Energy-saving GA VSD+ compressor from Atlas Copco helps packaging line go green
22/01/2014 Atlas Copco Compressors UK
When Glinwell plc, a leading Horticultural grower and packer, came to install its latest product packaging facility it was found that the plant's existing compressed air supply needed to be upgraded to meet the increased process air demand. By choosing a new Atlas Copco GA VSD+ compressor the company was able to not only ensure reliable system pressure but also achieve substantial energy savings into the bargain.Glinwell plc, based in Smallford, St Albans, grow and package salads such as tomatoes and peppers for a leading supermarket. As part of their ongoing business with the supermarket giant, a new upgraded packaging line was installed, initially served by a compressed air system comprising two 11kW compressors, a separate dryer and a 200 litre receiver. The packaging line incorporates a high pressure ram that requires a 13bar air supply for its operation, which was found to exceed the capacity of the existing compressor installation. As a result, Glinwell decided to replace the compressor system with a unit that not only met the higher pressure demand but at the same time provided optimum energy efficiency and helped to minimise the company's carbon footprint. The compressor chosen was one of Atlas Copco's most recent introductions, an innovative GA 15 FF VSD+.
This new rotary screw compressor is powered by the company's own in-house designed interior permanent magnet (iPM) motor and instead of the normal horizontal design, the compressor has an upright, vertical, low footprint layout, designed to save floor and work space while improving maintenance access, even when the unit is placed against a wall.
Atlas Copco's GA Variable Speed Drive plus (VSD+) technology automatically adjusts the compressor's motor speed to match the air supply to the air demand and, right from the start, the new design offers exceptional energy savings. VSD operation combined with the innovative design of the iPM permanent magnet motor, and the new, more efficient fan motor, results in an average energy saving of 50% and an average reduction of 37% in the lifecycle cost of a conventional fixed-speed compressor. There is an additional workplace benefit for Glinwell also. Thanks to the silent motor and fully-enclosed drive train, the compressor runs as quietly as 62 dB(A).
For more information, please contact:
Atlas Copco Compressors
Tel: 0800 181085
Email: gba.info@uk.atlascopco.com
Web: www.atlascopco.co.uk
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