News & Projects
PROJECT: Atlas Copco VSD+ Air Compressor
A leading manufacturer of drive systems and power transmissions, which operates a service, repair & major overhaul facility in Croydon, Surrey, contacted ACL Engineering Ltd for the first time.
This was due to a failure of their existing, standby 11kw 60 cfm, 7 bar, fixed speed compressor, which their service provider and manufacturer of the machine had advised was obsolete & beyond economical repair. The failed machine had only operated when the site required its shot blast facility to run.
The duty compressor, was a 15kw, 41-88 cfm @ 7 bar g, Variable Speed Drive (VSD) with an integral air dryer.
Initial consultation
Initially the existing service provider suggested a 2nd 15kw VSD machine or a larger 30kw machine to cover the requirements. Another, competitor company, also approached, had a completely different view & offered either a 15kw fixed speed rotary vane machine or an 11kw VSD vane machine.
Due to this confusion, the end user decided to approach another company for a 3rd opinion – hence ACL Engineering were approached.
Our view, following discussions with the customer, was to obtain further information on how the duty machine was operating in relation to any known demand.
The shot blaster unit was advised (but not confirmed) as requiring in the region of around 150 cfm @ 7 bar g. The factory air demand was assumed as being anything for 20-30 cfm up to the duty machines maximum output.
Fitting an Atlas Copco ii Trak data logger to determine requirements
Thus, ACL decided to fit an Atlas Copco ii Trak data logger onto the existing duty machine to establish how much air was being used.
With this information gained from the data logging and with further discussions with the end user, it was agreed that the most sensible option & to give system flexibility whilst maintaining any current or future production requirements – a 2nd 15kw VSD compressor would be the best solution.
When ACL ran the simulation programme for the relevant Atlas Copco machine to suit, a GA15 VSD+ compressor – output 15 – 88.6 cfm it was also found, that due to the superior energy efficiency & invertor technology of this latest range of Variable Speed Drive machines from Atlas Copco that extra savings could also be made.
A smaller footprint
A further benefit of the new machine offered, was its small footprint against the existing 15kw VSD and that it was still even smaller than the machine it replaced (11kw) whilst also including an integral air dryer.
In March 2017, ACL were given an order to supply and install a new GA15 VSD+ FF to replace the failed unit & to become the new duty machine.
Guardian Service Plan
Following its installation & commissioning – The customer has also taken out with ACL, a “Guardian” 7 Year Fixed Price Service Plan including Warranty Cover on the new machine, to give further peace of mind & to fix their ongoing maintenance costs.
Find out more about how VSD (Variable Speed Drive) air compressors can save you money