Fiac was founded in Italy in 1977, inventing the portable air compressor as we know it today. The compact dimensions and lighter weight of the design made air compressors available to a wider audience than ever before, effectively creating the DIY air compressor market.
Fiac has been at the forefront of compressed air systems ever since. In 1980 it was the first company to manufacture air compressor pumps entirely from moulded aluminium, again reducing the weight of air compressors. In 1985 it developed for the first silent air compressor, using an insulated canopy to reduce noise levels to a much safer level.
In 1987 another innovation was the oil free air compressor. Without any oil-lubricated components, this made compressors suitable for use where hygienic, clean air is at a premium. This resulted in machines suitable for sensitive electronics environments, but also led to medical and dental air compressors which could be operated without air filters.
In 1995 Fiac reached a landmark with the production of its 1,000,000th air compressor, paving the way for an enlargement of its Italian manufacturing base from 10,000 to 28,000 square metres in 1997. This was followed by the development of the most powerful Fiac rotary screw air compressors, which in 1998 saw the release of the first 100 HP air compressor.
In 2003 the inverter motor was introduced into the screw air compressor range, allowing variable speed control and improved energy efficiency in these top-end industrial compressors. With the 30th anniversary of the Fiac air compressor in 2007, the company's expansion into the UK, China and South America confirmed the company's amazing expansion as a global brand.
Current Fiac Air Products
The Fiac brand covers air tools as well as compressors. In particular, the range of Fiac air spray guns includes some of the finest quality guns on the market, such as the Kite, Hawk, Merlin, Eagle, Falcon and Osprey.
The range of air compressors starts with the lightweight, portable Fiac Leonardo air compressor. This machine has a 1HP motor and a 6 litre tank, but has a number of features ensuring it has an exceptionally low noise output compared to normal direct drive compressors. These include a four pole motor and an insulated tank.
The majority of the compressor range is larger belt driven air compressors. These range from 50 to 272 litre tanks, and are divided into two key groups.
Fiac Air Force is the medium duty range of belt drive air compressors, suitable for automotive workshops, spray shops and light production facilities. Air Force is designed for professional use but with a competitive price tag. Fiac Air Main is the heavy duty range for industrial use, providing an unbeatable guarantee of quality and service life of the tanks and pumps.
The choice of rotary screw air compressors is unbeatable: the CRS range offers the additional power and efficiency of the rotary screw design mounted conventionally on a tank, with the option of a refrigerant dryer to ensure clean, dry air output. For the top-end option there is the Fiac Air Blok range of digitally controlled screw compressors, available with motors up to 100HP. These units are supplied separately from the tanks to provide flexible installation and connection options.
There is also a range of petrol engine driven air compressors which are suitable for outdoor use, specifically on worksites.