Air Compressor

All pneumatic equipment operates under air compressors. The air compressor basically compresses a given amount air to a specific pressure. Consumers can use this pressurized air to power certain equipment like pneumatic buffers, jackhammers, sanders and nail guns. There are advantages and disadvantages in requiring air compressors to operate. The obvious disadvantage with air compressors is that they can be quite heavy and bulky. An advantage is that they make pneumatic tools portable since a compressed air tank can be taken almost anywhere.

Maintenance

Pneumatic equipment requires regular maintenance. Sources at American Pneumatic Tools recommend that pneumatic equipment owners regularly inspect and maintain their pneumatic equipment to maintain a safe work environment while the equipment is in use. Monster Guide claims that operating pneumatic equipment can be messy because a lot of lubrication and oil are needed to keep them operating smoothly. Oil levels should always be kept at manufacturer-recommended levels.

Safety Measures

Pneumatic tool operators should employ hearing protection while operating most types of pneumatic tools to avoid injuries to the ears, according to The Tool Hut. Safety glasses should be worn to avoid damage to the eye, according to Ask the Builder. When operating pneumatic equipment produces excessive dust, it is recommended that the operator employ a dust mask or respirator. Pneumatic staple gun operators may choose to wear steel-toe boots to prevent injury to the feet and toes.

Warnings

The oil and lubricant used in pneumatic equipment can spit out around the operator’s workspace, which can make for an unsafe environment. Shards of material may fly off a workpiece while it is being operated under pneumatic equipment. In cases where pneumatic equipment is going to be operated near bystanders, protective shields can be put in place to protect the bystanders. Signs should be posted to inform the public that they are near active pneumatic equipment.

Solar Energy

Fuels commonly used as energy sources (e.g., petroleum) are problematic in that they are limited resources and produce harmful emissions related to global warming. As a result, alternative sources of energy have been sought out. One such source under investigation and development is solar energy.

Cost

A disadvantage of using solar energy is that the equipment necessary to harness it is expensive. On a more basic level, it is the technology within the equipment that comes with a high price. For instance, second-generation solar cells apply a thin film of a material such as silicon over the main material of the cell (e.g., glass). Such cells work by using the photovoltaic effect to convert light into electricity directly. Second-generation cells currently allow less material to be used than with first-generation solar cells and therefore reduce costs, but the process of producing the cells still does not exceed other fuel forms in terms of cost efficiency. Technology is continually improving (third-generation cells already are being devised and tested), thus the cost of solar energy equipment probably will go down over time, but the current standard is still lacking in terms of cost effectiveness.

Light

An obvious problem with solar energy is that it only works when there is sunlight available. This means that solar energy plants cannot harness solar energy at night. It is also difficult to harness the energy in areas nearer to the earth’s poles---i.e., areas that do not receive as many hours of sunlight per day. An alternate fuel source still would be needed for energy production during nighttime hours.

Space

The equipment needed for solar energy takes up large amounts of space---technology is not yet advanced enough (although it is becoming so) to provide optimum efficiency levels with small solar panels. Additionally, even when the panels are efficient given the technology available, the location of the panels doesn’t always provide good performance, such as if the panels are blocked by other buildings.