Atlas Copco GA 180 (Pack FF) Oil-Injected Rotary Screw Air Compressor

Description

The Atlas Copco GA 180 is the entry machine of the GA 180-315 oil-injected platform, the duty class above the GA 90-160 range. It pairs a SmartInjection compression element with an oil-cooled motor rated at 180 kW, and the Full Feature branch adds an integrated refrigerant dryer to the same package. The versions cover the 5.5, 7.5, 8.5 and 10 bar bands in 50 Hz and the 75 to 150 psi bands in 60 Hz, with free air delivery between 479 and 690 l/s depending on the setting.

Where the GA 180 Sits in the Oil-Injected Range

The GA 180-315 platform takes over where the GA 90-160 range ends, and the GA 180 opens this upper class with fixed-speed control for steady base-load duty. Plants that have outgrown the GA 160 step up to this rating without changing the service concept or the monitoring tools, and installations with fluctuating demand pair this machine with a VSD unit of the same platform.

Thousands of GA compressors run around the world in this duty class, and the installations concentrate where compressed air works around the clock: mining, power plants, metal plants, cement works and paper mills. The jobs range from pneumatic tools, actuators and valves to ventilation, packing and palletizing machinery, soot blowing, fly ash handling and the pneumatic conveying of raw materials.

Pack and Full Feature Builds

Two names describe the branches of the GA 180, and each adds one fact:

• Pack — the compressor package delivers untreated compressed air for networks with external air treatment downstream.
• FF — Full Feature: the package integrates a refrigerant dryer, so drying happens inside the compressor rather than beside it, with no additional installation work for wires and pipes.

The GA 180 is built as the GA 180 – 5.5 bar, – 7.5 bar, – 8.5 bar and – 10 bar versions at 50 Hz, and as the GA 180 – 75 psi, – 100 psi, – 125 psi and – 150 psi versions at 60 Hz. Every version combines with both the Pack and the Full Feature scope, so a plant picks the pressure band first and the depth of air treatment second.

Technical Specifications of the GA 180

The table below condenses the GA 180 into its headline figures:

Rated Data at 50 Hz

Each 50 Hz version delivers one rated flow at its full working pressure. The FAD of the Standard build is measured at the full working pressure, and the Full Feature build carries the integrated dryer with its small pressure drop:

The installed motor power stays at 180 kW across all versions. The 5.5 bar version tops the range at 690 l/s (1,462 cfm), and moving to the 10 bar band trades flow for pressure at 510 l/s (1,081 cfm). In the Full Feature build the working pressure reads 5.3 bar(e) / 77 psig on the 5.5 bar version and 9.8 bar(e) / 142 psig on the 10 bar version, which reflects the pressure drop of the integrated dryer.

Rated Data at 60 Hz

The 60 Hz versions cover four bands from 75 to 150 psi, with the motor rated at 240 hp:

The 75 psi version peaks at 622 l/s (1,318 cfm), and the 150 psi version delivers 479 l/s (1,015 cfm). FAD is measured according to ISO 1217, Annex C, edition 4 (2009), at an absolute inlet pressure of 1 bar and an intake temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

Dimensions and Weight

The footprint of the GA 180 depends on the branch, and the integrated dryer of the Full Feature adds length to the package:

The water-cooled packages share the width and height with 3,130 mm length for the Pack and 3,760 mm for the Full Feature, because the dryer module replaces part of the cooler section. The Full Feature package is 630 mm longer than the air-cooled Pack, so floor planning comes down to the length difference between the two branches.

SmartInjection and the Oil-Cooled Drive Train

SmartInjection is the technology at the heart of the element. It provides the exact amount of oil the compression element requires, so the element works at peak efficiency across changing conditions instead of at a fixed compromise. Oil flows separately to the bearings for longer life and greater uptime, and the motor itself is oil-cooled, which removes the service interventions a conventional air-cooled motor needs. The drive train carries an IE4 motor, the efficiency class Atlas Copco fits to the fixed-speed machines of this platform.

IP66 Protection and Ambient Capability

The drive train of the GA 180 is IP66 rated, which seals it completely against environmental dust and moisture. That rating is what lets the compressor run reliably in the toughest conditions: cement dust, mine particulates and humid intake air stay outside the drive train. The fixed-speed pack operates at ambient temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius, and the high ambient variant is available for hotter climates.

Efficiency and Heat Recovery

Over 80 percent of a compressor lifecycle cost is the energy it consumes, and compressed air generation can account for more than 40 percent of a plant’s electricity bill. The GA 180 attacks that share at the element and the motor: SmartInjection holds the element at peak efficiency, generous cooling capacity and low internal pressure drops keep the losses down, and the Elektronikon Touch control trims the energy use of the whole package.

Dual Set-Point Control

With the Elektronikon unit controller, a plant switches between two setpoints manually or automatically to optimize energy use at low-demand times. The sophisticated algorithm runs the drive motor only when needed, and as the desired setpoint is maintained while the run time is minimized, the energy consumption of the base-load machine stays at the level the sizing intended.

Energy Recovery as Hot Water

The optional energy recovery system consists of a built-in stainless steel heat exchanger with a thermostatic controlled circuit. It recovers up to 78 percent of the energy from the integrated motor and element oil circuit in the form of warm water or hot water, without any adverse influence on compressor performance. For plants with a boiler feed, washing process or space heating load, that recovered heat displaces fuel or electricity that the plant would otherwise burn.

