What Is ISO 8573?
The ISO 8573 compressed air quality series is one of the most important international standards for defining the quality of compressed air used in industrial processes. It defines compressed-air purity classes and the test methods for them: air is measured and tested against it to establish its purity class. It is not a management-system standard under which a certificate is issued.
The standard is mainly used to classify compressed air according to three main types of contaminant: solid particles, moisture (water) and oil.
Why Does the ISO 8573 Compressed Air Quality Standard Matter to Industry?
Compressed air is widely used across many sectors, such as:
- Pharmaceutical and food manufacturing
- Factories and production lines
- Medical devices
- Electronics manufacturing
Any contamination in the air used can lead to:
- Production stoppages due to equipment failure
- Contamination of finished products
- Shorter service life for operating equipment
- Higher operating costs
That is why relying on standards such as ISO 8573 has become a necessity rather than an option.
What Does the ISO 8573 Standard Cover?
Part 1, ISO 8573-1, focuses on classifying air quality according to three main types of contaminant:
- Solid particles: such as dust, rust and metal fragments.
- Moisture (water): including water vapour and excess humidity.
- Oil: whether as vapour, droplets or aerosol.
Purity classes for each contaminant start at class 0 (the highest purity, with limits set by the user or supplier that are stricter than class 1) and go down to class 7 for solid particles, class 9 for water and class 4 for oil, with class X for anything beyond. The class chosen depends on how sensitive the application using the air is.
ISO 8573-2 to ISO 8573-9: Measurement and Analysis Methods
These parts cover the technical measurement methods for each type of contaminant. For example:
- ISO 8573-2: measures oil aerosol content.
- ISO 8573-3: deals with the level of humidity (water vapour).
- ISO 8573-4: determines the level of solid particles.
- And so on for the remaining parts, up to Part 9.
Types of Contaminant Addressed by ISO 8573
1. Solid particles
These include dust, rust and metal residues. They can cause erosion in pipework or blockages in precision machinery.
2. Moisture (water)
Water vapour or condensation can cause rust inside equipment and increase the risk of bacterial growth, especially in sensitive industries such as pharmaceuticals and food.
3. Oil
Oil getting into compressed air can seriously contaminate products and harm pneumatic systems.
How Does Air Quality Affect Equipment Efficiency?
- Lower operating efficiency: contaminated air erodes and damages equipment components.
- Higher costs: due to repeated breakdowns and rising maintenance costs.
- Production stoppages: in some cases, operations may stop entirely because of a fault in the air system.
- Lower product quality: especially in industries that require a clean, contaminant-free environment.
Steps to Verify Air Quality to ISO 8573
- Internal assessment of air quality: using approved analysis tools and equipment.
- Improve air treatment systems: install suitable filters and dryers.
- Verify the purity class: by sampling and testing the air with the test methods in the ISO 8573 parts, carried out by a competent laboratory or testing body that issues a test report stating the purity class.
The Difference Between ISO 8573 and Other Standards
Although there are other standards, such as ISO 12500, which focuses on assessing filter performance, ISO 8573 is more comprehensive because it deals with the final quality of the air used in the production process, not just the efficiency of the filters.
The Benefits of Applying ISO 8573
- Compliance with international standards
- Better quality of the finished product
- Fewer failures and production stoppages
- Greater confidence among customers and partners
- Access to export markets that require ISO conformity
Frequently Asked Questions About ISO 8573
Is meeting ISO 8573 classes mandatory?
It is not generally a legal requirement, but many sensitive sectors and customers require a specified compressed-air purity class to ISO 8573-1.
ISO 8573 is the gold standard for defining and testing compressed air quality. Committing to it shows an organisation’s professionalism and its concern for quality, safety and productivity.
Team Quality does not issue ISO 8573 certificates. Where compressed-air quality affects product safety or quality, its controls and test results form part of the management systems Team Quality certifies, such as ISO 22000 for food safety, ISO 13485 for medical devices and ISO 9001 for quality management.
Team Quality specialises in auditing and awarding international ISO certificates to institutions, factories, companies and government bodies of all kinds. It is accredited locally by the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC) and internationally by the International Accreditation Service (IAS), both signatories of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) multilateral recognition arrangement. It is also registered with the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS).
Our aim at Team Quality is to help companies of all sizes and sectors achieve excellence in quality by offering a wide range of services, including:
- Certification: we audit and certify organisations against internationally recognised standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 29994, among others.
- Training: we offer open training courses, available to all, across a range of areas of quality, such as internal auditing, risk analysis and problem solving.
- Assessment: we provide independent assessment services to measure how well companies comply with recognised quality standards.
Our Accreditations
The company is accredited locally by the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC) and internationally by the International Accreditation Service (IAS).
Locally by
- the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC)
International accreditation and registration:
- Internationally: International Accreditation Service (IAS), an IAF MLA signatory
- Registered with: Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS)
- Our certificates can be verified on IAF CertSearch
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