Description
The Atlas Copco GA 7 VSD is the entry machine of the GA 7-75 VSD+ platform and brings variable speed drive to the smallest class of the oil-injected screw range. An oil-cooled interior permanent magnet motor rated at 7.5 kW drives the compression element, and the inverter adjusts its speed continuously so the delivered air follows the demand of the workshop. Four pressure settings from 5.5 to 12.5 bar(e) cover the common industrial networks, with a maximum working pressure of 13 bar(e), and the flow window reaches from 7.0 to 21.9 l/s between idle and full speed. With a standard package of 193 kg and a sound level of 62 dB(A), the GA 7 VSD fits into workshops where floor space and noise count as much as the compressed air itself.
For many small plants this is the first inverter-driven compressor in the room. The change is easiest to see on the electricity meter: when production pauses, the drive slows the GA 7 VSD to an idle of about 7 l/s instead of running unloaded at full speed, and the savings of up to 50 percent come from the hours that used to be wasted between load phases. The upright package stands 1420 mm high on a footprint of less than half a square meter, so the machine takes the place of the old unit without any civil work.
Where the GA 7 VSD Fits in the Oil-Injected Range
Atlas Copco positions the GA 7 VSD at the base of the GA 7-75 VSD+ family, below the GA 11 VSD and the GA 15 VSD. Workshops that run one small fixed speed compressor today, or that are replacing an aging piston unit with its drying and filtering chain, find here a machine with a fundamentally different energy logic. The oil-injected design keeps the element lubricated and sealed by the oil film itself, which suits the general industrial duties of the 7.5 kW class, and the 5.5 bar(e) setting extends the reach to networks that run at moderate pressure.
What the VSD and FF Names Cover
The VSD part of the name refers to the variable speed drive: the frequency inverter in the VSD+ cubicle adjusts the motor speed so delivered air matches the demand curve of the plant at every moment. The FF suffix marks the Full Feature branch, which adds a refrigerant dryer and a second electronic no-loss drain inside the same upright frame. Both branches share the element, the motor and the control platform, so the treatment level can be raised later without changing the installation.
The Vertical WorkPlace Layout
The GA 7 VSD abandons the horizontal layout of conventional compressors for an upright, vertical design. Service points sit at the front of the machine, the footprint drops by up to 60 percent against a comparable horizontal unit, and the short oil and air paths inside the frame reduce pressure losses. For a workshop that has never had a dedicated compressor room, the GA 7 VSD installs directly at the point of use behind a partition or against a wall.
Technical Specifications of the GA 7 VSD
The table below condenses the GA 7 VSD into its headline figures:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Installed motor power | 7.5 kW / 10 hp |
| Working pressure settings | 5.5, 7, 9.5, 12.5 bar(e), maximum 13 bar(e) / 188 psig |
| Free air delivery | 7.0 to 21.9 l/s (14.8 to 46.4 cfm) |
| Noise level | 62 dB(A) |
| Weight, standard / Full Feature | 193 kg / 277 kg |
| Dimensions, Full Feature | 985 mm wide, 630 mm deep, 1420 mm high |
FAD Across the Four Pressure Settings
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 7 VSD in its four settings:
| Working pressure | FAD min-max (l/s) | FAD min-max (m³/h) | FAD min-max (cfm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 bar(e) / 80 psig | 7.2 – 21.9 | 25.9 – 78.8 | 15.2 – 46.4 |
| 7 bar(e) / 102 psig | 7.0 – 21.7 | 25.2 – 78.1 | 14.8 – 46.0 |
| 9.5 bar(e) / 138 psig | 6.8 – 18.0 | 24.5 – 64.8 | 14.4 – 38.1 |
| 12.5 bar(e) / 181 psig | 7.3 – 14.2 | 26.3 – 51.1 | 15.5 – 30.1 |
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 of the GA 7-15 VSD+ models is measured at the effective working pressures of 5.5, 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 62 dB(A) is the mean value measured at a distance of 1 m according to ISO 2151:2004 using the ISO 9614/2 sound intensity method, with a tolerance of 3 dB(A).
Dimensions and Weight
The standard package of the GA 7 VSD measures 610 mm wide, 630 mm deep and 1420 mm high, and the Full Feature branch widens to 985 mm to house the integrated dryer while depth and height stay unchanged. The package weighs 193 kg and the Full Feature branch 277 kg, figures it shares with the GA 11 VSD and the GA 15 VSD on the same small frame. The upright layout stands tall rather than long, so the GA 7 VSD passes through standard doors and fits into a lift for delivery to upper floors.
How the Drive Matches Air Demand
Pressure Stability Without Unloaded Running
A fixed speed machine reacts to falling demand by loading and unloading, and every unloaded minute consumes power while producing no air. The GA 7 VSD instead adjusts the motor speed so the machine tracks the demand curve of the workshop. The flow range spans 20 to 100 percent, the pressure band stays where the setpoint is, and the electricity bill reflects the air actually produced. On average the VSD+ technology saves 50 percent of the energy a fixed speed unit consumes under the same fluctuating profile, and the specific energy requirement drops a further 15 percent against the previous GA VSD generation.
Starting Under System Pressure
The GA 7 VSD starts and stops under full system pressure. No network venting is needed before a restart after a weekend shutdown, and no unloading sequence delays the first cubic meter of air on Monday morning. The inverter also removes the peak current penalty of a direct-online start, which matters in small workshops where the electrical supply is limited. In a mixed machine room the same behavior lets the GA 7 VSD act as a trim unit beside a larger base load machine.
