Description
Where the ZT 315 VSD Sits in the Oil-Free Range
The ZT 315 VSD is the upper step of the ZR/ZT 200-355 VSD+ platform, the oil-free line that Atlas Copco builds for plants whose compressed air demand has grown past the 110-160 class and now needs the high flow of the 200-355 bracket.
Two 160 kW drive modules give the ZT 315 VSD its 315 kW of installed power. The air-cooled machines of the line below this range are covered by the ZT 250 VSD, and the 355 kW unit sits one step above. The VSD+ control turns both modules across a turn-down window that reaches down to 11% of full speed.
The platform shares one body design from 200 to 355 kW, so a plant that installs the 315 kW step keeps the same layout, the same service concept and the same spare parts logic as the smaller and larger machines around it.
The VSD+ control of the ZT 315 VSD also reads the demand of the network directly.
The letter Z of the ZT 315 VSD marks the oil-free architecture of the range. The compression elements never inject oil into the air stream, so the delivered air carries no added oil and the ZT 315 VSD fits food, pharmaceutical, electronics and textile processes that audit their air supply. The T marks the air-cooled branch: the cooler fan draws plant air through the aftercooler and the oil cooler, which keeps the package simple to site where no water circuit is available.
Minimum, Effective and Maximum
The VSD+ concept drives the motor between a minimum, an effective and a maximum pressure setting, and the rated data lists a flow band for each of the three. At the minimum setting of 4 bar(e) the ZT 315 VSD produces 187 to 948 l/s (11 to 57 m3/min), at the effective setting of 7 bar(e) it produces 186 to 946 l/s (11 to 57 m3/min), and at the maximum of 10.4 bar(e) it still delivers 181 to 796 l/s (11 to 48 m3/min).
A plant that sizes its network around the effective point can run quiet, slow and efficient through night shifts, then let the drive climb to full speed when the day load arrives.
These three bands come from one machine. The ZT 315 VSD does not change its gearing between the settings; the drive simply moves the two modules across their speed window, and the rated flow follows.
Technical Specifications of the ZT 315 VSD
The figures below are copied from the official ZR/ZT 200-355 VSD+ technical data. Unit performance is measured according to ISO 1217, Annex E, Edition 4 (2009), with the reference conditions of 0% relative humidity, 1 bar absolute inlet pressure and 20°C intake temperature. Free Air Delivery is measured at the effective working pressure.
Rated Data of the VSD+ Pack
The Pack build carries the compressor, the gear train, the drive system and the controls in one enclosure of 4417 mm length, 1754 mm width and 2150 mm height. The table lists the three pressure bands for the 50 Hz supply.
| Model | Working pressure bar(e) | FAD l/s | FAD m³/min | Installed power kW | Motor specifications | Noise level dB(A) | Weight kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZT 315 VSD+ 10.4 | 4 | 187 – 948 | 11 – 57 | 315 | 2 x 160 | 78 | 6560 |
| 7 | 186 – 946 | 11 – 57 | |||||
| 10.4 | 181 – 796 | 11 – 48 |
For plants on a 60 Hz supply the same Pack is rated as follows.
| Model | Working pressure psig | FAD l/s | FAD cfm | Installed power hp | Motor specifications | Noise level dB(A) | Weight lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZT 315 VSD+ 10.4 | 58 | 187 – 948 | 397 – 2008 | 422 | 2 x 215 | 78 | 14462.18 |
| 100 | 186 – 946 | 394 – 2005 | |||||
| 150 | 181 – 796 | 383 – 1686 |
The A-weighted emission sound pressure level at the work station is measured according to ISO 2151:2008 with the sound intensity scanning method of ISO 9614-2, and the published value carries the total uncertainty of +/- 3 dB(A). At 78 dB(A) the ZT 315 VSD sits at the sound level of a normal industrial hall, and the air-cooled package is sited where the plant ventilation can carry the rejected heat away.
Rated Data of the Full Feature iMD Build
The Full Feature build adds the integrated iMD dryer, the heat-of-compression unit that dries the air inside the compressor package. Because the dryer works with heat the process already produces, the FAD band shifts to the ratings below.
| Model | Working pressure bar(e) | FAD l/s | FAD m³/min | Installed power kW | Motor specifications | Noise level dB(A) | Weight kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZT 315 VSD+ 10.4 | 6 | 300 – 922 | 18 – 55 | 315 | 2 x 160 | 78 | 7900 |
| 7 | 298 – 920 | 18 – 55 | |||||
| 10.4 | 289 – 793 | 17 – 48 |
On a 60 Hz supply the Full Feature iMD build reads as follows.
| Model | Working pressure psig | FAD l/s | FAD cfm | Installed power hp | Motor specifications | Noise level dB(A) | Weight lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZT 315 VSD+ 10.4 | 58 | 300 – 922 | 635 – 1954 | 422 | 2 x 215 | 78 | 17416 |
| 100 | 298 – 920 | 632 – 1950 | |||||
| 150 | 289 – 793 | 613 – 1681 |
Dimensions and Weight
Across the 200-355 platform the Pack body keeps one footprint, and the rated weight of the ZT Pack stands at 6560 kg (14462.18 lb). The Full Feature iMD package adds the dryer internals inside the same enclosure and reads 7900 kg (17416 lb). A plant planning its floor can reserve one bay for the Pack and size the service aisle for the air-cooled cooler fan at the rear of the enclosure.
