Description
The Atlas Copco GA 15 VSDS belongs to the third-generation GA VSDS range and applies its drive concept to the 15 kW class. A FASR synchronous reluctance motor rated at 15 kW works together with the Neos Next variable speed drive, and the oil-injected screw element follows the air demand of the plant continuously instead of switching between load and idle.
Four working pressures from 4 to 13 bar(e) are covered, with the Full Feature flow figures referenced at each setting, and the flow window at full speed reaches 50.3 l/s on the 4 bar(e) hardware. With 69 dB(A) and a footprint of 700 x 1200 mm, the GA 15 VSDS takes the place of a fixed-speed unit of the same rating and lowers the energy bill from the first month.
The platform carries the experience of three compressor generations into one package, and every component from the motor to the controller was redesigned around the idea that a compressor should deliver exactly the air that the plant consumes.
The VSDS platform was designed for plants whose consumption never stays flat. Where a fixed-speed compressor loads and unloads in steps and wastes the unloaded minutes, the GA 15 VSDS slows down with the demand and keeps the line pressure inside a tight band. Up to 60 percent of the energy of a comparable fixed-speed installation can be saved this way, and the drive records the proof in its energy report.
Where the GA 15 VSDS Fits in the VSDS Range
Atlas Copco builds the GA VSDS range from 5 to 37 kW, and the GA 15 VSDS sits in its middle together with the GA 18 VSDS. Workshops that outgrow the GA 11 VSDS move up to this rating on the same platform, and plants that need more flow step over to the 22 kW class without changing the control concept. The machine suits production with changing shift patterns, packaging lines, and any network where a 15 kW fixed-speed unit runs unloaded for long stretches today.
In such networks the GA 15 VSDS covers the same peak flow as the old machine but produces the difference between demand and peak at reduced speed, and this is exactly where the energy report of the Neos Next drive shows its numbers.
Pack and Full Feature Builds
The GA 15 VSDS is available as a Pack version and as a Full Feature version. The Pack build delivers untreated compressed air for networks with external treatment, while the Full Feature build integrates the refrigerant dryer with a 3 degrees Celsius pressure dew point inside the same frame. Both builds share the platform, the drive technology and the footprint, so the choice only depends on whether the drying step belongs inside the compressor room or downstream. A workshop that previously piped its air through a separate drying cabinet often discovers that the integrated Full Feature line saves not only the purchase of that cabinet but also the piping, the floor space and the commissioning work around it.
One Platform, Two Hardware Weights
The GA 15 VSDS is built in two hardware variants. The 4, 7 and 10 bar(e) versions share one heavier package of 319 kg as a Pack and 442 kg as a Full Feature unit, while the 13 bar(e) version uses lighter hardware and weighs 252 kg and 376 kg respectively. The official figures for each variant are listed below, and the choice between them follows the working pressure of the network.
Technical Specifications of the GA 15 VSDS
Unit performance of the GA 15 VSDS is measured according to ISO 1217 edition 4, annex E, 2009, and the mean noise level follows ISO 2151: 2004 with a tolerance of 3 dB(A). The table lists the flow window at full speed for each working pressure.
| Working pressure | FAD range (l/s) | FAD range (m³/h) | FAD range (cfm) | Weight Pack / FF (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 bar(e) / 58 psig | 15.3 – 50.3 | 55.1 – 181.1 | 32.4 – 106.6 | 319 / 442 |
| 7 bar(e) / 102 psig | 13.8 – 49.9 | 49.7 – 179.6 | 29.2 – 105.7 | 319 / 442 |
| 10 bar(e) / 147 psig | 12.5 – 41.1 | 45.0 – 148.0 | 26.5 – 87.1 | 319 / 442 |
| 13 bar(e) / 191 psig | 6.3 – 32.4 | 22.7 – 116.6 | 13.3 – 68.7 | 252 / 376 |
Motor and Drive Data
The motor of the GA 15 VSDS is rated at 15 kW or 20 hp, and the mean sound pressure level is 69 dB(A) for every working pressure of the range. The Full Feature dimensions of the GA 15-18 group measure 700 mm in width, 1200 mm in depth and 1495 mm in height, which keeps the machine inside the footprint of the fixed-speed unit it replaces.
The FASR Motor and the Neos Next Drive
IE5 Efficiency Without Rare-Earth Magnets
The FASR motor of the GA 15 VSDS is a ferrite-assisted synchronous reluctance machine that reaches the IE5 efficiency class without a single rare-earth magnet. This construction removes the dependency on magnet materials, keeps the rotor simple and holds the efficiency across the whole speed range. Together with the Neos Next drive it converts the majority of the input power into compressed air at every load point, which is the base of the energy savings that the platform advertises.
Smart Cooling of the VSD Fan
The Neos Next drive regulates not only the main motor but also the VSD fan of the GA 15 VSDS. The cooling follows the actual thermal load instead of running at a fixed speed, which removes another source of waste and keeps the sound level low at part load.
