The general mechanism of an air compressor is a piston or rotary element (e.g. rotary screw or vane) that allures air, which is compressed right into a Water Lubricated Air Compressor storage tank. Naturally, because the piston or rotary component needs to move regularly and smoothly because of this to work, it generally needs to be lubricated.

In a lubricated air compressor, there is lubricating oil which will keep the piston or rotary component running well without damaging the mechanism. The lubricant also helps to dissipate temperature and keep maintaining air compression efficiency.

Oil-totally free air compressors also use a piston or rotary element, but they bypass the lubrication problem by coating the compression element with a pre-lubricating materials like Teflon. Some oil-free compressors may also use water in place of oil for the lubricating and cooling process. These alternate materials guard the pump and allow the mechanism to move smoothly without the need for any oil-centered or synthetic lubrication.