LASER 16 BAR COMPRESSOR

Why choose a 16 bar laser compressor?

The use of compressed air for laser cutting is still in its infancy in Europe. Usually, much more expensive nitrogen is used, but our experience shows that 80 to 90% of the laser work can be carried out with very pure and dry compressed air.

The one-off investment is limited to a 16 bar PM/VSD screw compressor, 2 galva storage tanks and an absorption dryer -40 C°, which is standard equipped with the necessary pre- and post-filters. This results in compressed air with an absolute degree of purity, including a particle filter that purifies to 0.001 µm, an oil filter that filters to a residual oil value of 0.003 ppm, and also carbon and osmosis filters. According to our calculation, you need about 1000 l/m for a 1000 watt laser. With a 2000 watt this goes to 1300 l/m, while a 3000 watt laser has a consumption of 2300 l/m.

In practice, the use of compressed air results in a light yellow (stainless steel) and a somewhat darker discoloration (carbon steel) of the workpiece, on the other hand, cutting quality is still optimized (better cut and less burr deposits) due to the presence of oxygen in the compressed air. When cutting ALU you will find no difference in discoloration at all. An additional effect of compressed air is that the cutting speed is increased by a factor of 10 to 20%. In terms of cutting capacity, it can be said that what works with 16 bar nitrogen works just as well with compressed air. As a rule, you can perfectly convert the laser process to compressed air use up to a material thickness of 4 mm. The use of pure compressed air has absolutely no impact on the nozzle and mirrors or other sensitive components on your laser equipment.

What is a VSD/PM screw compressor ?

A screw compressor with a variable speed drive (VSD) automatically adjusts the speed of the screw compressor based on the demand for compressed air, in real-time, according to the needs.

VSD/PM screw compressors are designed for operations where the demand for compressed air fluctuates, depending on what the compressed air users require in terms of flow in various processes.
Unlike fixed-speed compressors, which are often V-belt driven and only operate at full power, the VSD/PM screw compressor offers several advantages:

• The VSD/PM screw compressor runs only when needed, resulting in significantly lower energy costs, allowing the extra investment in VSD/PM technology to pay for itself.
• The VSD/PM screw compressor starts and stops under full system pressure, eliminating the need for unloading, which also saves both time and energy.
• No time, and especially no energy, is wasted by unnecessary idling. During normal operation, no blow-off loss occurs.
• During normal operation, no blow-off loss occurs.
• It prevents penalties from your energy supplier due to power peaks during (re)starting.
• The pressure in the compressed air system is more consistent and also lower, as the delta can be reduced, minimizing potential compressed air leaks.
• This technology effectively eliminates all the shortcomings of conventional screw compressors and helps keep energy costs manageable.
  An additional benefit of VSD/PM technology is that it requires significantly lower fuse ratings, which is also important when using power generators, as the starting load is much lower.

Energy savings are an important factor when choosing this technology.

• The largest cost component (about 70%) in the total cost of ownership of an industrial screw compressor is not the machine itself but the energy cost.
  A VSD/PM screw compressor costs significantly more than a conventional fixed-speed compressor, but this extra investment is quickly recouped through energy savings.
  VSD/PM technology can reduce the energy cost of your screw compressor by up to 50%, depending on the application and the compressor's capacity.
• The government and/or the electricity company may offer discounts or tax incentives to encourage companies to switch to energy-efficient VSD/PM technology, which helps reduce power consumption and minimizes sudden demand spikes.

Operation of the VSD/PM screw compressor

• The variable drive saves energy by adjusting the compressor's speed through frequency control.
  Unlike a conventional screw compressor, the PLC control provides the VSD/PM screw compressor with the specific required voltage.
  The system pressure and flow rate are measured in real-time, allowing the integrated control system to adjust the motor speed and torque according to the actual air demand.
  The concept is simple, but the underlying technology is highly advanced.
• The PM motor, with a voltage range between 300 and 450 volts, is controlled by vector control technology with ultra-fast response time.
  This provides a high startup impulse and reduces wear on the moving parts.
• The IP-55 insulation class makes these compressors ideal for use in dusty environments (woodworking, sandblasting, quarrying, etc.).
• The generated heat is centrally dissipated by a temperature-controlled, oversized air/oil cooler.
• The compressor automatically adjusts to the compressed air demand, both in terms of pressure and flow rate, allowing the use of a much smaller air tank.
  By fixing the working pressure at 7 bar, you also avoid unnecessary pressure buildup in the tank.
• The color touchscreen control panel is user-friendly and provides an easy overview, as well as a schematic representation of the operation and maintenance schedule of the compressor.
  As an option, you have the ability to monitor your compressor via the internet.

VSD Drive

• The magic lies in the drive, through the combination of the motor and screw element.
  VSD technology achieves the best results with screw compressors because their flow rate and energy consumption are related to the motor speed.
  When the motor speed is adjusted, the screw element follows this 1:1, resulting in an adjusted compressed air flow rate.
  The IE5+ oil-cooled PM electric motor is specifically designed for this application, considering cooling and efficiency across the entire speed range.
• Our latest VSD technology is equipped with an internal permanent magnet motor (NdFeB).
  In the VSD+ design, the PM motor shares the rotor shaft with the screw element, creating a direct drive that is particularly quiet and, above all, energy efficient.
  The motor and screw element form a closed oil-cooled circuit, which also contributes to the energy savings.
  Additionally, the new technology significantly reduces the required floor space compared to conventional screw compressors.
  A VSD compressor is by definition not designed to run continuously at full speed, and even in a master/slave setup.
• the VSD/PM compressor is the ideal technology to ensure optimal compressed air generation.