As a guide, an S 55 screw compressor (0.6 m³/min at 8 bar) supplies about 8 upholstery staple guns used in bursts, blow gun and margins included, or 4 staple guns firing non-stop on a production line. A K 75 (1.1 m³/min) supplies about 16 in everyday upholstery work, and a K 110 (1.7 m³/min) about 26. The exact figure depends on the firing rate of your staple guns and the number of people firing at the same time.
This article complements our page compressor for upholstery and trimming, which presents all the tools of the trade.
What does the number of staple guns depend on?
Three figures are enough to answer:
- The consumption of one staple gun in l/min, which you work out from the manual: litres per shot multiplied by the number of shots per minute. Our configurator uses 80 l/min, as a guide, for a staple gun in everyday use.
- Simultaneity, meaning the share of time the staple gun is actually firing. In upholstery, you stretch, fold, position, then staple: the tool works in bursts. On a volume seat production line, it fires almost continuously.
- The compressor's air flow at working pressure, the one on the data sheet, at 8 bar for an upholstery workshop.
On top of that come the other tools running at the same time, especially the blow gun and the glue spray gun, and the margins.
The calculation workstation by workstation
One staple gun in everyday upholstery work. 80 l/min counted at 50%, because the air receiver absorbs the bursts: 40 l/min. With a 25% safety margin: 40 × 1.25 = 50 l/min per workstation.
One staple gun in continuous production. 80 l/min counted at 100%: with the margin, 80 × 1.25 = 100 l/min per workstation.
The blow gun. 150 l/min in bursts, counted at 50%, so 75 l/min, and 94 l/min with the margin.
The glue spray gun. Around 150 l/min as a guide, counted at 100% during gluing, so about 190 l/min with the margin.
The expansion reserve. Keep 20% of the compressor's output for one more workstation or a new machine: so you only count the compressor's air flow divided by 1.2.
Example with an S 55
The S 55 delivers 600 l/min at 8 bar. Set aside 20% for expansion: 600 / 1.2 = 500 l/min available. Take off one blow gun: 500 − 94 = 406 l/min. Divide by 50 l/min per staple gun: about 8 staple guns in everyday upholstery work. In continuous production, divide by 100: about 4 staple guns.
If a glue spray gun runs at the same time: 406 − 190 = 216 l/min, so about 4 staple guns in upholstery work, or 2 in continuous production.
The table by model
Indicative figures, with one blow gun, a 25% safety margin and a 20% expansion reserve. Count fewer staple guns if your tools use more than 80 l/min.
| Compressor | Flow at 8 bar | Staple guns, everyday upholstery | Staple guns, continuous production | With one glue spray gun as well |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S 55 | 0.6 m³/min | about 8 | about 4 | about 4 in upholstery work |
| K 75 | 1.1 m³/min | about 16 | about 8 | about 12 in upholstery work |
| K 110 | 1.7 m³/min | about 26 | about 13 | about 22 in upholstery work |
| K 150 | 2.2 m³/min | about 34 | about 17 | about 31 in upholstery work |
The K 75 calculation reads as follows: 1,100 / 1.2 = 917 l/min available, minus 94 for the blow gun, leaves 823 l/min. Divided by 50, that gives 16 staple guns in everyday upholstery work; divided by 100, 8 staple guns in continuous production.
And with a piston compressor?
A piston compressor is not made to run all the time: it fills its air receiver, stops, cools down, then starts again. To keep those rest periods, do not count on its full output. A cautious rule is not to go beyond about two thirds.
With the E 75, which delivers 0.9 m³/min on a 180 L air receiver: two thirds of 900 l/min makes 600 l/min. That is the same order of magnitude as the S 55, so about 8 staple guns in everyday upholstery work. But if those staple guns fire all day long, the piston compressor never stops: move to a screw compressor.
The pitfalls when several staple guns share the air
- An undersized network. Eight staple guns at the end of a single hose with tee pieces is a guaranteed pressure drop during bursts. The staples no longer go fully home. Choose a fixed network along the benches with one drop per workstation, as explained in our guide connecting a compressor to the air network. A sufficient hose diameter also limits the pressure drop.
- An air receiver that is too small. When several upholsterers fire at the same time, it is the air receiver that supplies the peak. With a standalone screw compressor such as the S 55, choose it with the air receiver size calculator. The K 75, K 110 and K 150 have a built-in air receiver.
- One regulator for everyone. A fine wire staple gun does not need the same pressure as a webbing staple gun. One regulator per workstation avoids setting everyone to the most demanding tool.
- Leaks that add up. Eight workstations means eight quick couplings, eight hoses and eight tools that can leak. Walk round the workshop once a month, with the compressor running and the tools idle.
- Forgetting the future. A workshop that takes on staff soon goes from 4 to 6 workstations. The 20% reserve means you do not have to change compressor at the first new hire.
For a calculation with your own tools and firing rate, use the configurator, or send us the list of your workstations with a quote request.
For your trade: Compressor for upholstery, auto trimming and soft furnishing workshops.