1/5 Further information is available from Michael Gaar, Communications Manager of Atlas Copco Kompressoren und Drucklufttechnik GmbH Phone +49 (0)201-2177-307 or Michael.Gaar@de.atlascopco.com Thomas Preuß, Pressebüro Turmpresse Phone +49 (0)2244-871247 or Thomas.Preuss@turmpresse.de Text and photos are available for downloading from: www.turmpresse.de/atlascopco April 2015 Central vacuum system makes profile extrusion more efficient Gas elimination with vacuum system Dutch extrusion specialist Essentra Extrusion has significantly reduced its energy requirements with a high-efficiency speed-controlled vacuum pump from Atlas Copco. The centralized system is so quiet that it almost whispers, has low maintenance requirements and saves space. Essen/Hanover, April 2015. Essentra Extrusion is one of the leading producers of customer-specific extruded plastic profiles in the Netherlands. At its plant in Buitenpost, the company develops tailor-made complete solutions from product design through to the production process. We cooperate closely with our customers, Marketing Manager Ilja Postma explains. And we have all the know-how and the technology required available in house which makes us unique. Extrusion is used to produce profiles with a defined cross section. The material is either pressed or drawn through a die. Plastic extrusion produces gases that we eliminate using a vacuum system, Tjitze van der Land, maintenance operative with Essentra, explains. This process is very important as product quality would otherwise be impaired. Central vacuum system reduces maintenance requirements The company has 40 production lines. The vacuum required for gas elimination was and still is generated centrally. The plant also features a large number of small pumps for other vacuum tasks. All in all, the maintenance requirements are very high. Initially, Essentra was looking for a new vacuum solution for gas elimination. The new system was Atlas Copco Kompressoren und Drucklufttechnik Atlas Copco Kompressoren und Drucklufttechnik GmbH Langemarckstraße 35 45141 Essen Tel.: +49 (0)201 21 77-0 Fax: +49 (0)201 21 69 17 Hotline Industrievermietung +49 (0)800 4 000 111 Geschäftsführer: Eckart Röttger HR B Essen 1792 UID DE 8 111 55668 Bank: SEB AG SEB Merchant Banking Postfach 10 02 51 45002 Essen Hotline Service: +49 (0)1802 00 00 21 Info.Kompressoren@de.atlascopco.com www.atlascopco.de Frankfurt / Main (BLZ 512 202 00) Konto 300 5800 8
2/5 to be stable, reliable and environmentally compatible. The company also wanted to reduce noise levels. Previously, we had used rather loud rotary vane pumps but our plant is located in a residential area, van der Land reports. That made it easy for us to select the new Atlas Copco vacuum pump, because it is really quiet. Moreover, Essentra was always searching for ways to organize production more efficiently. Instead of the old pumps, Essentra now uses a new Atlas Copco vacuum pump in its central vacuum system, a GHS 900 VSD + unit. This series offers high-efficiency, smart vacuum pumps with variable-speed drives; the main focus is on durability and plug and play design. In the development of the pumps, vacuum engineers aimed to obtain maximum performance at the operating pressures usually required in industrial applications. The new central vacuum system at the Essentra plant now provides the various production lines with a reliable source of vacuum. The GHS-VSD + vacuum pump has a 15-kilowatt motor and has replaced two older pumps each with a rating of 11 kw, says Mark Taylor, Marketing Manager of Atlas Copco s Utility Vacuum Business Line. In addition, variable speed control ensures the system always delivers the performance required. The energy savings are correspondingly high. Essentra expects savings in excess of 8,000 per year. And that is not the only benefit in terms of energy efficiency. The company also uses an energy recovery system from Atlas Copco which recovers waste heat from the Atlas Copco units to heat a public swimming pool on the other side of the road. In operation, the Atlas Copco vacuum pump has proven to be highly reliable. It also meets demands for lower noise levels. Essentra can now operate its plant seven days per week and even during the night without receiving any complaints from local residents. In addition, the new vacuum system also lowered maintenance costs.
3/5 ((Additional product information)) On the GHS VSD + Oil-sealed rotary screw vacuum pump High efficiency through variable-speed drive and innovative motor design Energy savings of up to 50% possible Elektronikon control system Plug-and-play system in typical Atlas Copco housing Pump capacity: 390 to 870 m³/h (up to 2,000 m³/h available from summer 2015 and up to 4,500 m³/h from 2016) 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 service 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 2014, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 94 (BEUR 10.3) and more than 44000 employees. Learn more at www.atlascopco.com. Atlas Copco s Compressor Technique business area provides industrial compressors, vacuum solutions, gas and process compressors and expanders, air and gas treatment equipment and air management systems. The business area has a global service network and innovates for sustainable productivity in the manufacturing, oil and gas, and process industries. Principal product development and manufacturing units are located in Belgium, Germany, the United States, China and India.
4/5 Captions: A GHS 900 VSD + rotary screw vacuum pump centrally generates the vacuum for gas elimination at Essentra. (Photo: Atlas Copco) The old vacuum pumps shown here were not as maintenance-friendly as the new ones are. (Photo: Atlas Copco)
5/5 Essentra manufactures extruded plastic profiles like these. The extrusion process produces gases that have to be eliminated using a vacuum system. (Photo: Atlas Copco) Efficient, intelligent and compact: all vacuum pumps of the GHS 350-900 VSD + series have a variable-speed drive. (Photo: Atlas Copco)