Champion XCMLA Series Modular Desiccant Air Dryer – Point-of-Use Twin Tower (3–177 SCFM)

The Champion XCMLA Series is a modular twin-tower heatless desiccant air dryer built for point-of-use and small-system drying, available in eleven capacities from 3 to 177 SCFM and delivering a -40°F pressure dew point as standard. Where a floor-standing dryer is more machine than the job needs, the XCMLA mounts on a wall or a skid beside the equipment it protects and dries only the air that matters. Every model ships with a Grade H coalescing pre-filter and Grade G particulate after-filter supplied loose with fittings, so the package arrives complete.

A -100°F dew point option (N) and an Energy Management System option (E) are available on the 24 SCFM model and larger. Select your capacity and configuration from the dropdowns above.

Why Modular Instead of a Floor-Standing Dryer

Modular desiccant dryers use extruded aluminum twin-chamber blocks rather than welded pressure vessels. The result is a dryer that is dramatically smaller and lighter than a conventional tower design at the same flow, mounts directly to a wall or machine frame, and can be plumbed in without a housekeeping pad or a crane. At 3 SCFM the XCMLA weighs 24 pounds and stands under 17 inches tall.

That makes the XCMLA the right answer for drying one critical machine rather than an entire plant header: a laser cutter, a CNC air bearing, an instrument loop, a small paint booth, a laboratory bench, or a section of piping that runs outdoors and freezes every January while the rest of the shop is fine on refrigerated air. It is also the practical retrofit when a plant already has a refrigerated dryer that handles general shop air and one process needs far drier air than the rest.

Choosing Your Configuration

The capacity shown in the dropdown is the model's standard -40°F rating. On the N option the usable flow is lower; the chart below gives the derated figure for each model.

Model Selection Chart

Flows are rated at 100°F inlet and 100 psig. Weights are for the dryer itself; the ship-loose filter package adds to the shipping weight. Ask us for a certified general-arrangement drawing before you lay out the mounting.

Included Filtration

Champion supplies inlet and outlet filtration loose with every XCMLA, sized to the dryer and shipped with the fittings needed to mount it. Nothing about a desiccant dryer matters more than keeping oil off the bed, which is why the coalescing pre-filter is standard equipment rather than an upsell.

Key Features at a Glance

• -40°F Pressure Dew Point Standard: ISO 8573-1 humidity Class 2 on every model, with a -100°F Class 1 option from 24 SCFM up.
• 3 to 177 SCFM: Eleven capacities covering a single machine tool through a small plant loop.
• Modular Extruded Aluminum Construction: A fraction of the footprint and weight of a welded twin-tower dryer at the same flow.
• Wall or Frame Mountable: No pad, no rigging, no dedicated floor space on the smaller models.
• Filtration Included: Grade H coalescing pre-filter and Grade G particulate after-filter supplied loose with fittings.
• 200 PSIG Maximum Working Pressure: Suits high-pressure machine and instrument loops as well as standard 100 to 125 psig shop air.
• No Heater, No Blower: Pressure swing regeneration with nothing in the air path but the switching valves.
• Energy Management Option: Demand-based purge control that cuts purge air when the load is light.
• Field-Serviceable Desiccant: Chambers are designed for straightforward recharge at the normal service interval.
• Champion Pneumatic Quality: A Gardner Denver brand backed by over a century of compressed-air engineering.

Shared Technical Specifications

Ideal Applications

Reach for a modular desiccant dryer wherever one machine or one branch of the system needs air far drier than the plant average, or where there is no room for a floor-standing dryer. Typical duty includes laser cutting assist gas, CNC machine air bearings and tool changers, pneumatic instrumentation and control loops, spray finishing and touch-up booths, dental and laboratory air, analytical instruments, blow molding, electronics and semiconductor assembly, medical device manufacturing, packaging lines, air gauging, and compressed air piping that runs through unheated space and would otherwise freeze. The XCMLA is equally at home as the sole dryer on a small system and as a polishing dryer downstream of an existing refrigerated unit.

Sizing and Installation

Size the dryer to the actual SCFM passing through it at your operating pressure, not to compressor nameplate horsepower, and remember that a heatless dryer consumes purge air from the system it is drying. If you are specifying the -100°F N option, size against the derated flow in the chart above, not the model number. Keep inlet air within the 120°F maximum, hold at least 60 psig at the inlet, and mount the dryer where the loose filters and their drains are reachable for service.

Install the supplied coalescing pre-filter directly upstream of the dryer and the particulate after-filter directly downstream. A properly drained wet receiver ahead of the dryer will do more for desiccant life than any other single decision. Our compressed-air engineers will review your layout at no charge.

Desiccant Life and Service

Desiccant in a properly filtered modular dryer typically gives three to five years before the chambers need recharging. What kills a bed early is liquid oil carryover from the compressor, so keep the pre-filter element on an annual change interval, keep its drain working, and stay current on separator maintenance if you run an oil-flooded rotary screw. Replacement elements, valve kits, and bulk desiccant are all available through Air Compressor Store.

Why Buy from Air Compressor Store

Air Compressor Store is an authorized Champion Pneumatic distributor. Every XCMLA Series dryer ships with the full factory warranty, factory-direct freight, and lifetime application support from our certified compressed-air engineers. We will size the dryer, confirm the configured part number with the options you need, and stay with the job through startup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What dew point does the XCMLA deliver?

-40°F pressure dew point as standard, which is ISO 8573-1 humidity Class 2. The N option takes it to -100°F, Class 1, at a reduced flow rating. Both are far drier than the 35°F to 40°F floor of a refrigerated dryer.

Can I really mount this on a wall?

The smaller models, yes. XCMLA3 through XCMLA15 are compact aluminum assemblies of 24 to 60 pounds designed for wall or frame mounting. From XCMLA24 up the units get substantially heavier and are normally floor or skid mounted. Confirm the mounting arrangement for your model with us before you order brackets.

Why is the flow lower on the -100°F option?

A deeper dew point requires longer contact time between the air and the desiccant, so the same chamber volume handles less air. The derated flow for each model is in the selection chart above. Size to that number, not to the model designation.

Do I need to buy filters separately?

No. Champion supplies the inlet coalescing filter and outlet particulate filter loose with every XCMLA, with the fittings to install them. Budget for annual replacement elements after the first year.

How is this different from the CDT Series?

The CDT Series is a conventional welded twin-tower heatless dryer covering 40 to 1350 SCFM, the right choice for plant-header duty. The XCMLA is a modular design for 3 to 177 SCFM, far smaller and lighter at the overlapping flows and intended for point-of-use and small-system work. Where the two overlap, choose the CDT for a permanent central installation and the XCMLA where space, weight, or mounting flexibility drives the decision.

What maintenance does it need?

Change the pre-filter and after-filter elements annually, keep the filter drains functioning, and inspect the valves and muffler on the schedule in the manual. Desiccant is recharged every three to five years in normal service. Champion publishes yearly and third-year service kits for the series; contact us with your model and we will quote the correct kit.

How long does delivery take?

Lead time depends on capacity and options. Call us with your model and we will confirm the current factory schedule before you order.