PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2014

BOTTLE MAKING 24 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 01+02/14 www.petpla.net Up to 16% lower energy costs Compressors get a makeover Compressors can be rather a humdrum piece of kit. For the bottler they are simply part of his overall purchase. Their job is to supply the right amount of air, at the correct pressure, pref- erably using as little energy as possible. Now Siad Macchine Impianti have come along and taken a completely new approach to compressors, demonstrating that this is a topic that read- ily repays some additional musings. The new arrival will answer to the name of Vito. With around 2,500 PET compres- sors installed, Siad Macchine Impianti is certainly one of the major players in the market. Hitherto, the Italians built compressors using modules produced by their own group of companies adding standard items from supplier catalogues. Now they have turned this approach on its head, summoning up the courage to re-think completely both the design and production of an entirely new concept in compressor technology. The result is remarkable. It has proved possible to reduce energy costs by up to 16%. In the case of the very high performance version, with a capac- ity higher than 1,900m³/h, energy con- sumption falls from 375kW to 315 kW. For the smallest version, it still manages to get down to 200kW from 220kW. This corresponds to an annual saving of between € 20 and 50,000. Siad Macchine Impianti have been working on the new compressor for almost eighteen months. The first priority was to hold intensive discus- sions with customers so as to ensure that nothing was overlooked in the new development. Then it was a matter of examining minutely every component of the old compressor. The most important decision was probably to build just one compressor for all performance catego- ries above 1,200m3/h. The performance range of the compressor is defined by means of a fixed speed set at Siad Mac- chine Impianti. Several performance levels are planned. To ensure flexibility in production, Siad Macchine Impianti will also supply the compressor with variable speeds. Covering all performance ranges with just one compressor generates immense cost savings in the manu- facturing process: a number of identi- cal parts can be used. This of course includes, as a central unit, the pistons, piston rod and crankshaft. Here the developers have placed particular emphasis on quietness in operation. The steel frame now eliminates the From right to left: Massimo Belotti, Chief Automation Assembly; Simone Filisetti, Chief Test Engineer; Anna Roggeri, Executive Assistant; Vittorino Coffetti, Innovation & Technology; Patrizia Pace, Food & Beverage Key Account; Manuela Teoc- chi, Market Analyst & Projects Devel- opment Leader; Cristiano Scaini, Cost Control; Giovanni Brignoli, Food & Bev- erage Product Leader, all Siad Macchine Impianti Compressor Division The new arrival will answer to the name of Vito (patent pending)