The following is an excerpt from the article Atlas Copco Enters the Rough Vacuum Utility Market by editorial associate Clinton Shaffer, which was recently published in the April issue of Blower & Vacuum Best Practices®.
Atlas Copco recently released a new series of oil-sealed rotary screw vacuum pumps specifically designed for the rough vacuum utility market. Their new vacuum pumps, called the GHS VSD+ Series, boast a unique technology that is relatively uncommon in the rough vacuum utility market, namely variable speed drive (VSD) controls. According to Jerry Geenen, Atlas Copco’s VP and Business Line Manager of the company’s Utility Vacuum Division in North America, there are not many, if any, companies that utilize VSD technology in their vacuum pump products.
“Hardly any OEMs install VSDs on vacuum pumps right now,” Geenan said in a recent conversation with the team at Blower & Vacuum Best Practices. “Our vacuum pumps consume around 50 percent less energy than alternative technologies. They are the most energy-efficient oil-lubricated vacuum pumps on the market in this capacity range.”
And that is where Atlas Copco sees the market opportunity. The company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of VSD technology, and some of that well established technology has found its way into the design of the GHS VSD+ Series. Given that vacuum pumps are traditionally fixed-speed machines, the air compressor giant wants to bring the energy savings that VSD technology can yield to benefit companies that use rough vacuum utility machines.
What is the Rough Vacuum Utility Market?
The term “rough” is one of a series of descriptors used when defining the various levels of vacuum that are required by certain applications. The other classifications include medium, high and ultra-high, and each describes a particular market segment across the vacuum industry. According to “Industrial Vacuum 101,” a series of books that delves into the basic principles of vacuum science, the rough vacuum segment consists of systems that “operate within the pressure range of 760 torr to 1 torr,” or from 0.00” HgV (Inches of Mercury Volume) to 29.88” HgV (Bott 16).
For quick reference, here are the basic parameters of each vacuum market segment, as outlined in “Industrial Vacuum 101”:
- Rough Vacuum: 760 torr to 1 torr
- Medium Vacuum: 1.00 torr to 0.001 torr
- High Vacuum: 0.001 torr to 1 x 10-6 torr
- Ultra-High Vacuum: Below 10-6 torr
To put these measurements into perspective, keep in mind that 1 torr is equivalent to 29.88” HgV.
Keep Reading…
You can read the full article, which provides more detailed information on woodworking and food packaging applications that operate in the rough vacuum range, by visiting the Blower & Vacuum Best Practices website: Atlas Copco Enters Rough Vacuum Utility Market. If you would like to learn more about these technologies, contact us or leave a comment below.
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