Boost Flow Mode and Pressure Control
Temporary Extra Flow
The GA VSDS comes with Boost Flow Mode, which temporarily lifts the output above the nominal maximum when the consumption peaks. With conventional compressors, exceeding the maximum capacity means falling pressure and production interruptions. The GA 15 VSDS bridges such peaks with the installed machine and defers the investment in a second unit until the peak becomes permanent.
The STC Valve and the Tight Pressure Band
The STC valve of the platform works together with the drive to hold the network pressure close to the setpoint. A stable pressure protects the downstream equipment, improves the repeatability of pneumatic processes and lets the plant run with a smaller receiver.
Full Feature: Dry Air at 3 Degrees Celsius
The Full Feature build of the GA 15 VSDS integrates the refrigerant dryer behind the same panels and delivers a pressure dew point of 3 degrees Celsius. The dryer supports the ISO 8573-1 air quality class 1.4.2 for particles, water and oil when combined with the matching filtration, which covers the requirements of general manufacturing, packaging and most workshop applications. Because the drying and separating functions are wired and plumbed at the factory, the station arrives as one unit and only the intake, the outlet and the power supply have to be connected.
Control, Connectivity and Air Quality
The GA 15 VSDS carries the EQ2i controller as standard, which manages the compressor and can coordinate up to several units on one network. The EQ4i and EQ6i controllers are available as options for plants that need more connectivity, and the machine communicates with the SMARTLINK environment for remote monitoring. The oil side runs with the Roto Synthetic Xtend lubricant, and the filtration options include the DD and UD filters of the platform, so the delivered air quality can be adapted to the process.
Applications of the GA 15 VSDS
The GA 15 VSDS serves plants in the 15 kW class whose demand changes with the production rhythm: woodworking and furniture shops, plastics and packaging, general manufacturing with mixed shifts, and networks that replace an aging fixed-speed unit. Because the platform keeps the pressure band tight and records its own energy data, the machine also fits operations that report or audit their energy consumption. Plants that already run the GA 11 VSDS find the same control logic and the same service concept here, only with a wider flow window.
The platform also accepts later extension: when the consumption grows beyond the 15 kW class, the next machine of the GA VSDS range joins the network with the same controller logic, and the EQ2i coordinates both units as one station.
Service and Support Around the GA 15 VSDS
The service intervals of the GA 15 VSDS follow the platform plan: the oil filter, the air filter and the lubricant change cover the routine work, and the controller counts the loaded hours and announces the next service in advance. The absence of belts and of a gearbox reduces the wear parts to the filters and the oil system, and the direct-coupled FASR motor carries no brushes, no slip rings and no magnet deterioration to watch over the years. Seadweer supplies the original service parts for the GA 15 VSDS, assists with the commissioning and keeps the consumables available for plants that run the machine in continuous production.
FAQ
What does the GA 15 VSDS deliver at 7 bar?
At the 7 bar(e) setting the flow window at full speed spans 13.8 to 49.9 l/s, which equals 49.7 to 179.6 m³/h or 29.2 to 105.7 cfm.
Why does the GA 15 VSDS have two weight figures?
The range is built in two hardware variants: the 4, 7 and 10 bar(e) versions weigh 319 kg as a Pack and 442 kg as a Full Feature unit, while the 13 bar(e) version uses lighter hardware and weighs 252 kg and 376 kg. The official figures are listed for each working pressure.
What does VSDS mean on the GA 15 VSDS?
VSDS marks the third generation of the Atlas Copco variable speed drive platform, with the IE5 FASR reluctance motor, the Neos Next drive and features such as Boost Flow Mode and the STC valve.
How loud is the GA 15 VSDS?
The mean sound pressure level is 69 dB(A), measured at 1 m according to ISO 2151: 2004 with a tolerance of 3 dB(A).
Which controller does the GA 15 VSDS use?
The machine comes with the EQ2i controller as standard and accepts the EQ4i or EQ6i as options, including connectivity to the SMARTLINK environment for remote monitoring.
- Atlas Copco GA 15 VSDS: the 15 kW / 20 hp machine of the third-generation GA VSDS range with IE5 drive technology
- Flow window at full speed 50.3 l/s on the 4 bar(e) hardware, working pressures from 4 to 13 bar(e)
- Up to 60 percent energy savings against fixed-speed operation with the FASR reluctance motor and the Neos Next drive
- 69 dB(A) mean sound level, Full Feature footprint 700 x 1200 mm, height 1495 mm
- Two hardware variants: 319/442 kg for 4-10 bar(e) and 252/376 kg for 13 bar(e)
- Full Feature dryer at 3 degrees Celsius pressure dew point, EQ2i control as standard, Boost Flow Mode and STC valve
Rafael Duarte –
Our furniture shop runs a dust extraction line in the morning and the spray booth in the afternoon, so the air demand never stays flat. The GA 15 VSDS follows both patterns without unloading, and the energy report from the controller shows the difference every month. It stands next to the old machine room wall at 69 dB(A) and we no longer need ear protection in that corner. Seadweer sized the 10 bar hardware for our network and the Full Feature dryer holds the dew point for the finishing line.