Atlas Copco is launching the AIRCUBE Containerised Compressor Room in December. Manufacturers’ Monthly speaks to specialist projects engineer, Pasquale Masi about this all-in-one solution for manufacturers.
The AIRCUBE Containerised Compressor Room from Atlas Copco is a plug-and-play solution for companies that are planning to build their own compressor rooms or for companies that don’t have space for a compressor room inside their factory premises.
The AIRCUBE allows companies that don’t have the time or space to add an indoor compressor room to quickly add or extend their compressed air capacity. It also solves a challenge many resource sector operations face: How do you get a dependable, high-quality air supply to some of the most remote places on this planet?
For specialist projects engineer Pasquale Masi, the end result is about finding a new way to meet unexpected demands and provide convenience for customers.
“For this sort of package concept, it really isn’t limited to one industry,” he said.
“It would be applicable to anyone who needs to put a compressed air solution in place, and they’re trying to work out where to put the pipework in, where they’re going to place the equipment, how they’re going to connect everything together and get it functional. The beauty about the AIRCUBE is that it’s a complete package.”
The AIRCUBE is primarily targeted at small-to-medium-sized industrial market, where it saves manufacturers the cost of engaging contractors by instead providing a single compact and energy efficient solution.
The AIRCUBE offers a modular solution that lets customers choose from a wide range of compressors, dryers and other compressed air equipment. In short, the customer can assemble the compressor room that best meets their needs.
Atlas Copco has made a wide range of options available, ranging from environmental add-ons to smart connectivity and control add-ons, ISO 8573-1:2010 filtration class add-ons, and safety add-ons to manage customer expectations and needs across different market segments.
Customising the solution
The containerised compressor rooms come completely fitted and installed with selected Atlas Copco equipment, interconnecting piping between all equipment, cabling between all equipment, internal power distribution, ventilation, and lighting.
It means that the containerised compressor rooms are a turnkey solution, where operators are only expected to connect the power and tie-in points for the compressed air and drain connections, and the whole compressed air system can be started within a short time frame.
The set-up allows flexibility and diversity beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. AIRCUBE offers a modular solution that lets the customer choose from a wide range of Atlas Copco’s compressors, dryers and other compressed air equipment. Customers can then assemble the compressor room that best suits their needs.
Adapting to unique environments
One of the most challenging aspects of AIRCUBE is adapting it for the challenging Australian climate, said Masi.
Containerised compressor rooms often have to operate in some of the toughest conditions. It can be deployed in remote locations, repairs or procuring spare parts can be a challenge if there is a problem with the air system.
“Reliability is one of the most important characteristics of our containerised compressor rooms. You want to make sure that they work well in any weather and temperature,” Masi said.
The room is designed to function reliably in temperatures ranging from 0°C to 45°C.
“We’ve got a unique climate in that places like Tasmania can get extremely cold, whereas when you get into the northern parts of Western Australia you’re looking at over 45 degrees.”
The unique opportunity that comes from a containerised package is the AIRCUBE offers tailored solutions to meet that specific requirement.
“If it’s extremely hot climate, we can do air conditioning or insulation to keep the room at an optimum temperature with extra fans. If it’s cold, we can look at insulating the container and keeping it as warm as possible,” Masi said. “There’s multiple things we can do to present an ideal solution for that specific requirement.”