Full Feature: The Integrated Refrigerant Dryer

In the GA 180 Full Feature, the refrigeration dryer is fully integrated in the compressor unit. The all-in-one layout reduces the floor space needed for the compressor room and removes the piping installation work a standalone dryer requires. The pressure dew point of the refrigerant dryer is 3 degrees Celsius at dryer reference conditions, and the dew point is continuously monitored while the machine runs.

Oil Separation and Air Quality

On the oil side, the new separator vessel uses multiple smaller cartridges instead of one large drum, which simplifies and shortens the service work and minimizes oil carry over into the air stream. Multiple smaller cartridges also reduce the pressure drop across the separator, so the package keeps more of its flow at the outlet.

Monitoring and Control

The Elektronikon Touch controller runs the GA 180 from one touch display. The controller monitors the running conditions and the maintenance status, and the built-in remote control and notification functions come with a simple integrated webpage as standard. Support covers a wide set of languages, so the same machine serves plants across regions without a local controller variant.

SMARTLINK and Optimizer 4.0

SMARTLINK monitors the compressed air installation over the ethernet: customized reports track the energy efficiency of the compressor room, components are replaced on time to keep uptime high, and early warnings avoid breakdowns and production loss.

Installations with several machines add Optimizer 4.0. It starts and stops compressors to minimize excess pressure, sets multiple pressure bands for varying circumstances such as non-productive hours, and adjusts the system pressure automatically to compensate for pressure drops caused by filters, piping and dryers. Reducing the operating pressure by 1 bar lowers energy usage by 7 percent and air leakages by 13 percent.

Options That Extend the Package

• Shock Pulse Measurement — continuous SPM monitoring of the compressor element and motor bearings, with alarm and shutdown levels programmed during commissioning, so overhaul happens when the bearing condition calls for it.
• Motor thermal protection — five PT-1000 temperature sensors in the main motor, two on the bearings and three in the windings, displayed on the Elektronikon with alarms and shutdowns programmed to protect the motor.
• Food grade oil — the Roto-Foodgrade oil option for packaging, pharmaceutical and food and beverage plants where occasional contact is allowed in and around food processing areas.
• Witness and performance test — factory visit and witnessing of the standard performance test in accordance with ISO 1217: 2009, annex C and E (4th edition).
• High ambient variant — reliable continuous operation in hot and humid climates up to 55 degrees Celsius for the fixed-speed pack.

Applications of the GA 180

Mining operations run the GA 180 for dust bag filtration, service air, ventilation air and pneumatic tools, where reliability and robustness decide the shift plan. Power plants keep a continuous supply of compressed air for soot blowing and fly ash handling, and metal plants use it for instrumentation, plant air and the pneumatic conveying of raw materials or ash.

Cement works are among the biggest consumers of compressed air, with most of the air spent on transporting raw materials inside the factory. Where a plant runs the GA 160 below this class, the GA 180 repeats the same platform logic with 20 kW more installed power, and growing networks add the GA 200 of the same frame. Paper mills and general industry complete the picture with the daily base-load workload of a production hall.

Service and Support Around the GA 180

Service parts are grouped together for ease of access, all components are designed for serviceability, and the patented portal design opens full access to every component when greater access is required. Each component is engineered to halve the service time compared to traditional designs, and the oil-cooled motor requires no service interventions. Optional service plans cover repairs, preventative maintenance and spare parts, and Atlas Copco fluids and lubricants are tailored to the equipment with anti-oxidation and anti-foaming additives.

Seadweer supplies genuine Atlas Copco spare parts and service kits for the installed base of the GA 180 and its Full Feature branches. Send us the compressor model together with the parts you need, and the correct items are confirmed with the quotation in one pass.

FAQ

What does the GA 180 deliver at 7.5 bar?

The 7.5 bar version delivers 585 l/s at full working pressure, which equals 35.1 m³/min or 1,240 cfm. The Full Feature build reads the same flow with a working pressure of 7.3 bar(e) behind the integrated dryer.

Is the GA 180 an oil-injected machine?

Yes. It is an oil-injected rotary screw compressor, and the oil seals and cools the compression element before the separator removes it from the air stream. Oil-free duty belongs to the separate ZR and ZT platforms.

How much heat can the GA 180 recover?

The optional energy recovery system recovers up to 78 percent of the energy from the integrated motor and element oil circuit. The heat leaves the package as warm water or hot water from a stainless steel heat exchanger.

What does FF add to the GA 180?

FF stands for Full Feature: the package integrates a refrigerant dryer with a 3 degrees Celsius pressure dew point and continuous dew point monitoring. The branch adds 630 mm of package length to the air-cooled build.

How loud is the GA 180?

The sound pressure level at the work station ranges from 67 to 70 dB(A) across the 50 Hz versions and from 73 to 76 dB(A) across the 60 Hz versions. The value is the A-weighted emission sound pressure level at the work station.

Which industries run the GA 180?

Mining, power plants, metal plants, cement works and paper mills are the heavy users, and general industry completes the base. All of them value the IP66 drive train, the steady base-load control and the optional heat recovery in continuous duty.