Atlas Copco Extends its Leadership in Oil-Free Air With New ISO 'Class 0' Certificates
03/09/2007 11:11
PR Newswire
ANTWERP, Belgium, September 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlas Copco has yet again proven its world leadership in air-compressor
manufacturing - with new ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 certificates for oil-free air
compressors in the centrifugal, tooth, scroll and water-injected screw
ranges. The 'Class 0' rating for these compressors is the next step in a
continuous drive in innovation that began with the certification of the Z
screw compressor range in 2006, the first compressors in the world to be TÜV
certified ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0.
With these latest 'Class 0' certificates, Atlas Copco can offer its
customers a wide range of optimal and efficient compressor solutions capable
of meeting every compressed-air application where high air purity is
critical.
Testing of Atlas Copco oil-free compressors was carried out by the
renowned independent Technische Überwachungs-Verein (Technical Monitoring
Association, or 'TÜV'), using the most stringent test methods available and
simulating realistic industrial environments. Even with such rigorous
testing, the TÜV found no traces of oil in the output air stream under any of
the test conditions.
'The fact that we can now offer a wide range of Class 0 certified
compressors means that we can help customers select the best and most
efficient compressor technology to improve their productivity and
profitability,' says Ronnie Leten, Atlas Copco's Business Area President
Compressor Technique. 'It's a strategic choice of Atlas Copco to invest in
new technologies, as this is the best way to help our customers meet their
own targets. And one of the driving forces in Atlas Copco is our commitment
to customer value.'
Importance of 100% oil-free air
Applications where 100% oil-free air is important include food and
beverage processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging, chemical and
petrochemical processing, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, the
medical sector, automotive paint spraying, textile manufacturing and many
more.
Contamination by even the smallest quantities of oil in such
purity-critical compressed-air applications can result in damaged products or
product batches, high rejection rates and returns, and costly production
downtime and cleanup. Atlas Copco's Class 0 air compressors eliminate the
risks of oil contamination as well as the resulting extra costs, by
preventing oil from entering the production process.
For Atlas Copco's customers, Class 0 certification means zero risk of
contamination, zero risk of damaged or unsafe products, and zero risk of
losses from operational downtime. Above all, zero risk of ruining a company's
hard-won professional reputation.
Ranges receiving Class 0 certification
The Class Zero certification of the Z screw compressors is now extended
with a wide range of oil-free air technologies, including the high-capacity
ZH centrifugal compressors, the ZR/ZT tooth compressors, the AQ
water-injected screw compressors, the SF scroll compressors and the P series
of rental compressors.
The ZR/ZT screw compressor range, which was the first in the world to
receive Class 0 certification, is generally the most efficient and reliable
technology for critical applications between 55 and 900 kW.
With the ZH centrifugal compressor range, Atlas Copco is now able to
offer efficient and certified 100% oil-free air for higher capacity base-load
applications such as the fermentation, air separation and aeration processes
that are important in chemical and pharmaceutical processing. Semiconductor
and other electronics manufacturing, textile production and automotive
applications can now also rely on 100% oil-free air in this capacity class.
Tooth compressor technology is proven to be the most energy-efficient for
applications up to 50 kW. Here, Atlas Copco's ZR/ZT tooth compressors are
especially essential in food and beverage facilities, pharmaceutical
production and electronics.
Within the water-injected AQ series, now also Class 0 certified, Atlas
Copco offers an oil-free air compressor which achieves 13 bar. The
water-injected screw technology has proven to be of significant use for
applications such as cosmetics manufacturing, tobacco industry and automotive
fabrication.
Atlas Copco's SF scroll compressor range delivers pure air for hospital,
dental and medical applications, printing industry, laboratories and dairy
industry processing. These compressors benefit from extremely low noise and
offer high energy efficiency to customers.
The PT, PTS and PNS rental oil-free portable compressors have recently
also received Class 0 certification, answering industry needs for oil-free
air in applications that are short-term yet purity-critical.
So whether a company's activities lie in pharmaceutical production, food
processing, critical electronics or other similarly exacting sectors, Atlas
Copco has an oil-free air compressor that can deliver the highest levels of
100% oil-free air - certified - giving customers the ultimate peace of mind.
Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of industrial productivity
solutions. The products and services range from compressed air and gas
equipment, generators, construction and mining equipment, industrial tools
and assembly systems, to related aftermarket and rental. In close cooperation
with customers and business partners, and with more than 130 years of
experience, Atlas Copco innovates for superior productivity. Headquartered in
Stockholm, Sweden, the group's global reach spans more than 150 markets. In
2006, Atlas Copco had 25 900 employees and revenues of BSEK 51 (BEUR 5.6).
Learn more at http://www.atlascopco.com.
Atlas Copco's Compressor Technique business area develops, manufactures,
markets and services oil-free and oil-injected stationary air compressors,
portable air compressors, gas and process compressors, turbo expanders,
electric power generators, air treatment equipment and air management
systems. It also offers speciality rental services. It innovates for superior
productivity in applications such as manufacturing, construction and the
process industry worldwide. Principal product development and main
manufacturing units are in Antwerp, Belgium. More information is available on
http://www.atlascopco.com.
This release, plus a full press kit and high-resolution photographs and
diagrams, is available on the Atlas Copco website: http://www.classzero.com/
FOOTNOTE TO EDITORS:
This press release is distributed by SAATCHI & SAATCHI BUSINESS
COMMUNICATIONS on behalf of Atlas Copco. This release, plus a full press kit,
containing translations into local languages and high-resolution photographs
and diagrams, is available on the Atlas Copco website:
http://www.classzero.com/
For further information please contact: Luc Hendrickx, President Atlas Copco Compressor Technique - Oil-free Air Division, +32-3-870-22-10 or luc.hendrickx@be.atlascopco.com