The iPM Motor and the VSD+ Cubicle
Oil-Cooling and IP66 Protection
The interior permanent magnet motor of the GA 7 VSD reaches IE4 efficiency, outperforming IE3 class machines, and it runs oil-cooled: the same oil circuit that lubricates and seals the element also removes the heat from the motor. This design keeps the motor compact and protects it with IP66 pressure-tight sealing, so no cooling air has to be blown through the motor and no cooling filter has to be serviced. The oil-lubricated motor bearing needs no regreasing, which removes one of the routine maintenance items of conventional drives.
Sentinel Valve and Direct Drive
Between motor and element there are no gears, no belts and no shaft seal, so no transmission losses occur and the alignment never drifts. The Sentinel valve replaces the conventional inlet throttle: it optimizes the inlet flow to the air end, eliminates blow-off losses and is maintenance free. The drive train of the GA 7 VSD therefore carries fewer wearing parts than any geared or belted machine of the same class.
Full Feature: The Integrated Refrigerant Dryer
The Full Feature branch integrates a refrigerant dryer into the upright package, sized for the GA 7 VSD so no excess energy is consumed at part load. The dryer holds the pressure dew point at 3 degrees Celsius at the reference conditions, and the whole treatment chain sits inside the same frame on a 985 mm width. Plants gain dry air at the outlet without piping a second unit, and the dryer uses a refrigerant whose global warming potential has been reduced by about 50 percent through a lower refrigerant charge, with zero ozone depletion.
Condensate Management
Condensate from the dryer and the separator leaves through an electronic no-loss drain, which removes the water without wasting compressed air. A manual bypass integrated in the drain keeps the condensate moving during a power failure, so the network never floods. The GA 7 VSD carries this drain as standard on every version, standard and Full Feature alike.
Monitoring and Control
The Elektronikon graphic controller governs the GA 7 VSD and displays the key parameters of the day, the week and the month, with 32 language settings on board. The dual pressure set point function creates two different system pressure bands, manually or automatically, to squeeze the energy waste out of low-use periods, and the week timer supports any working scheme from single shifts to seven-day operation. Integrated Saver Cycles switch the fan off in light load conditions and start and stop the dryer according to the required dew point suppression. SMARTLINK data monitoring reports the running data of the GA 7 VSD to a computer or smartphone, so the service planning is based on real data instead of fixed calendars.
Applications of the GA 7 VSD
The GA 7 VSD serves workshops whose demand fluctuates: garages and tire shops with intermittent lifts and impact wrenches, small carpentries and metal shops, laboratories and packaging benches that pause between orders. The 9.5 and 12.5 bar(e) settings fit laser cutting assist air and small injection duties, while the 5.5 bar(e) version suits blowing and conveying networks that run at moderate pressure. Plants replacing a piston compressor consolidate the machine and its treatment chain into the single GA 7 VSD Full Feature package, and plants that grow beyond it step into the GA 11 VSD on the same platform without changing the footprint.
Service and Support Around the GA 7 VSD
The drive train of the GA 7 VSD runs without a gearbox or coupling between motor and element, which removes slippage losses and the maintenance items that come with them. Fewer components mean fewer service positions, and the oil filter and separator are integrated with a bypass valve for quick replacement. Atlas Copco fluids and lubricants are tailored to the platform with anti-oxidation additives that hold their protective qualities across the service interval. Seadweer supports the GA 7 VSD with original spare parts, service kits and technical documentation for every configuration.
FAQ
What does VSD+ mean on the GA 7 VSD?
VSD+ is the Atlas Copco designation for the variable speed drive generation with an interior permanent magnet motor and the dedicated inverter in the VSD+ cubicle. The motor speed follows the air demand, which removes unloaded running and saves 50 percent energy on average compared with fixed speed operation.
How much air does the GA 7 VSD deliver?
The flow window reaches from about 7 l/s at idle to 21.9 l/s at full speed on the 5.5 bar(e) setting. At 7 bar(e) the machine covers 7.0 to 21.7 l/s, and at 12.5 bar(e) it covers 7.3 to 14.2 l/s depending on the actual demand.
Is the GA 7 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 7 VSD is the entry machine of the oil-injected GA 7-75 VSD+ platform.
What does FF add to the GA 7 VSD?
The Full Feature branch integrates a refrigerant dryer with a pressure dew point of 3 degrees Celsius and a second electronic no-loss drain inside the same upright frame. The branch measures 985 mm wide instead of 610 mm, while depth and height stay unchanged, and the package weight rises from 193 to 277 kg.
How loud is the GA 7 VSD?
The mean sound pressure level is 62 dB(A), measured at 1 m distance according to ISO 2151:2004 with a tolerance of 3 dB(A). A conversation next to the machine stays undisturbed, so the GA 7 VSD can stand directly in the workshop instead of a separate compressor room.
Can the GA 7 VSD replace a piston compressor?
In most small workshops it can, and it replaces more than the machine itself. The flow modulation removes the load/unload cycling of the piston unit, the integrated Full Feature treatment replaces the separate dryer and filters, and the 62 dB(A) level removes the noise enclosure that a piston compressor usually needs.
Marek Sobczak –
Our old piston unit ran loaded or not at all, and the electricity meter spun whenever the workshop was open. The GA 7 VSD slowed down with every break in production and the monthly bill dropped by almost half. It stands in the corner behind the lathe, we cannot hear it over the machines, and the integrated dryer on the Full Feature version ended the rust problems in our air tools. Seadweer set the 10 bar version up for our network and commissioned it in an afternoon.