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

Description

The Atlas Copco GA 180 VSD is the variable speed drive machine of the upper oil-injected range, built around an 180 kW motor and an integrated frequency converter. The converter varies the speed of the compressor element so the delivered air follows the demand of the plant in real time.

Four pressure versions from 4 to 13 bar(e) cover flow rates between 352 and 482 l/s. The package carries the same architecture that Atlas Copco later extended into the GA 315 VSD, so the design behind the GA 180 VSD is one of the most established in this duty class.

Where the GA 180 VSD Sits in the Oil-Injected Range

The GA 180 VSD serves the plants that have outgrown the GA 90-160 ratings and run demand profiles that never sit still. Compressed air consumption represents over 70 percent of the total life cycle cost of a compressor, and the integrated frequency converter is the answer for installations where the air demand rises and falls through the day and the week. A fixed-speed machine loads and unloads against that profile, while the GA 180 VSD simply slows down.

Atlas Copco measures a typical air demand profile over one full week, and the pattern repeats across industry: high output during production hours, dips during changeovers, and a residual base load overnight. The GA 180 VSD converts that pattern directly into savings, because the motor speed tracks the demand curve instead of running against an unloaded pressure band. The same platform logic continues upward, and plants that grow beyond this rating move to the GA 200 VSD and the larger VSD machines of the range.

Pack and Full Feature Builds

Two names describe the branches of the GA 180 VSD, 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 the air treatment into the compressor unit, so the installation arrives as one complete all-in-one package with no additional wiring or piping between machines.

The GA 180 VSD is offered as the GA 180 VSD – 4, – 7, – 10 and – 13 versions, named for the nominal working pressure in bar(e). Both branches share the drive train, the converter and the sound level of the package, so the choice comes down to the air quality the network needs.

The Four Pressure Versions

The 4 bar(e) version serves low-pressure duties with the largest flow of the series, and the 7 bar(e) version covers the standard industrial network. The 10 bar(e) version takes the pressure up for longer transport lines and demanding tools, while the 13 bar(e) version reaches the top band for high-pressure processes. Each version keeps the full speed range of the converter, so the machine follows the demand at every pressure.

Technical Specifications of the GA 180 VSD

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

Rated Data Across the Four Versions

Unit performance is measured according to ISO 1217, edition 3, annex C (1996), and the rated figures apply to the 50 Hz and the 60 Hz build alike, because the converter sets the operating point of the machine at either supply frequency. Each version delivers its rated flow at the nominal working pressure:

The 4 bar(e) version tops the series at 482 l/s (1,021 cfm), and moving to the 13 bar(e) band trades flow for pressure at 352 l/s (746 cfm). The installed motor power stays at 180 kW across all four versions. The noise level is measured according to the Pneurop / Cagi PN8NTC2.2 test code with a tolerance of 3 dB(A).

Rated Data of the GA 180 VSD+ Build

The VSD+ generation carries the drive concept of the GA 180 VSD forward in the upper oil-injected range. The GA 180 VSD+ spans four working pressures from 5.5 to 10 bar(e) at 50 Hz, and the integrated drive regulates the motor speed continuously against the demand of the plant. The rated data is measured according to ISO 1217:

At 60 Hz the same machine runs as the 75, 100, 125 and 150 psi versions, delivering 622 l/s (37.3 m³/min / 1,318 cfm) at 75 psi, 596 l/s at 100 psi, 536 l/s at 125 psi and 479 l/s (28.7 m³/min / 1,015 cfm) at 150 psi, with an installed motor power of 240 hp.

Dimensions and Weight

The GA 180 VSD shares its footprint across all four pressure versions, which keeps floor planning simple when a plant standardizes on one rating family:

Both branches keep the same length, width and height, so the Full Feature package takes no additional floor space over the Pack. No foundations are required for either build, and the package is installed directly on the flat floor of the compressor room.

The Built-in Frequency Converter

The frequency converter of the GA 180 VSD is integrated inside the compressor cabinet, a placement Atlas Copco calls a unique integration. The machine connects to the electrical network at one single point, which removes the converter room, the separate cabling run and the coordination work between two suppliers. The integrated layout also complies with the EMC standards that apply to the complete unit, so the installation passes inspection as one machine rather than as a compressor with an added drive.

No Torque Peaks and a Soft Start

Because the converter sets the torque of the motor directly, the drive train of the GA 180 VSD runs without the torque peaks an across-the-line start produces. The Super Soft start and the smooth load transition extend the lifetime of every moving part in the chain: the coupling, the bearings and the valves. The motor reaches its operating speed gently, the mechanical stress of starting disappears from the maintenance schedule, and the inrush current of a conventional start never appears on the plant supply.

