Kaeser Compressors has a global reputation for providing high quality compressed air solutions to the food and beverage industry.
Their latest oil-free compressor, the CSG.1 series is available with flow rates ranging from 4 to 15 m³/min and pressures up to 11 bar. Customers are offered the choice of air- or water-cooling, and can select an optional integrated refrigeration dryer or an i.HOC (Heat of Compression) dryer.
Fixed speed, fixed flow rated machines can be specified, or for applications with fluctuating compressed air demand, variable speed controlled “SFC” versions are available with IE5 Ultra-Premium Efficiency synchronous reluctance motors.
The new CSG.1 rotary screw compressors are equipped with new generation rotors featuring KAESER’s patented, energy-efficient Sigma Profile.
Recently launching the newly updated version of the CSG series, Patrick Davies, Engineering Manager at Kaeser Compressors Australia, said, “the compressor rotors now feature an innovative, wear-resistant PEEK coating, which results in an airend that will exhibit no air flow loss during
its lifetime.
“The new PEEK coating is biocompatible, FDA-certified and compliant with Europe-an requirement VO 1935 for food contact materials, making it ideal for use in the food and pharma industries,” he said.
“Australia recognises most international standards these days. The food industry is no different which is important given the supply most of the systems are manufactured in Europe and imported into Australia.
“Utilising our proven, in-house design and manufacturing capability, KAESER engineers in Germany have created the next-generation oil-free rotary screw compressor airend that is in a class of its own when it comes to purity and efficiency.
“All functionally relevant components in the compressor are also 100 per cent traceable in terms of material sourcing and manufacturing. This creates transparency for customers, which is vital in these sensitive production processes”
The risk of potential product contamination by oil from the rotary screw compressor is evaluated and minimised by means of an HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) analysis.
Process validation is made easier for the customer, as KAESER’s diligence is con-firmed by the TÜV Rheinland in the form of a residual oil class 0 certificate in accordance with
ISO 8573-1.
KAESER has also been certified according to ISO 22000:2018, which covers the manufacture of food and beverage equipment. To further formalise the supply chain’s integrity, customers can also option the CSG.1 with a Food Industry Certification Package.
Another significant quality management measure implemented by KAESER is the elimination of silicones from the rotary screw compressor production area of the factory in Germany.
All lubricants and greases, as well as the many components used during production, are now entirely silicone-free. For increased safety and transparency, customers can request official certification of this to accompany the machine upon placing the order.
Before leaving the KAESER factory in Coburg, Germany, every airend is tested at up to 55°C intake air temperature as part of the stringent quality control process.
Customers can also opt to specify their own testing parameters or witness the final testing in Germany, if
so desired.
Energy efficiency and emission reduction is an area of ever-increasing focus in Australia. The new CSG.1 airend utilises water to cool itself instead of conventional oil cooling, creating a 2 per cent saving in overall energy costs, fulfilling Kaeser’s objective of supplying “More Compressed Air for Less Energy”.
The latest iteration of the integrated Sigma Control 2 (SC2) controller not only provides dependable and energy-efficient control of the compressor operation, but also enables connection to any master compressed air management system.
Furthermore, the SC2 continually monitors several sensors throughout the CSG.1 (including motor bearing temperature, winding temperatures and airend vibration) to ensure the compressor is operating within its optimal conditions at all times.
These and other optimisation measures have enabled system efficiency to be improved further. This translates to the updated CSG.1 series being able to deliver 16 per cent higher flow rates from the same rated motor power.
The entire range is now available in 3 pressure variants: 6, 8.6 and 11 bar.
“With different flow rates in-between, we are now able to optimise customer’s flow rate and efficiencies through our improved product positioning,” added Davies.
A further aim of the range’s refinement was to improve the compressor heat recovery systems.
This allows the heat generated by compression to be easily incorporated into other aspects of the business, such as space or process heating, thus allowing maximum reduction in the CO² footprint.
There is also the ability to use the exhaust heat to regenerate the dryer desiccant. This minimises energy consumption, while providing reliable, stable, and oil-free compressed air with pressure dew points down to -30°C, even under harsh ambient conditions.
Kaeser was established in 1919 and in the more than 100 years since, the company continues to push air compressor technology forward while also creating intelligent, efficient solutions for each customer’s requirements.
In line with this philosophy, the revised oil-free CSG.1 series provides a host of benefits for hygienically sensitive processes. In fact, KAESER developed appropriate optimisation software in parallel to the compressor, thus maximising the synergy between the hardware of the machine itself and the latest possibilities of the electronic controls.
“Whether for the semiconductor, food or automotive industries, our two-stage dry-running compressors tirelessly prove that process-appropriate purity and cost-effectiveness truly can go hand in hand – even under the most adverse of conditions,” added Davies.
“Having real time usage data about how our machines are used enables us to con-figure the best fit for any new product range.
“One of the things you’ll see in the new CSG.1 range is an increase in the operating envelope. This envelope, having been created based on the field and utilisation data of the past decades, is now one of the most critical inputs into our product development and product positioning.
“High quality compressors like ours spend years in development because our customers run these things 24/7, 365 days a year. From an engineering perspective how do you accelerate endurance testing of compressors? Unfortunately, it can only be done with time.”
Drawing on the decades of detailed data collection, the new CSG.1 series is able to provide the highly efficient compressed air generation with 19 percent less floor space than its predecessor range.
“The smaller footprint comes from the improved thermal efficiency of the unit it-self,” said Davies.
In addition to utilising data in the design process, KAESER trains selected employees in Design Thinking at Germany’s Hasso Plattner Institut. These new ways of thinking, combined with the hard data, allow new approaches to emerge and create innovative product development.
The highest resource consumption in compressed air technology occurs over long-term operation. Accordingly, the compressed air supply must be as energy-saving as possible. For KAESER, even improving efficiency in increments of only 1 per cent is seen as a worthy development. Each increment serves to create a whole which is greater than the sum of the parts.
The search for sustainability involves state-of-the-art simulation and calculation tools, together with the validation of prototypes, provide the basis for a highly efficient, dependable and resource-friendly compressed
air supply.
Maintenance-friendly design and repairability are evaluated and optimised by KAE-SER’s Service Technicians during the development process. And the product’s exceptional durability means they can serve a company for long periods of time.
The updated CSG.1 series sees service intervals for the compressor as well as gear oil changes extended by 50 per cent. This reduces service costs and also means less materials are consumed. Should it ever become necessary to replace them, many of the materials used in their manufacture are recyclable.
These leaps forward in service intervals and overall compressor efficiency means that the customer will have less downtime, lower running costs and an overall improvement in whole life costs of their compressed
air solution.