Description
The Atlas Copco GA 45 VSD fills the 45 kW step of the GA 37-110 VSD⁺ platform with a machine built around one idea: the motor turns exactly as fast as the air demand requires. An oil-cooled interior permanent magnet motor rated at 45 kW drives the compression element through a maintenance-free train, and the Full Feature branch integrates the refrigerant dryer and filtration inside the same upright canopy.
The working pressure band runs from 4 to 12.5 bar with a maximum working pressure of 13 bar(e), and free air delivery spans 26 to 159 l/s as the drive modulates between idle and full speed. A standard package of 860 kg and a sound level of 67 dB(A) make the GA 45 VSD easy to place in an existing machine room.
Plants rarely consume a constant volume of air, yet a fixed speed machine supplies it anyway and unloads the surplus. The GA 45 VSD removes that mismatch at the source. When the line slows down for a shift change, the drive slows down with it, and the electricity meter follows the demand curve instead of the clock.
Where the GA 45 VSD Fits in the Oil-Injected Range
Atlas Copco builds the GA 37-110 VSD⁺ platform as one family, and the GA 45 VSD sits in its lower middle, above the GA 37 VSD and below the GA 55 VSD. The step between 37 and 55 kW is exactly where many plants hesitate: the 37 kW class looks tight during peak demand while the 55 kW class looks oversized for most of the week.
The GA 45 VSD resolves that hesitation because its flow window stretches from 26 l/s at idle to 159 l/s at full speed, so the same machine covers the peak and the trough. The oil-injected design keeps the element lubricated and sealed by the oil film itself, which suits the general industrial air duties that dominate this power class.
What the VSD and FF Names Cover
VSD stands for variable speed drive: the in-house designed Neos inverter adjusts the motor speed continuously so delivered air matches the demand of the moment. FF marks the Full Feature branch, which carries a refrigerant dryer, filtration and an electronic no-loss drain inside the same enclosure. Both branches share the element, the motor and the control platform, so a plant can begin with the standard package and step up to Full Feature without touching the installation footprint.
Technical Specifications of the GA 45 VSD
The table below condenses the GA 45 VSD into its headline figures:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Installed motor power | 45 kW / 60 hp |
| Working pressure range | 4 to 12.5 bar(e), maximum 13 bar(e) / 188 psig |
| Free air delivery | 26 to 159 l/s (55 to 337 cfm) |
| Noise level | 67 dB(A) |
| Weight, standard / Full Feature | 860 kg / 1060 kg |
| Dimensions, Full Feature | 1656 mm wide, 1100 mm deep, 1968 mm high |
VSD⁺ Flow Range Across the Pressure Band
Each pressure version covers a wide flow window because the drive modulates between a low idle and full speed. The figures below apply to the GA 45 VSD⁺ in its four settings:
| Working pressure | FAD min-max (l/s) | FAD min-max (m³/h) | FAD min-max (cfm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA 45 VSD⁺-4 bar(e) / 58 psig | 26 – 159 | 94 – 573 | 55 – 337 |
| 7 bar(e) / 102 psig | 26 – 157 | 93 – 565 | 55 – 332 |
| 9.5 bar(e) / 138 psig | 25 – 137 | 89 – 494 | 53 – 291 |
| 12.5 bar(e) / 181 psig | 38 – 115 | 138 – 359 | 81 – 211 |
The figures apply to the 50/60 Hz version of the machine. Unit performance is measured according to ISO 1217, annex E, edition 4:2009, and the FAD is measured at the effective working pressures of 4, 7, 9.5 and 12.5 bar(e). The maximum working pressure of the platform is 13 bar(e) / 188 psig. The noise level of 67 dB(A) is the mean value measured at a distance of 1 m at maximum working pressure according to ISO 2151:2004 using the ISO 9614/2 sound intensity method, with a tolerance of 3 dB(A).
The turndown ratio is the heart of the specification. At 4 and 7 bar the GA 45 VSD idles down to 26 l/s, about one sixth of its full-speed delivery at those settings, and even the 12.5 bar setting keeps a 38 l/s floor. During breaks and weekend ramps the machine holds the network at that idle instead of blowing surplus air to atmosphere, and the pressure band stays inside the limits the controller defines.
One Frame for the Lower Platform
The GA 45 VSD shares its 1100 mm deep upright frame with the other small machines of the GA 37-110 VSD+ family, including the GA 37 VSD and the GA 55 VSD. The standard package weighs 860 kg and the Full Feature branch 1060 kg, figures that keep floor loading modest in older buildings. Because the envelope does not change across the power steps, a plant that expects to grow can plan its machine room once and swap or add machines later without redrawing the layout.
Dimensions and Weight
The standard package of the GA 45 VSD measures 1100 mm deep, 1153 mm wide and 1968 mm high, and the Full Feature branch widens to 1656 mm to house the integrated dryer while depth and height stay unchanged. The package stands tall rather than long, so the installation depth remains at 1100 mm for both branches. Among machines of this power class those figures sit at the light end, which shortens the installation plan and keeps the compressor room available for the air treatment chain.
Turndown, Trim Duty and Energy Savings
A 26 l/s Idle Under a 159 l/s Ceiling
The distance between idle and full speed is what turns the GA 45 VSD into an energy instrument. A fixed speed machine reacts to falling demand by loading and unloading, and every unloaded minute consumes power while producing no air. The GA 45 VSD instead tracks the demand curve of the plant: the drive slows when consumption drops and accelerates when it returns, so the electricity bill reflects the air actually produced. Variable speed drive technology generates energy savings of up to 50 percent, and the lowered system pressure that VSD+ allows adds further savings because every bar of unnecessary pressure costs energy.
