Oil Free Air Compressors: Best Choice for Pure Air
Oil Free Screw Compressors
CompAir Ultima™
100% oil and silicone-free for clean air critical applications
Ultima™ is CompAir's groundbreaking oil-free PureAir screw compressor with a unique design. It is a brand new compressor range and it utilises a low pressure and high pressure dry screw airend. Each airend is individually driven by a variable speed, permanent magnet synchronous motor, offering exceptional levels of efficiency versus traditional oil-free technology.
CompAir is always improving the best products to be even better and more cutting edge.
Considering that the highest cost in the lifecycle of a compressor is the energy to run it, the unique design of Ultima has allowed us to combine the ultimate performance with the ultimate efficiency, and still deliver a footprint 37% smaller than a conventional two-stage oil-free compressor. This allows easy installation in the smallest possible space – more than a benefit where space is limited – it is a real property cost saving.
Ultima™ - the real deal
Ultima compressors are 100% oil and silicone-free and meet ISO 8573-1 Class Zero (2010), making them the ideal choice for stringent oil-free applications within food and beverage, pharmaceutical, electronic and the automotive industries. What makes this compressor series unique is the lack of a gearbox. Ultima uses ultra high efficiency direct drive motors which replace the gearbox and the single motor, which optimise performance throughout the complete volume range, as the airends can be driven at different speeds dependant on the demand. With a single motor driving both airends together this is not possible. This is where Ultima is hard to beat.
The Ultima utilises an intelligent “digital gearbox“ design, which continuously monitors and independently adjust the speeds of each airend, ensuring maximum efficiency and pressure ratios at all times. When any regulated speed compressor gets to the minimum speed, it goes into idle run. For any compressor, this is wasted energy. Ultima uses 45% less energy in idle run than a conventional two-stage compressor and a 160kW compressor uses only 8 kW in idle run.
It is available with iConn remote monitoring. iConn is the all new and smart, proactive real-time monitoring service that delivers in-depth and real-time knowledge on the system to our compressed air users. It enables accurate production planning and total peace-of-mind protection, generating insight and statistics that keep users informed on performance, at the same time highlighting potential issues before they become a problem.
It's compact, low maintenance, high capacity, and exceeds industrial expectations.
100% oil and silicone free - Highest levels of air quality
Highest efficiency levels - Low running costs
Low noise design - Installation at point of use
LP & HP airends individually driven - Energy efficient across the flow range
Very efficient heat recovery - Most efficient machine
Easy installation - No ducting required
On-board monitoring - Very user-friendly
Available with iConn remote monitoring - IoT connected
If you’re moving from oil-lubricated L160–L250 compressors to oil-free technology, you’re stepping into a completely different class—focused on air purity, contamination risk elimination, and compliance.
Let’s break down what oil-free screw compressors (like CompAir Ultima™) actually offer—and where they fit.
🔷 Oil-Free Screw Compressors (Why they matter)
Oil-free compressors are designed to deliver ISO 8573-1 Class 0 air, meaning:
Zero oil contamination risk
No downstream filtration for oil removal
Suitable for critical industries
👉 This is crucial because even tiny oil traces can:
Spoil products (food, pharma)
Damage sensitive equipment (electronics)
Lead to recalls and compliance issues
🧠 Where Oil-Free Compressors Are Essential
Oil-free isn’t optional in these sectors:
Pharmaceuticals & healthcare
Food & beverage processing
Electronics & semiconductors
Textiles & precision manufacturing
These industries require contamination-free compressed air to protect products and processes
⚖️ Oil-Free vs Oil-Lubricated (Reality Check)
Factor Oil-Free Oil-Lubricated
Air purity ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
Energy efficiency ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Initial cost High Lower
Maintenance Moderate Moderate
Risk of contamination None Present
🧾 Bottom Line
CompAir Ultima™ → best for top-tier efficiency + zero contamination
Standard oil-free screw compressors → reliable for most industries
Water-injected systems → budget-friendly clean air option
✔️ Simple decision guide
Choose Ultima™ → if you want premium efficiency + future-ready tech
Choose standard oil-free screw → if you need reliable Class 0 air
Choose water-injected → if budget is a constraint
