Atlas Copco compressor helps packaging line go green

By choosing a new Atlas Copco GA VSD+ compressor the company is said to have been able not only to ensure reliable system pressure, but also achieve substantial energy savings into the bargain. Glinwell, based in Smallford, St Albans grows and packages salad for a supermarket. 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 met the higher pressure demand and provided optimum energy efficiency. The compressor chosen was Atlas GA 15 FF VSD+. This new rotary screw compressor is powered by the company's own in-house designed interior permanent magnet 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 is claimed automatically to adjust 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 design of the iPM permanent magnet motor, and the more efficient fan motor, results is said to have resulted in an average energy saving of 50% and an average reduction of 37% in the lifecycle cost of a conventional fixed-speed compressor.