Oil Free Scroll Compressor vs Oil Free Screw Compressor

Two technologies dominate small-to-mid oil-free air: the oil free scroll compressor and the oil free screw compressor. Both can deliver oil-free air, but they suit different duties. This article compares them and shows where CMN's water-lubricated single-screw design earns its place.

How Each Works

• Oil free scroll compressor: two interleaving spirals trap and compress air; often dry, with small capacity.

• Oil free screw compressor (CMN): single screw + star-wheels, water-lubricated, scalable to higher flow and pressure.

Capacity and Pressure

CMN's range (CM75G to CM320GPV, 2–40 bar) targets lines that outgrow scroll capacity, including medium-pressure PET blowing.

Efficiency and Cooling

• Scroll units run dry and can run warm at higher duty.

• CMN's water-lubricated screw runs near-isothermal (~40–50°C), losing less energy as heat.

• PMVSD GPV models add part-load savings.

Service and Lifetime

An oil free scroll compressor has few moving parts but limited headroom; once capacity is exceeded, buyers add parallel units. CMN's oil free screw compressor offers a simpler scale-up path and, with water lubrication, avoids both oil circuits and dry-rotor coating wear.

Which Should You Choose?

• Small, steady, low-flow, low-pressure → scroll may fit.

• Higher flow, medium pressure, PET/food/pharma duty → CMN water-lubricated screw.

• Need certified Class 0 with scalability → CMN single-screw.

Conclusion

An oil free scroll compressor is a fine choice at small scale, but an oil free screw compressor — especially CMN's water-lubricated single-screw — is the better fit when capacity, medium pressure, and Class 0 purity must all scale together.

CTA: Contact CMN to compare scroll vs screw for your duty, or send specs to request a quote.