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Next-generation VSD delivers more air at a 12% lower cost

Summary

The customer        

A company providing metal processing and surface treatment services.

The challenge        

While the company has been using the energy-efficient variable speed drive (VSD) technology for many years, its current compressor is due for replacement. In addition, with its business expanding, the company also has to meet a higher compressed air demand. 

The solution & results     

Replacing the aging compressor with a late-generation GA 75 VSD+ FF unit that consumes less energy and produces more air. 

The customer & their challenge

The company supplies a wide range of metal processing and surface treatment services to customers across the globe. Some of its processes, such as applying powder coating, require a lot of compressed air. This has to be supplied in a reliable and efficient manner.

 

The company was an early adopter of the efficient variable speed drive technology and has been using a GA 90 VSD for two decades. While it was still working reliably, a general overhaul was gradually becoming advisable.

 

In addition, an energy audit had shown that the latest generation of VSD compressors would be able to achieve significant energy savings.

Solution & results

Metal Processing_Energy cost savings case study_D2.1

Atlas Copco suggested replacing the aging compressor with a new model. The GA 90 VSD had a very good run. But, after two decades of reliable operation, it was time for a change, especially because Atlas Copco has significantly advanced its VSD technology since the original compressor was purchased.

 

The new compressor not only uses less power, and therefore consumes less energy, it produces more air.

 

Specifically, the old model with a rated power of 90 kW produced up to 15 m3 of air per minute. The new 75 kW-unit, on the other hand, can produce up to 16 m3.

 

The result: 11,88% energy savings per year, which equals 13.517 €/year (assuming an electricity price of 0,21 €/kWh).

 

The VSD technology is especially valuable for this company, because the air consumption at its site greatly fluctuates between 100 and 260 liters per second. That makes a compressor whose motor adjusts to the air demand the ideal solution.

 

The company also uses a GA 37+ during peak times. However, even though the compressors feed into the grid from different points, the coordination functions perfectly. The new VSD+ technology allowed the company to reduce the pressure to about 7.1 bar, and the pressure band only fluctuates by about 0.1 bar.

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