For a 3-bay truck workshop, plan on a screw compressor of about 1.4 m³/min in its 10 bar version. The S 110 at 10 bar, with a receiver and a dryer, covers three mechanics with 1 inch impact wrenches plus truck tyre inflation. If the workshop also does preparation or painting, move up to the S 150.
Our page on compressors for truck workshops describes what an HGV workshop needs in general. Here we run the full calculation for one specific case: three bays working at the same time.
1. List the tools used at peak hours
For each bay, note the hungriest tool used at the busiest time. In a truck workshop it is almost always the 1 inch impact wrench. The values below come from our configurator and are a guide only: check your tools' manuals.
| Tool | Consumption | Pressure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch impact wrench | 600 l/min | 6.3 bar |
| Truck tyre inflator | 150 l/min | 9 bar |
| Tyre changer | 150 l/min | 8 bar |
| Blow gun | 150 l/min | 6.3 bar |
| Air grease pump | 150 l/min | 6.3 bar |
2. Work through the calculation
Three mechanics means at most three tools at once. We keep the three hungriest: three 1 inch impact wrenches.
- Gross consumption: 3 × 600 = 1,800 l/min.
- An impact wrench works in bursts, a few seconds per nut. Thanks to the receiver, it is counted at 50%: 1,800 × 0.5 = 900 l/min.
- Safety margin of 25%: 900 × 1.25 = 1,125 l/min.
- Expansion margin of 20%, if a fourth bay is planned: 1,125 × 1.2 = 1,350 l/min.
The requirement is therefore between 1,125 and 1,350 l/min, or 1.1 to 1.35 m³/min. The detailed calculation for a single wrench is in our article which compressor for a 1 inch impact wrench.
3. Choose the pressure: 10 bar
A truck tyre inflator works at around 9 bar. An 8 bar compressor cannot inflate a tyre to that pressure. You need a 10 bar version, and you must read the flow at 10 bar on the data sheet, not at 8 bar.
| Model | Flow at 10 bar | For which workshop |
|---|---|---|
| S 110, 11 kW standalone screw | 1.4 m³/min | 3 bays, receiver and dryer chosen separately |
| K 110, 11 kW 4-in-1 screw | 1.4 m³/min | 3 bays, no plant room, 340 L receiver and dryer built in |
| S 150, 15 kW standalone screw | 2.0 m³/min | 3 bays plus a tyre bay, preparation or painting |
At 1.4 m³/min, the S 110 and K 110 cover the 1,350 l/min, expansion margin included. The S 150 leaves headroom for a fourth bay or for tools in continuous use, such as a grinder or a spray gun.
4. Check the receiver on a peak
Sometimes all three wrenches really do run together, for example when changing the wheels on a full rig. Demand then rises to 1,800 l/min, above the compressor's 1,400 l/min.
- Flow shortfall: 1,800 - 1,400 = 400 l/min.
- Reserve in a 500 L receiver between 10 and 7 bar: 500 × 3 = 1,500 litres.
- Autonomy: 1,500 ÷ 400 = just under 4 minutes of continuous peak.
With the K 110's 340 L receiver, the reserve is 340 × 3 = 1,020 litres, about 2.5 minutes. Since wrenches work in bursts, both reserves are enough in practice. The air receiver size calculator redoes this with your figures. For a 10 bar receiver, choose a model rated for that pressure, such as the 13 bar vertical air receiver.
Pitfalls in a multi-bay truck workshop
- The pipework. Three bays quickly means several tens of metres of pipe. Pipework that is too small loses pressure at the end of the line. See our guide to connecting a compressor to the air network.
- Water. The high flows of a truck workshop produce a lot of condensate. With an S 110, plan for the refrigerated dryer for 11 kW compressors and an automatic condensate drain on the receiver.
- Power supply. The 11 and 15 kW screw compressors run on 380 V three-phase.
- Maintenance. First service at 500 hours, then every 1,500 hours, with a reminder shown on the controller. Keep the service kit for your model in the workshop.
Enter your tools and number of mechanics in the configurator, or send us the list of your bays with a quote request.
For your trade: Compressor for truck workshops.