Y19A Rock Drill Compressor Sizing for 1–3 Drills

September 5, 2026

Y19A rock drill air inlet and control detail used when checking compressor and hose requirements

Quick answer: the current Y19A reference lists air consumption of ≤43 L/s at 5 bar. For preliminary planning, use 43 L/s per drill as the pre-correction tool-demand base: one drill is 2.58 m³/min (about 91 CFM), two drills are 5.16 m³/min (about 182 CFM), and three drills are 7.74 m³/min (about 273 CFM).

These are arithmetic tool-demand baselines before site and distribution corrections; they are not final compressor Free Air Delivery (FAD) ratings. Add other simultaneous air users and measured leakage only after confirming a compatible flow-reference basis. Apply altitude, temperature and other site corrections to the compressor's delivered-capacity data with the manufacturer's method, and check distribution pressure loss separately. Final acceptance requires compatible compressor-capacity evidence at the required pressure plus dynamic-pressure verification at the drill inlet under combined load.

Y19A air demand for one, two or three drills

Calculated from the published ≤43 L/s per-tool reference at 5 bar; use as a pre-correction planning base only.
Y19A drills operating at the same time	Tool-demand base at 5 bar	m³/min conversion	CFM conversion	Not included yet
1	43 L/s	2.58	About 91	Other simultaneous air users and measured leakage; compressor site correction and distribution pressure loss are checked separately
2	86 L/s	5.16	About 182	The same exclusions; both drills are assumed to operate together
3	129 L/s	7.74	About 273	The same exclusions; the header and every branch still require checking

Conversion boundary: CFM in this table is an arithmetic conversion of the published L/s value. Do not label it SCFM or compressor FAD unless the reference conditions and rating basis are confirmed.

Which Y19A value controls this calculation?

The current Y19A hand-held pneumatic rock drill page gives a working-pressure reference of 4–5 bar and lists ≤43 L/s at 5 bar. This guide uses only the pressure-linked 43 L/s value. It does not assume that air consumption changes linearly between 4 and 5 bar, and it does not borrow a value from Y24, YT28 or another rock-drill model.

Confirm the exact supplied Y19A configuration and its controlled data sheet before purchase. A model name, a compressor headline rating or an H22 shank reference does not establish the complete operating system.

Step 1: count the drills that can run together

Use the maximum credible simultaneous count, not the total number owned and not an average shift count. If two Y19A drills may work while a third is being prepared, calculate two. If the operating plan cannot prevent all three from running together, calculate three.

Base tool demand = simultaneous Y19A count × 43 L/s at the 5 bar reference point.

Do not introduce an undocumented diversity factor merely to reduce the required flow. If a lower simultaneous count is used, record the operating rule that makes it credible.

Step 2: calculate the pre-correction tool demand

The unit conversions used above are:

43 L/s × 0.06 = 2.58 m³/min per drill.
43 L/s × 2.1189 ≈ 91 CFM per drill.

The result is a tool-demand planning base. It is deliberately calculated before adding other users, leakage or site effects so the buyer can see what each extra unit of capacity is intended to cover.

Step 3: add the loads the table does not contain

A single unexplained 20% or 30% margin can hide the real requirement. Build an auditable site total instead:

Other simultaneous air users: add each tool's documented demand at its intended pressure and duty pattern.
Measured leakage: use an air-system audit where one exists; do not silently turn an unknown leak into product demand.
Temporary unknown allowance: if a condition cannot yet be measured, show the allowance as a separate project assumption.
Future demand: include only equipment the project genuinely plans to add.
Altitude and temperature: obtain the compressor supplier's delivered-capacity data or correction for the actual site and duty point.
Air treatment and distribution: filters, separators, valves, manifolds, lubricators, hoses and couplings add pressure loss and may limit flow.

A transparent planning equation is:

Q_site = Q_{Y19A tools} + Q_other + Q_{measured leak} + Q_future + A_unmeasured.

Step 4: read compressor capacity at the required pressure

Before comparing numbers, confirm that the Y19A air-consumption figure and the compressor FAD or delivered-air figure use compatible reference conditions and units. Then use the compressor manufacturer's delivered-air data at the required discharge pressure, adjusted once for the actual site condition by the manufacturer's method. Motor power, engine power, theoretical displacement and receiver volume do not uniquely define the continuous air available to the drills.

If the compressor supplier provides a site-performance factor for the actual altitude, temperature, pressure and machine condition, use it once and show it explicitly. If the supplier already states delivered capacity at the real site condition, do not apply the same correction a second time.

Pressure and flow remain separate checks. The source must provide enough flow while overcoming the engineered pressure loss, but the Y19A inlet itself must remain within the approved operating condition.

Step 5: check the complete distribution path

The current Y19A page lists a 19 mm air-hose reference. Treat it only as a tool-side reference for the current reference configuration, not as a minimum-size approval for every long trunk, shared header or multi-drill manifold.