Trim Duty Next to Fixed Speed Machines
The GA 45 VSD can start and stop under full system pressure, which means no network venting before a restart and no unloading sequence delaying the first cubic meter of air on Monday morning. The same behavior makes it a natural trim machine beside fixed speed base load units: it absorbs the fluctuating share of the demand while the base machines run steadily at their most efficient point. Plants that pair the GA 45 VSD with an existing fixed speed fleet gain a stable header pressure without reprogramming the whole room.
The iPM Motor and Neos Inverter
Oil-Cooled Motor with IP66 Sealing
The interior permanent magnet motor of the GA 45 VSD exceeds IE5 standards and runs oil-cooled: the same oil circuit that lubricates and seals the element also removes the heat from the motor windings. The design keeps the motor compact and protects it against dust and moisture with IP66 pressure-tight sealing, so no cooling air has to pass through the motor compartment and no filter guard has to be serviced there.
IES2 Power Drive Efficiency
The Neos inverter was designed in-house and controls the iPM motor as a matched pair. Together they exceed the IES2 requirements of EN 50598 for power drive efficiency, which keeps the losses between the mains supply and the compressor shaft low across the whole speed range. The inverter sits in its own compartment with separate cooling, so the electronic components stay cool and their operating lifetime improves.
Full Feature: The Integrated Refrigerant Dryer
The Full Feature branch integrates a refrigerant dryer sized for the GA 45 VSD, so no excess energy is consumed at part load. The dryer holds the pressure dew point between 2 and 3 degrees Celsius at the reference conditions, and the whole treatment chain sits inside the same upright frame. Plants gain dry air at the outlet without piping a second unit, and the footprint stays as compact as the compression side.
Condensate Management
Condensate from the dryer and the separator leaves through an electronic no-loss drain, which removes the water without wasting compressed air. The drain is controlled and monitored by the controller, so a blocked or failing drain is reported on the panel instead of silently flooding the downstream network.
Monitoring, Control and Connectivity
The Elektronikon Touch controller governs the GA 45 VSD and logs the operational parameters. SMARTLINK remote monitoring is standard and reports the running data to a computer or smartphone, so service planning rests on real figures instead of fixed calendars. OPC UA connectivity integrates the compressor into the production monitoring system as well, which turns the machine into a visible data point on the factory dashboard rather than a closed box in the corner.
Energy Recovery as an Option
Nearly all the electrical energy a compressor uses leaves the machine as heat, and a specifically developed energy recovery system can be built into the GA 45 VSD to recover up to 75 percent of that power input as hot air or hot water. Ducted hot air can heat warehouses and workshops directly, while the hot water variant feeds radiators, industrial cleaning lines and sanitary facilities. For a plant that heats its premises in winter and runs processes that need warm water, the recovered energy offsets a separate heating bill and shortens the payback of the compressed air investment.
Applications of the GA 45 VSD
The GA 45 VSD serves plants whose air demand moves during the day: plastics processing with cyclical mold changes, food and beverage lines that pause between batches, automotive component shops with lifts and spray booths, and general manufacturing where shift patterns leave long low-load windows. The 4 bar low-pressure setting extends the reach into textile air, glass molding and pneumatic conveying on dedicated low-pressure headers. Plants consolidating two small fixed speed compressors into one machine also fit the profile, because the wide flow window of the GA 45 VSD replaces the cascade control of several units with a single modulating machine.
Service and Support Around the GA 45 VSD
The drive train of the GA 45 VSD runs without a gearbox or coupling between motor and element, which removes slippage losses and the maintenance items that come with them. Service points are arranged for access from the front, and the electronic components sit in their own compartment away from the hot compressor section. Atlas Copco fluids and lubricants are tailored to the platform with anti-oxidation additives that hold their protective qualities across the service interval. Plants that need more flow later step into the GA 55 VSD on the same platform logic, and Seadweer supports the GA 45 VSD with original spare parts, service kits and technical documentation for every configuration.
FAQ
What does VSD+ mean on the GA 45 VSD?
VSD+ is the Atlas Copco designation for variable speed drive generation with an interior permanent magnet motor and the in-house Neos inverter. The motor speed follows the air demand, which removes unloaded running and saves up to 50 percent energy compared with fixed speed operation.
How much air does the GA 45 VSD deliver?
The flow window reaches from 26 l/s at idle to 159 l/s at full speed on the 4 bar setting. At 7 bar the machine covers 26 to 157 l/s, and at 12.5 bar it covers 38 to 115 l/s depending on the actual demand.
Is the GA 45 VSD an oil-injected machine?
Yes. The element is lubricated and sealed by injected oil in the usual rotary screw manner, and the oil is separated from the delivered air inside the package. The GA 45 VSD belongs to the oil-injected GA 37-110 VSD+ platform.
What does FF add to the GA 45 VSD?
The Full Feature branch integrates a refrigerant dryer with a pressure dew point of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, filtration and an electronic no-loss drain inside the same enclosure. The branch measures 1656 mm wide instead of 1153 mm, while depth and height stay unchanged.
How loud is the GA 45 VSD?
The mean sound pressure level is 67 dB(A), measured at 1 m distance at maximum working pressure according to ISO 2151:2004 with a tolerance of 3 dB(A). Compressor rooms attached to production halls benefit from a machine this quiet.
How heavy is the GA 45 VSD?
The standard package weighs 860 kg and the Full Feature branch weighs 1060 kg. Both branches share the same 1100 mm deep upright frame, so the installation plan does not change between them.
Tendai Chirwa –
We used to run two small fixed speed compressors in cascade and one of them idled most of the afternoon. The GA 45 VSD took over the whole network on its own, and the electricity meter now follows what the production line actually uses. Installation was straightforward because the new machine went into the same corner as the old pair. Seadweer sent the configuration sheet before we ordered, so the pressure settings matched our header from the first hour.