Speed That Follows the Demand

A VSD driven compressor continuously adapts the motor speed to the air demand, so no throttling and no full load / no load regulation is needed anywhere in the operating window. The delivered flow matches the consumption of the network at every moment, and the network pressure holds inside a narrow band instead of swinging between a load setpoint and an unload setpoint. For the installed base, that stable pressure means every downstream consumer receives the pressure it was sized for.

Energy Savings and Life Cycle Cost

Energy consumption dominates the cost of compressed air, and the GA 180 VSD attacks that share directly. Slashing power consumption with a VSD compressor results in a life cycle cost saving of 20 to 30 percent.

The energy savings pay back the additional investment of the drive in one to two years depending on the energy tariffs and the demand patterns of the plant. The saving repeats every year of the service life, which is what turns the converter from an option into a very smart decision for fluctuating demand.

Efficient Element Performance

The compression element of the GA 180 VSD uses a longer active rotor length, which allows a larger air volume to be compressed per revolution, and the higher built-in pressure ratio raises the efficiency of every working cycle. The element reaches its most efficient point while the converter keeps the speed matched to the demand, so the package wastes neither flow nor pressure anywhere in its operating window.

Control, Monitoring and Options

The Elektronikon control and monitoring system runs the GA 180 VSD from its display. The controller watches the running conditions of the package, signals pro-active service indications, raises alarms for malfunctions and executes safety shutdowns when a limit is reached. Advanced control, regulation and monitoring functions are built in, and the system supports a wide set of languages for plants that run mixed crews.

Energy Recovery

The optional energy recovery system takes the heat of the compression process out of the package as useful energy. For plants with a washing process, a boiler feed or a space heating load, the recovered heat displaces fuel or electricity the plant would otherwise buy, and the recovery runs without any adverse influence on the performance of the compressor.

Cooling Variants

The GA 180 VSD is available as an air-cooled and as a water-cooled package. Air-cooled units reject the heat into the machine room and suit plants without a cooling water circuit, while water-cooled units connect to the existing network and keep the heat load out of the room. Both variants share the technical data of the series, so the choice follows the infrastructure of the plant rather than the performance of the machine.

Applications of the GA 180 VSD

The GA 180 VSD serves the heavy industries that run compressed air around the clock with a demand that never holds still. Mining operations use it for ventilation, service air and pneumatic tools, power plants keep soot blowing and fly ash handling on a steady supply, and metal plants run instrumentation and pneumatic conveying against a shifting production program. Cement works and paper mills value the same property: the machine delivers exactly the air the process draws, and the energy bill follows the production level instead of the installed power.

General manufacturing completes the picture, wherever a plant runs a week-long demand profile with peaks and valleys. The GA 180 VSD fits those profiles without an unload phase, and networks that keep growing step up to the GA 200 VSD of the same drive concept when the flow demand rises beyond this rating.

Service and Support Around the GA 180 VSD

The GA 180 VSD is built for straightforward and minimum maintenance, with an operator and service-friendly layout that keeps the weekly checks short. Atlas Copco backs the machine with a global sales and service organisation, and genuine fluids and spare parts keep the package at its rated performance over the years.

Seadweer supplies genuine Atlas Copco spare parts and service kits for the installed base of the GA 180 VSD. 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 VSD deliver at 7 bar?

The 7 bar(e) version delivers 478 l/s at its rated point, which equals 28.7 m³/min or 1,013 cfm. The converter adjusts the flow around this rated point as the actual demand of the network changes.

Is the frequency converter inside the compressor?

Yes. The GA 180 VSD carries a built-in frequency converter integrated inside the compressor cabinet. The design gives a single point electrical connection, complies with the EMC standards of the complete unit and avoids the separate converter room.

How much can the GA 180 VSD save on life cycle cost?

A VSD compressor results in a life cycle cost saving of 20 to 30 percent against fixed-speed running on a fluctuating demand profile. The payback of the additional investment is one to two years depending on the energy tariffs and the demand patterns.

What is the difference between Pack and FF?

Pack is the compressor package that delivers untreated air for networks with external treatment. FF, or Full Feature, integrates the air treatment into the same unit and raises the package weight from 3,870 kg to 4,200 kg without changing the footprint.

How loud is the GA 180 VSD?

The sound pressure level at the work station reads 75 dB(A) on the 4, 7 and 10 bar(e) versions and 73 dB(A) on the 13 bar(e) version. The values follow the Pneurop / Cagi PN8NTC2.2 test code with a tolerance of 3 dB(A).

Which pressure versions are available?

Four versions cover the range: GA 180 VSD – 4, – 7, – 10 and – 13, named for the nominal working pressure in bar(e). All four share the 180 kW motor, the built-in converter and the same footprint, and each is available in 50 Hz and 60 Hz. The VSD+ generation of the platform covers 5.5, 7.5, 8.5 and 10 bar(e) at 50 Hz with flows up to 690 l/s.