Dual NEOS Drives Without Unload Losses
The ZT 315 VSD carries two NEOS drive bodies, each coupled to its own 160 kW permanent magnet motor, and the VSD+ control splits the work between them across the speed window. Between 11% and 100% of speed the machine changes its flow with the demand of the plant, so the blow-off and idle phases that burn energy on fixed-speed machines simply do not appear in the duty cycle. At part load each element runs well inside its rating.
The dual drive layout splits the mechanical load: each element runs at a lower share of its rating, which keeps noise, wear and temperature down at part load.
The motor speed range of the VSD+ concept keeps the oil separation and the drying function inside their working windows while the flow follows the demand. The Elektronikon controller coordinates the two modules, and the drive shafts, gears and bearings of the NEOS bodies are dimensioned for continuous duty in the oil-free cycle.
Air Cooling and the Two-Stage Air Path
Air enters the ZT 315 VSD through the inlet filter and passes the first compression stage, which lifts the pressure to an intermediate level. The pulsation dampener steadies the flow before the intercooler, the automated moisture separation removes the condensate, and the second stage brings the air to its final pressure with the efficiency that two-stage compression gives over a single stage at these ratios.
The cooler fan draws plant air through the aftercooler and the oil cooler, so the ZT 315 VSD needs no water circuit and no pipework to a cooling tower. The fan speed follows the load, which keeps the rejected heat proportional to the work the machine is doing and avoids over-cooling at part load.
The oil loop of the ZT 315 VSD itself pumps cooled oil through a high efficiency filter to the gear train, and bypass valves protect the filter while keeping the oil pressure stable across the speed range of the drive.
Class 0 Air Purity for Critical Processes
The ZT 315 VSD is certified to ISO 8573-1 Class 0, the strictest oil quality class of the standard, which sets the total oil carry-over limits at the values the certification measured instead of a declared figure. Together with the ISO 1217 performance rating and the ISO 9001 manufacturing certificate, the machine documents what it delivers to processes that must prove their air quality to auditors.
The Integrated Heat-of-Compression Dryer
In the Full Feature build the drying function uses the heat of compression instead of external energy, and the whole drying function lives inside the compressor enclosure. The air leaves the package with the dew point already controlled, so the ZT 315 VSD delivers Class 0 air with dry air built into the same footprint as the Pack.
Control and Monitoring
The Elektronikon controller of the ZT 315 VSD manages the pressure band, the two drive modules and the dryer, and it logs the operating data that a maintenance team needs. The display shows the state of each module, and the controller communicates with plant systems so a central room can supervise several machines as one supply group. Service planners read the logged hours and the component states directly from the controller, which turns the maintenance plan of the ZT 315 VSD into a schedule instead of a reaction.
Options and Engineered Solutions
The 200-355 platform carries an options list that adapts the machine to the site: energy recovery units that put the cooling heat to work, sound attenuation packages, connection sets for the air circuit, and control accessories that link the machine into a master-supply network. The build of the ZT 315 VSD is selected at order time, and the Pack and iMD concepts share the same base design so a later extension of the plant can add machines of the same family without re-engineering the room.
Applications of the ZT 315 VSD
The ZT 315 VSD fits plants that run a continuous oil-free demand around the clock: glass and bottle lines, tire curing, chemical dosing, central medical and laboratory supplies, and textile mills that dry and shape fibers with clean air. The 10.4 bar(e) maximum covers high-pressure networks directly, and the flow band of 181 to 948 l/s follows the batch rhythm of the production day.
Air cooling makes the ZT 315 VSD a natural choice in plants without a cooling water circuit, because the ZT 315 VSD needs no ductwork to a tower and keeps its rated output in ventilated plant rooms. Where the site wants dry air without extra dryer hardware, the Full Feature iMD build delivers Class 0 air with the dew point already controlled inside the supply.
Service and Support Around the ZT 315 VSD
Service access on the ZT 315 VSD follows the layout of the platform: one side of the enclosure carries the routine service points, and the fluid, filter and separator service kits of the ZT 315 VSD match the shared design of the 200-355 family. Atlas Copco backs the installed base with a global service organization, and genuine parts for the ZT 315 VSD are specified in the service plan that ships with the machine.
FAQ
What does the ZT 315 VSD deliver at maximum pressure?
At the maximum setting of 10.4 bar(e) the Pack build produces 181 to 796 l/s (11 to 48 m3/min), and the Full Feature iMD build produces 289 to 793 l/s (17 to 48 m3/min) from its minimum setting of 6 bar(e).
Is the ZT 315 VSD air-cooled?
Yes. The T in the model name marks the air-cooled branch of the range, and the cooler fan draws plant air through the aftercooler and the oil cooler with no water circuit required.
How oil-free is the air?
The machine is certified to ISO 8573-1 Class 0, and the oil-free element design adds no oil to the air stream at any speed of the VSD+ control.
What does the Full Feature iMD build add?
The iMD integrates the heat-of-compression dryer inside the compressor package, so the ZT 315 VSD delivers Class 0 air with the dew point already controlled and no separate dryer hardware to site.
How far down can the machine turn down?
The VSD+ control operates the dual drives down to 11% of full speed, so the flow follows the plant demand between the minimum, effective and maximum pressure bands without unload losses.
How loud is the ZT 315 VSD?
The rated emission sound pressure level at the work station is 78 dB(A) across the Pack and Full Feature iMD builds, measured according to ISO 2151:2008 and ISO 9614-2 with a total uncertainty of +/- 3 dB(A).
Lars-Erik Holm –
We run an air-cooled hall and the ZT 315 VSD gave us the 315 kW step without touching the water system. Both drive modules hold the day profile without unloading, the Full Feature dryer arrived inside the package and the flow matched our filling line from the first shift. Seadweer confirmed the build and pressure in one reply.