Energy-saving GA VSD+ compressor from Atlas Copco helps packaging line go green
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).
We have been an Atlas Copco customer for over ten years so we took their advice on replacing our existing compressors with the best solution to meet the air demand of the new packaging line. As a result we opted for their new GA 15 FF VSD+, a full-feature machine with an integral dryer, to provide the volume and pressure we needed, keeping one of the old units on standby duty. With this combined operation, we are experiencing a 50% increase in energy efficiency which is making a major contribution to our carbon footprint reduction efforts.
Commenting on Atlas Copco as an innovative supplier organisation:
In all of our long association with them there has never been a major issue between us and we feel privileged to be one of the first operators in the UK to install their latest solution. It has proved to be a smart choice for us.
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Atlas Copco Compressors is the GB sales and service operation of the Atlas Copco Group providing oil-free and oil-injected stationary air compressors, gas and process compressors, vacuum pumps, turbo expanders, nitrogen generators, air treatment equipment (such as compressed air dryers, coolers, and filters) air management systems, and custom designed engineered packages.
Atlas Copco Compressors’ sales and distribution network means that specialist compressed air advice and service is always within easy reach. A team of over 80 service engineers operates across the country, to ensure maximum running efficiency and minimum downtime at its customers' sites.
In the United Kingdom, Atlas Copco also handles the sales and marketing of construction and mining equipment, portable compressors and electric power generators, industrial power tools and assembly systems – all backed up by a nationwide sales, distribution, service and maintenance network.
Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and services focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2015, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 102 (BEUR 11) and more than 43,000 employees. Learn more at www.atlascopco.co.uk/compressorsuk.
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