Record the full path from compressor to the most disadvantaged drill:

compressor outlet and receiver or header;
filters, separators, regulators and valves;
main hose or pipe inside diameter and length;
manifold and branch arrangement;
every coupling, reducer and line lubricator;
each branch-hose inside diameter and length; and
the pressure-measurement point near the Y19A inlet.

Use the pneumatic rock drill air-hose sizing guide to collect branch-selection inputs and the long-hose pressure-drop guide to diagnose source, header, branch and tool-inlet loss. This Y19A page calculates the base tool demand; those pages address how the distribution route delivers it.

Three worked examples that stop at the correct boundary

One Y19A

The arithmetic tool-demand base is 43 L/s, 2.58 m³/min or about 91 CFM at the stated 5 bar reference. A 91 CFM headline rating does not approve a compressor: the other loads, leakage, site performance, rating basis and pressure loss are still unknown.

Two Y19A drills

The arithmetic base is 86 L/s, 5.16 m³/min or about 182 CFM when both drills operate together. A compressor labelled 185 CFM cannot be approved or assigned a 3 CFM margin until the Y19A and compressor figures are confirmed on a compatible reference basis. After that check, include other simultaneous air users and measured leakage, apply the compressor's site correction once using manufacturer data, engineer distribution pressure loss separately, and verify dynamic pressure at both drill inlets under load.

Three Y19A drills

The arithmetic base is 129 L/s, 7.74 m³/min or about 273 CFM. The final design must check the common header, manifold and every branch under the three-tool load. A correct total-flow number can still fail at the farthest drill if the distribution path is restrictive.

Commission the system under combined load

Commissioning must be performed by qualified personnel under the site's approved procedure, exclusion-zone and PPE controls. Isolate and depressurize the system before changing any hose, fitting or instrument connection.

Confirm the exact Y19A identity, data-sheet revision and 5 bar demand reference.
Record the installed quantity and maximum simultaneous quantity.
Add other air users, measured leakage, explicit future demand and any separately labelled unknown allowance.
Check the compressor's delivered-air curve at the planned pressure and real site condition.
Map the complete main and branch distribution route.
Run every planned simultaneous user at operating load.
Measure dynamic pressure at the most disadvantaged Y19A inlet while air is flowing.
If dynamic pressure falls at one branch, inspect that branch; if it falls at every branch, review source capacity and the common header.
Record the accepted configuration and readings as a commissioning baseline.

Do not rely on static receiver pressure or the gauge beside the compressor. The useful evidence is the pressure maintained at the drill inlet while the planned tools are operating.

What to send for a Y19A air-system review

Y19A quantity installed and quantity expected to operate at the same time.
Exact model, manufacturer or current nameplate, and controlled data sheet if available.
Required pressure and the location where it must be maintained.
Compressor make/model and FAD or delivered-air curve at the relevant pressure.
Site altitude, ambient-temperature range and duty schedule.
Main and branch hose or pipe inside diameters and lengths.
Couplings, reducers, manifold, filters, valves and line lubricator.
Other pneumatic equipment that can run during drilling and any measured leakage.
Wet or dry drilling arrangement, target hole, quantity and delivery destination.

Start with the Hand-Held Pneumatic Rock Drills Collection if the model is not yet fixed. For the current machine reference, open the Y19A product page. Then request a Y19A air-system review with the inputs above.

Frequently asked questions

How much air does one Y19A rock drill need?

The current published reference is ≤43 L/s at 5 bar. That converts to 2.58 m³/min or about 91 CFM as a per-tool planning base. It is not, by itself, a final compressor FAD requirement.

What is the base demand for two or three Y19A drills?

Using 43 L/s for each drill, two simultaneously operating drills give a 5.16 m³/min (about 182 CFM) base and three give a 7.74 m³/min (about 273 CFM) base. Add site and distribution inputs before selecting a compressor.

Can a 185 CFM compressor run two Y19A drills?

Do not approve the system from the 185 CFM label alone. First confirm that the compressor rating and the Y19A consumption reference use compatible reference conditions. Then add other simultaneous air users and measured leakage, apply the compressor manufacturer's site correction once, check distribution pressure loss, and verify dynamic pressure at both drill inlets under load.

Can a larger receiver let me choose a smaller compressor?

A receiver can buffer short demand changes, but it does not replace the continuous delivered air needed when both drills operate for sustained periods.

What field checks help verify the setup?

Under the approved commissioning procedure, run every planned simultaneous air user and measure dynamic pressure at the most disadvantaged Y19A inlet. Record the pressure, hose path and operating tools together. Pressure alone is not a direct flow measurement; accept the setup only when the pressure record, compatible compressor delivered-capacity evidence and operating behavior all meet the controlled design and equipment instructions.

References

Last reviewed: September 5, 2026. Product records, compressor performance and site conditions can change. The final quotation and current controlled supplier documents govern the delivered configuration.