C. Did you select the ISO 8573 sections which you wish to use to classify your compressor? For example if you want to classify your compressor as OIL FREE, you may want to review ISO 8573 Part(s) 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. If microbiological assessment is desired Part 7 may be appropriate.

D. Select the appropriate section(s) for which you plan to certify your compressor. The ISO standards address similar attributes in different ISO 8573 sections, therefore careful planning to ensure the appropriate section is used for the assessment.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
One of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of certifying a compressor is the environment where the testing will be performed. The environment to conduct the assessment is selected; however, in some cases very little attention is given as to the initial quality of air the compressor will use in its operational phase. This may be important, especially when critical and extremely low classifications are sought. A classification of ZERO may require that the air intake also be equal to the quality of air sought for in the classification. Some important factors to consider here if classification is sought:

A. Is there a pre filter and if so what are the specifications of the pre filter? What is the particulate micron pore size rating? A pre filter micron rating may affect the outcome of the test classification. Serious consideration should be given to assessing the classification sought and the particulate micron filtration efficiency of the pre filter in order to achieve the target classification in some cases.

B. Are there environmental conditions that may adversely impact the classification process? Dust storms, oil vapor, and/or a climate inversion may present complications to the ultimate goal of achieving the expected classification. If any one of these attributes are encountered, a closed environment similar to a pharmaceutical cleanroom may be required to achieve the target classification. Specifically the quality and characteristics (micron size and concentration of particulates) of the environmental air should be assessed prior to testing to ensure the quality of air-intake does not adversely affect the particulate test results.