Oil-free blower can provide energy savings of 40%
July 01st 2008

The latest range of dry rotary screw positive displacement blowers presents a completely new and innovative solution to oil-free process air requirements. Complete with gear-driven dry screw elements and fully integrated drive motor, filtration and controller to ensure optimum efficiency and reliability, they provide the ultimate, all-in-one, fully integrated compact silenced package designed to reduce energy requirements by up to 40%

Compared to conventional, belt-driven roots blowers, the ZS+ range, introduced by Atlas Copco Compressors, is probably the most cost-effective compressed air solution available to optimise the pressure, volume and air treatment equipment for each production process.

The compression principle is simple and internal for increased efficiency. Two helicoidal rotors, one with four lobes, the other with six flutes, turn into each other. The former screw turns 50% faster than the latter. As a result, the intake air is compressed between the rotors and their housing.

The intermeshing compression rotors never touch, thanks to precision timing gears that maintain minute clearances between the rotor surfaces. Not only is wear and tear eliminated; no lubrication is required in the compression space.

The blowers combine advanced oil-free screw technology, plus air inlet filtration to remove 99.9% of particles up to 3Ì and comply with the new industry standard of air purity, proven by TÜV and certified by ISO 8573-1: ISO Class 0, for oil-free compressors. Special seals prevent air escaping along the rotor shaft, while separate seals stop oil escaping from the rotor bearings into the compression chamber. The result is 100% oil-free and pulsation-free air delivery to the point of use.

These blowers are designed for low noise operation, so there is no need for a dedicated operator room. Full sound enclosures substantially reduce noise levels to 69dBA. Advanced rotary screw technology minimises vibration and a pulsation damper reduces pipework noise. The end result is less impact on the surrounding environment, improved operator comfort and better concentration on the job at hand.

Variable Speed Drive (VSD) versions offer substantial energy cost savings. The integrated frequency converter of the ZS+ VSD series varies the speed of the IP55 Class F drive motor to match the changes in compressed air demand, thus using a minimum amount of energy, saving up to 35% in energy costs and more than justifying the additional investment.

There are no hidden costs. All the components that would normally be required to operate a standard tri-lobe blower are integrated into the ZS+ as a complete, package, including Variable Speed Drive, controls, canopy, silencer and valves.

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