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Atlas Copco is one of the leading companies both domestically and globally, renowned with industrial ideas developed. Products worked up by Atlas Copco within the scope of sustainable productivity offer businesses rewarding energy savings. Atlas Copco’s Compressor Technique is the global leader in developing innovative industrial solutions. Emphasizing that they added value to their textile clients with their solutions, Erdem Enç, Marketing & Product Specialist, Oil-Free Air Division, Atlas Copco Air Compressors Technique Department kindly gave us an interview.
Would you please tell us about the latest solutions of Atlas Copco Air Compressors Technique focusing on textile industry?
“We, Atlas Copco Air Compressors Technique, are a leader in our country and in the world in developing innovative industrial ideas. We are adding value to our clients’ businesses with our solutions tailored to textile industry. The centrifugal compressors we have developed ensure sustainable efficiency in the textile industry in a stable manner. These compressors are in an unmatched position in terms of providing the maximum amount of compressed air at the least cost while saving energy. Moreover, maintenance and service costs of our products are at such low levels that will please the companies.”
What would you recommend to producers in textile industry? What would you say about the direction the industry is moving to?
“Selecting the right size air compressor is very important. In addition, the quality expected from compressed air is one of the most important criteria in air compressor selection. The needs of each business are unique. Air compressors of suitable and right size, selected for the needs of the businesses provide significant energy savings. Atlas Copco Air Compressors offer free engineering service in order to help businesses operating in the textile industry to opt for air compressors and equipment that fit their needs, and to reveal where they stand in terms of energy saving. In case businesses require, we also provide consultancy to them so that they can make the right selection. By making measurements with our ultrasonic flow rate measurement system, we offer more efficient and more suitable new technologies to our clients, who might need to replace their old or inefficient air compressors.
The industry is going to a direction with a focus on energy efficiency. It will be even more important that the data collected from machinery parks owned by manufacturing companies is transformed into explicit information. We have achieved many successful results where up to 40% energy efficiency was attained due to energy and flow rate measurements we have performed. Because with the data collected, it is possible to get accurate information and to realize great savings. Our clients’ productivity becomes sustainable by operating the air compressors at their most efficient states thanks to our central controllers, by transferring data to client’s automation systems to monitor information flow and by being able to obtain retrospective trend graphics and data.”
What type of air compressors should manufacturing companies in textile industry use?
“Oil-free air compressor systems should be used in businesses where the quality of end product is vital, such as textile companies. Using an oil air compressor instead of an oil-free air compressor and trying to degrease the air with filters later does not result in oil-free air. Selecting an oil-free air compressor means taking zero risk. High quality and oil-free air with a high flow rate is required for all processes such as vortex looms used in textile industry, spinning, texturing, weaving with air jets, pneumatic transfer, synthetic fiber production, winding/cone forming and weaving, warping/sizing, carding/ rolling.
Thanks to oil-free air compressors, it is possible to produce more efficiently, incur lower repair and maintenance costs, achieve higher fabric quality and produce less waste. When it comes to high air consumption, the most efficient result is attained when centrifugal compressors are used alone or centrifugal + variable speed oil-free air compressors are used together, which we call the magic formula.
In this system, while we provide minimum base loads required by clients with our centrifugal air compressors, we scan fluctuations in the compressed air line with our drive air compressors. As a result, we reduce the possible blow- off air in the centrifugal air compressors to zero and at the same time provide constant compressed air. As the fluctuation of compressed air decreases, the saving is increased. Although pressures between 6bar (g) and 10 bar (g) are generally demanded by companies in textile industry, Atlas Copco product range is designed to meet all the needs of our clients.”
Can you give some information about Class 0 and the certificates you are granted?
“Atlas Copco oil-free air compressors, which are compliant with ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 (2010) and ISO 22000 certification, provide 100% pure and clean air. This means bearing no risk of contamination, of damaged or unsafe products, of losses from operational downtime or of jeopardizing your company’s well-earned reputation. We are the world’s first compressor manufacturer to receive certification according to the latest edition of the industry standard of air purity: ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 (2010). We are also a thorough supplier; that is, we offer end-to-end compressed air solutions for every application in the textile production process.
We contribute to the productivity of our clients and ensure their peace of mind by offering a reliable solution that meets all the needs from a single point. In our country, the textile industry is not fully regulated. We think there is still a lot to be done in terms of documentation and measurements. If the textile companies examine documents and test results of a product rather than just the statement of the brand while making an investment, then they will be able to find the most suitable and most efficient air compressor for themselves. The manufacturers should attach great importance to this issue, if they want to produce high quality products.”
In terms of energy efficiency, what would you like to say about your air compressors?
Our air compressors comprise top-ranking components and are designed innovatively thanks to new technologies and Atlas Copco’s experience in engineering. For our centrifugal air compressors, we can give following features as examples:
• Use of servo drives instead of conventional electric actuators;
• Reliable servo motor driven, accurate and precise control on inlet-guide (IGV) and blow- off (BOV) valves;
• Short access time (<1s), set point staying aligned even during power interruptions, maintenance-free construction;
• Design that allows self-calibration and places electronic circuits in electrical cabinet;
• Less blow-off (average annual savings of $64,800) thanks to efficient inlet-guide (IGV) actuator;
• Comes with integrated stainless steel coolers;
• Special epoxy coatings on all surfaces coming in contact with air;
• Motor driven oil mist blocker
Our oil-free screw air compressors with VSD (Vari- able Speed Drive) technology on the other hand, meet the quality dry air demands that change depending on time and production flow of the business by automatically adjusting the engine speed. In this way, efficiency and savings up to 70% in direct energy consumption and up to 50% in indirect energy consumption may be achieved. Moreover, 99% of CO2 emission of such devices is due to energy consumption. Our technologies enable recovery of up to 95% of electrical energy used by the device, allowing our clients to reduce their carbon footprint as well as total cost of ownership.”
