Innovative Product Award Category Winner -- Sullair 1600H Tier 4 Final Portable Air Compressor

Innovative Product Awards Compressors/Air Tools Category Winner

Category: Compressors/Air Tools

Manufacturer: Sullair

Product Name: Next Generation Sullair 1600H Tier 4 Final Portable Air Compressor

Key Innovation:

The Sullair 1600H Tier 4 Final portable diesel air compressor was redesigned with an improved package design focused on operator safety, easier serviceability and to minimize impacts on the environment. Enhancements include a new service door design and a next-generation condensate management system, which no longer requires a condensate drain.

Manufacturer’s Description:

Sullair introduced its redesigned, next generation, 1600H Tier 4 Final portable diesel air compressor, which was enhanced based on direct voice-of-customer feedback. The new 1600H focuses on enhanced usability, operator safety and minimizes impacts to the environment.

Sullair customers are accustomed to reliable and durable compressors. On the performance side, we continue to incorporate innovative features to make the day-to-day operation of the compressors even better, especially relating to runtime and serviceability.  

The new 1600H compressor is available in three Tier 4 Final emissions compliant, diesel engines by Caterpillar, Perkins and Cummins. All three options deliver 1600 cfm at 100 to 150 psi and are powered by a legendary Sullair 25-Series air end. These combine to deliver a range of pressure and air flow options for an operator’s most extreme demands.

The improved 1600H package design includes multiple service doors with robust, push-to-close latches, helping increase worker safety by preventing unintended door closure. The new service door design also eliminates the center post (from the previous generation model), allowing easier access to all maintenance items.  

Aftercooled and filtered models also now include a next-generation condensate management system, with no condensate drain required. The system handles all of the condensate generated by a machine at full load at 80-percent humidity in 85°F weather. In some situations, a 1600 cfm compressor can produce 40 to 50 gallons of condensate per shift! The system eliminates the need for the operator to collect and dispose of condensate, benefitting both the operator from a time, cost and convenience factor, and the environment. 

These enhancements are in addition to a 20-percent smaller and 2,500-pound lighter design for easier maneuverability, storage, and transit; an easy-operation external fuel valve to extend runtime beyond 10 hours; and a 7-inch Sullair touchscreen controller providing easy access to all operating parameters.

RER interviews Jerel Cole, manager, product development engineering:

Sullair’s Next Generation Sullair 1600H Tier 4 Final Portable Air Compressor has a new design with doors that utilize push-to-close latches on French doors, which, Cole says, help to increase worker safety by preventing any type of unintended door closures. “A big gust of wind could cause an operator harm,” he says. “Our doors are designed for push-to-close action which prevents that. We eliminated the single post. The French door design, which is unique to the industry, allows unobstructed access to all service components. That eliminates extended times in regard to changing out oil filters or air filters. We’ve also added core cleaning ports to allow for easy access to both sides of the coolers. It makes the compressor easier to maintain.”

Cole explains the benefits of the next-generation condensate-management system. "With air compressors, by the science of it, you take in air from the ambient environment, you compress it and during that compression process, liquid does not compress. For example, if you have 80-percent humidity, and it’s 85-degrees outside and you’re running your compressor, the machine can produce a significant amount of water, so typically that water has to be processed or dealt with. What this system does is eliminate the need for the operator to have to dispose of the condensate, which saves time, cost and the environment. This design is very unique. The system utilizes heat from the engine exhaust to evaporate the condensate when after-cooler mode is utilized. It really eliminates the need to collect or dispose of this condensate, which can be significant. Sometimes it can range, if you’re utilizing 1600 cfm, which this compressor is designed for, you can get upward of 100 gallons per day of condensate generated. This system is designed to eliminate the need to have to manage that downstream.”

Cole adds that the unit improves fuel consumption by 20 percent and extended run time to 10 hours. With an external valve it can run for numerous more hours. The unit is offered in three different engine configurations – Caterpillar, Perkins and Cummins -- and can deliver up to 1600 cfm and 150 psi in 120-degree temperature to minus-20 F and has run at altitudes as high as 12,000 feet.

The company reduced the size and weight of the machine significantly. “We heard from our customers that they wanted the ability to fit two of these machines on a 48-foot trailer,” Cole said.

The new seven-inch touchscreen controller is another new feature, able to identify any type of fault, provide warnings with clear messages. “It also provides troubleshooting primers for input and output of sensors for the compressor,” Cole says. “It monitors the safety of the machine, temperatures, pressures, filter maintenance, fuel level, DEF levels, engine load, fuel consumption rate, and engine parameters such as engine temperature, engine oil pressure, engine boost pressure, the status of both the compressor and the engine. You can scan the QR code and get additional information.”

The machine also has a solar battery charger option, and also offers a refinery package with additional features.