using. Consult the manufacturer’s recommendations for the specific requirements of air tools, cylinders, etc, and match your regulator capacity accordingly.
4. CONFIGURATION
Additionally, you may not need a three-stage combination for your unit. You won’t need a lubricator element if you use self-lubricating air tools, for example.
5. SIZES OF PORTS AND THREADS
In addition, check that the FRL unit connectors match the thread sizes and industry standards of the connections on your installation.
Airmax Pneumatics Ltd is the leading manufacturer and supplier of Pneumatic FRL unit in India. We offer Industrial Pneumatic devices like Pneumatic cylinders, Pneumatic Directional Control Valves, Drain Valves, and Rotary joints.
