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07/12/2011
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Insulation board manufacturer Celotex is reporting reduced energy consumption and improved air supply quality since replacing its compressor with an Atlas Copco variable speed drive, oil-free unit, equipped with a heat regenerative IMD dryer.
 Jason Walker, process improvement manager at the Hadleigh, Suffolk plant, says that the installation has also been a contributory factor in gaining the company its ISO 14001 accreditation.
He explains that the company, which manufactures PIR-based (polyisocyanurate) insulation board, needs dry compressed air for the production process, which sandwiches PIR foam between two layers of aluminium foil or mineral glass tissue facer.
The firm replaced two existing Atlas Copco ZT37 fixed speed, oil-free compressors and associated refrigerant dryers with a single air-cooled ZT75VSD FF machine, incorporating the IMD heat-of-compression adsorption dryer – which eliminates moisture before it enters the air net to ensure contamination-free end product.
The installation provides the completely moisture-free air blanket required and, because of its variable speed drive, has been a major factor in reducing energy consumption, says Walker.
"I was very impressed with the speed and quality of Atlas Copco's installation operation," he states. "It allowed us to make a completely seamless switchover from the old plant to the new without any interruption to the production process."
And he adds: "As for the projected energy savings, with the VSD operation of both the compressor and integrated dryer unit, it looks like we can expect to gain at least £6,000 per annum over the next three years."
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Author
Brian Tinham
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