Atlas Copco Compressor Technique Milestones for Stationary Compressors

Throughout the years, the company has been at the forefront of compressor technology with a number of important innovations. Hundreds of patents related to both compressors and air treatment equipment have contributed to Atlas Copco’s becoming and remaining First in Mind-First in Choice® with its customers.

• 1904:
  Atlas Copco introduces its first oil-free piston compressor.
• 1952:
  First oil-free screw compressor, the UR4
• 1964:
  The world’s first water-cooled two-stage piston compressor, with efficiency gains of 10-15%
• 1966:
  The first Z compressor with asymmetric screw design, resulting in a very low Specific Energy Requirement.
• 1967:
  Atlas Copco’s first oil-injected screw compressor
• 1969:
  Atlas Copco is the first to introduce a patented MD adsorption dryer, today widely installed and adopted by industries due to its enormeous energy savings. 

• 1973:
  The first silencing canopies on oilinjected GA units, reducing noise emissions.
  1986:
  Launch of the Elektronikon™, the world’s first energy saving electronic control and monitoring system. 
• 1993:
  The first worldwide Full Feature compressors with integrated dryers, reducing energy use and CO2 emissions
• 1994:
  The first integrated Variable Speed Drive (VSD). This revolutionary innovation allows energy savings of up to 35%
• 1995:
  Launch of the ZH, the world’s first packaged and ready-to-run centrifugal turbo compressors 
• 1995:
  Additional energy savings are achieved by improving inter- and aftercooling on the ZR coolers.

• 2002:
  Introduction of the Z Full Feature compressors with integrated MD dryer, saving energy up to 20%.
• 2002:
  Launch of the ES system/controller, which optimizes the operation of multiple compressor installations.
• 2003:
  AirscanTM allows customers to assess their compressed air needs and tailor their installations to save more energy.
• 2005:
  Highly energy efficient XD heat of compression adsorption dryer range developed.
• 2006:
  The Z compressors are the first to be awarded ISO 8573-1 Class 0 (no oil traces in the air stream as measured by the TÜV) 
• 2009: 
  Atlas Copco’s is the first manufacturer to receive TÜV certification for its ZR oil-free screw compressors with energy recovery

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