For a pottery studio or studio ceramics workshop with one glazing booth, a 5.5 kW screw compressor such as the S 55 is enough: it delivers 0.6 m³/min at 8 bar at 65 to 68 dB(A), a level that suits a studio where people work and visitors come in. If you want dry, filtered air with nothing to assemble, or if two people glaze at the same time, the K 75, a 7.5 kW 4-in-1 (1.1 m³/min at 8 bar), is the simplest solution. All our compressors run on 380 V three-phase.
Tile factories, pottery factories and production workshops are covered on our page compressor for ceramics and glazing. Here, we are talking about potters' studios, studio ceramicists and teaching workshops.
What is compressed air used for in a pottery studio?
In a studio ceramics workshop, air is used at only a few stations, but they matter:
- spray glazing in a booth, for even coats, graded colours and layered glazes;
- the blow gun to dust off greenware or bisqueware before glazing, and to clean the wheel and work surfaces;
- the airbrush for slips, decoration and oxides, which uses little air;
- sometimes demoulding pieces slip cast in plaster moulds, or a small press.
The glaze spray gun is by far the hungriest station, and it blows continuously while a batch is being glazed.
How much air does a pottery studio need?
As a guide, a glaze spray gun uses around 200 to 350 l/min, a blow gun around 150 l/min while it is blowing, and an airbrush around 10 to 30 l/min. Check the figure in your tools' manuals.
Example of a ceramicist's studio with one booth and one blow gun:
- 1 glaze spray gun at 250 l/min, continuous: 250 l/min
- 1 blow gun at 150 l/min, used intermittently and counted at 50%: 75 l/min
- total: 325 l/min
- with 25% safety: 325 × 1.25 = 406 l/min
- with 20% for expansion: 406 × 1.2 = 488 l/min, or about 0.5 m³/min (roughly 17 CFM)
The S 55, with its 600 l/min at 8 bar, covers this need.
Example of a shared studio or a ceramics school with two booths in use at the same time:
- 2 spray guns at 250 l/min: 500 l/min
- 1 blow gun counted at 50%: 75 l/min
- total: 575 l/min, so 575 × 1.25 × 1.2 = 863 l/min with the margins
Here, the S 55 is no longer enough. The K 75, 1.1 m³/min at 8 bar, covers it with reserve to spare.
Screw or piston compressor for a ceramics studio?
A glaze spray gun blows for a long time without stopping. A piston compressor is designed to work intermittently: in continuous use, it runs hot, wears faster and sends out hotter, wetter air. It is also noisier, which matters in a studio where people work all day. Our article on the difference between piston and screw compressors covers these points in detail.
| Criterion | E series piston (on quotation) | S 55 screw | K 75 4-in-1 screw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous spray gun use | limited | yes | yes |
| Noise | higher | 65 to 68 dB(A) | 66 ± 2 dB(A) |
| Dryer and filtration | to be added | to be added | built in |
| Air receiver | built in | to be added | 420 L built in |
| Flow at 8 bar | depends on model | 0.6 m³/min | 1.1 m³/min |
A piston compressor such as the E 40 (4 kW, 100 L air receiver) can suit a studio that only uses a blow gun and an airbrush, with occasional spray glazing. As soon as spray glazing becomes a daily task, a screw compressor is the better fit.
Why must the air be dry to glaze a studio piece?
A drop of water sprayed by the gun dilutes the glaze and leaves a run, which only becomes visible when the piece comes out of the kiln, when it is too late. A trace of oil on the bisque makes the glaze crawl during firing. On a one-off piece, that is a piece lost.
The K 75 has a refrigerated dryer and filtration built in: the air arrives treated from the day it is commissioned. With an S 55, add an air receiver, a dryer and a fine filter at the foot of the booth. Our compressors are lubricated: it is the filtration at the outlet that holds back the oil carried over. Air-related glaze defects are covered in our article dry air and glaze defects.
Where should the compressor go in a pottery studio?
- Away from dust. Clay and glaze dust clogs the air filter and the cooler. A closed cupboard or a lean-to shed, with an air intake taken from outside, is ideal. See our article on ceramic dust and the air intake.
- Away from the kiln. The heat of the kiln raises the intake temperature and puts strain on the compressor.
- Close to the booth, but not inside it. A short pipe run limits the pressure losses up to the gun.
- Frost-free. The dryer and the condensate cannot cope with frost.
As for noise, a canopied screw compressor at around 65 to 68 dB(A) can stay in a room next to the studio. Our guide to compressor noise helps you compare levels.
What about the electrical supply?
Our screw compressors run on 380 V three-phase. Many ceramics studios already have it for the electric kiln. If not, have your electrician check your installation. See our article on the 380 V screw compressor.
Maintenance in a studio
First service at 500 hours, then every 1,500 hours. In a studio where the compressor runs a few hours a day, that leaves long intervals. Keep a service kit in stock, drain the air receiver if you have no automatic drain, and check the air filter more often if the studio is dusty. The compressors come with a 2-year warranty and spare parts remain available for 15 years.
To check your choice, enter your tools in the configurator, or describe your studio in a quote request.
For your trade: Compressor for ceramics and glazing.