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Atlas Copco Debuts B-Air 185-12, The First Battery-Driven, Portable Screw Compressor
Atlas Copco says its new B-Air 185-12 is the industry’s first screw-type air compressor to be completely battery-powered. The towable B-Air 185-12 supplies 72.5 to 174 pounds per square inch (5 to 12 bar) of working pressure and a free air delivery rate of 190.7 to 130.7 cubic feet per minute (5.4 to 3.7 cubic meters per minute). Its 55-kilowatt-hour, liquid-cooled (sauce) battery can last throughout a full typical work shift, according to the manufacturer. The local emissions-free compressor is quiet enough to work in restricted areas including densely populated cities, and it has the capacity to handle cable blowing and sandblasting tasks in addition to running handheld pneumatic tools.
Sustainability
“By introducing the first battery portable screw compressor, we want to play our part in enabling a sustainable transformation and help build a better tomorrow—for society and the planet alike,” says Maarten Vermeiren, product marketing manager of sustainability and digitalization at Atlas Copco’s Portable Air Division.
“The B-Air 185-12 is a tangible symbol of our commitment to delivering real-world solutions to help our customers and their customers adopt a more sustainable way of working, and to turning the tide on climate change,” says Portable Air Division President Bert Derom. “We ultimately want to offer a sustainable alternative to every user and every application, and this new battery-powered unit is a leap closer to that goal.”
Low TCO, High Reliability
The B-Air 185-12 has a permanent-magnet electric motor and a variable speed drive (VSD). It automatically adjusts the speed of its motor to match the air demands of the application. The manufacturer says this reduces total cost of ownership and increases the compressor’s energy efficiency by up to 70%.
Other cost savings flow from the simplified design of an electric drive unit as opposed to a diesel-powered model. The B-Air 185-12’s service interval is 2,000 hours, in contrast to the 500-hour service requirement for a typical compressor with an internal combustion engine, says Atlas Copco.
The manufacturer performed rapid-aging tests and climatic chamber testing of the B-Air 185-12 to ensure its reliability under rugged conditions. The compressor performs well from 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) on down to 13 degrees F below zero (-25 degrees C), as well as at altitudes of up to 14,764 feet (4,500 meters) above sea level.
Source: Atlas Copco