New compressed air system reduces CO2 emissions for Buxton Press
Installing a new Atlas Copco ring main and variable speed driven (VSD) compressor with ancillaries is calculated to result in an annual carbon reduction of approximately 48 tonnes of CO2 for award winning magazine printing company, Buxton Press Limited - along with close to £7,500 per annum savings in compressed air energy costs.
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Buxton Press prints an average of 54 million publications annually
Based in the picturesque Derbyshire market town of Buxton, forward-looking family-owned business Buxton Press is one of the UK’s leading independent litho sheet-fed printing companies. It specialises in printing paginated magazine and catalogue work for weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly and annual distribution. The company’s ultra-modern print production plant features a state-of-the-art installation of multi B1 long-perfecting CutStar supported printing presses. Annually it is responsible for printing some 54 million publications, equivalent to 23 million four-colour A4 pages a day, for more than 600 publishers.
The previous compressed air system ran a bill of £30,000 annually
As a winner of the Environmental Company of the Year award and mindful of its geographical location, environmental considerations underpin the Buxton Press business ethos. As such, the company called in Atlas Copco to run an iiTrak survey to audit its air generation efficiencies and measure the load profiles of the ring main linking the two existing fixed speed compressors. The results indicated that the level of air leakage from the existing pipework was high. Coupled with excessive pressure drop this was contributing to an annual compressed air bill exceeding £30,000 a year.
The recommended course of action was to completely re-route a new 2 ½ inch AirNet ring main and add an energy-efficient 7 bar GA 75 VSD FF full-feature rotary screw variable speed compressor, complete with integrated refrigerant drying and air quality ancillaries. The VSD compressor would continually match the variable compressed air pressure requirements throughout all shifts; with the two-existing fixed-speed compressors to be retained for back-up supply generation.
The new re-routed ring main system allowed the generated air pressure to be lowered by 2 bar, with a constant energy saving in the region of 12 per cent. Based on the company’s average day-shift and night-shift rates, it was calculated that the recommended installation would achieve an overall 25 per cent saving in Buxton Press’s annual air generation costs.
Commenting on the success and benefits of the installation project, Buxton Press Factory Manager, Chris South said:
The Atlas Copco led project was carried out with professionalism, full flexibility and a high level of technical skill. Their team worked around our tight production schedules without a single interruption to our delivery programmes. The whole installation was designed to give us a reliable and efficient air supply system, both for our present needs and to provide additional compressed air capacity to fully cater for our forward growth plans. Following project completion, system performance tests confirmed Atlas Copco’s predicted performance figures were fully met in every instance.
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Editor's Notes:
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 2016, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 101 (BEUR 11) and about 45,000 employees. Learn more at www.atlascopco.co.uk/compressors.
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For further editorial information contact Chris Butcher on 01582 390980.
For product or sales enquiries please contact 0800 181085.
For further company information contact Joanna Canton Long on 01442 222240.
Telephone number for publication: 0800 181085
E-mail address for publication: compressor.sales@uk.atlascopco.com
Website address for publication: www.atlascopco.co.uk/compressors