PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2016

COMPRESSORS 20 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 03/16 www.petpla.net Energy-efficient technology for stretch blow moulding machines Compressors for high air demanding processes At the Brau Beviale 2015 in Nuremberg we met the Spanish manufacturer ABC Compressors. The com- pany was showcasing its latest improvement on site, namely, its range of com- pressors known as “Hori- zon”. In a discussion with Sales Director Mikel Urain, we found out more about the technical details and new features. “The development of Horizon started in 2011. The first unit was installed at Coca Cola Barcelona; more machinery was built-in at key customers in Europe, Africa, Asia and America - with good results. Based on this success we decided that it is now the perfect point in time to launch a new range in the market“, explains Mikel Urain. “The main technical developments are the combination of the optimised design of the horizontal-boxer type with double acting compressors and the directly coupled transmission”. The two platforms, Horizon and Hori- zon Plus offer a range from 400 to 6,000m³/h. Horizon, with a production from 400m³/h – 75kW to 3,000 m³/h – 450kW, is designed to cover most of the PET blowing capacities; it is suited for water and CSDs high volume lines in the bottling industry and for smaller pharma- and cosmetic lines with a wide variety of requirements. The range of Horizon Plus, from 3,200m³/h – 450kW to 6,000m³/h – 900kW, is focused on mega plants and lines with high air demanding processes, such as hot filling. “The efficiency of the machine was the key factor for further devel- opments. This is a very important point because the energy consump- tion is a cost factor customers are very aware of. With Horizon com- pressors we can achieve double digit savings, thanks to the compressor design itself, cylinders with improved volumetric design and optimally bal- anced compression ratios. We offer the regulation of capacity by using VSD-frequency converters, up to 55%”, says Mikel Urain, referring to extensive energy requirements at packaging plants. One big energy loser is always the transmission between the electri- cal motor and the compressor shaft. Making use of their experience in the oil & gas market, ABC constructed the direct coupled configuration proposed for Horizon. “Five percent less energy consumption and more reliable operation, no stopping for belt exchange or typical tensioning matters are the result”, Mikel Urain claimed. From an operational point of view Horizon maintains ABC’s tra- ditional robustness and reliability, for example the absence of vibrations. “You can put a coin edgeways in our cylinders and it will stay this way during the operation of the compres- sor at full capacity of 40bar,” is Mr Urain’s challenge. Following the total cost of owner- ship (TCO) topic, the maintenance cost of Horizon had been positively affected by the new cylinder configu- ration, reducing the moving parts by 33%. This part reduction plus longer lifetime components allows an aver- age saving of 50% maintenance cost compared to previous ABC units. www.abc-compressors.com