From DIY enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to small and mid-sized businesses, air compression is often a critical commodity that is integral to the core business offering and as such must be able to perform at optimum levels. Yet in South Africa’s tough economic climate, smaller businesses make air compression choices based on cost, which can ultimately affect the quality of their product offering.
Recognising the needs of this market, Probe Industrial Technologies has launched a range of Probe air compressors that are competitively priced yet are strong performers.
Probe Industrial Technologies is a division of Probe Corporation, South Africa’s largest importer of premium, maintenance-free, fit and forget batteries and a leader in rotating electrics, with over 50 years of experience in distributing and providing aftermarket support for many international brands. Over the years, Probe’s cumulated experience has enabled the company to ‘read’ the market and anticipate their needs. This is true now for Probe’s industrial division in their recognition of market challenges that are beginning to affect the purchasing habits of smaller businesses.
Grant van Houten, who heads up the industrial division, says that Probe’s air compressors are the ideal solution for those businesses who require air compression for light-duty applications. “Our Probe brand offers a range of piston compressors. This is the oldest form of air compression which makes it somewhat cheaper, and we’ve harnessed this technology into a reliable and economical solution that works well for a wide variety of applications. This would include, for example, builders, handymen and home-based businesses, right through to paint shops at motor dealerships.”
Van Houten says that the key aspect for those seeking to purchase an air compression solution for their business is to understand what the cycle of the compressor refers to. “A small business owner is not necessarily an air compression expert, and may tend to consider first and foremost the amount of air that their compressor will need in order to determine the right type of compressor. More importantly however, is to think about use in terms of time. All piston air compressors operate on a duty cycle, which means that they will seldom run continuously and will require an intermittent rest period, which is mostly measured in time.”
The Probe range of piston compressors have a duty cycle of 60/40, says van Houten, meaning that they must operate for 60% on and 40% off (which is around 15 to 20 minutes) so as to avoid causing any damage to the unit.
Probe’s range of piston air compressors joins the already comprehensive range of high-quality compressors that Probe Industrial Technologies holds. The piston range includes SCC Screw Compressors (5.5KVA -250KW), Fini range of piston and screw compressors, as well as the Stanley Fatmax piston range and Stanley accessories. Van Houten says, “Our Probe-branded compressors complement the existing range by providing high quality at a lower price point, thus ensuring that all compression needs are catered for.”
