Stannah Stairlifts is reporting that, following successful trials, Atlas Copco's energy-efficient GA VSD+ compressor is now providing 24/7 test lab compressed air for R&D operations at the firm's site in Andover, Hampshire.
"This air supply was originally provided by a fixed-speed GA15 unit, but when, as part of its Total Responsibility programme, Atlas Copco recommended the advantages of a [variable speed drive] upgrade and an opportunity to trial their latest development, we had no hesitation," explains Austen Kirby, Stannah Stairlifts' maintenance manager.
Kirby confirms that not only does the GA11VSD+ FF model offer significant energy savings – automatically adjusting motor speed to match compressed air demand – but also its in-house designed iPM permanent magnet motor(which corresponds to IE4) results in an average energy saving of 50%.
That, he says, means an average reduction of 37% in lifecycle costs, compared to a conventional fixed-speed compressor.
Furthermore, thanks to the silent motor and fully-enclosed drive train, the compressor runs as quietly as 62 dB(A).
