Description
The Atlas Copco ZR 160 VSD is the 160 kW water-cooled machine at the top of the ZR/ZT 110-160 oil-free range, a variable speed drive compressor whose integrated converter adjusts the motor speed to the air demand of the plant in real time. The compression chambers run completely free of oil, the package carries the ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 (2010) certification verified by TÜV, and the Full Feature build with the iMD adsorption dryer lives inside the same frame.
Two pressure variants at 8.6 and 10.4 bar(e) cover free air delivery from 123 to 412 l/s across their minimum, effective and maximum settings. The water-cooled circuit carries the heat of compression out of the frame, which keeps the package quiet and turns the rejected heat into a resource. The VSD+ build completes the picture, with dual NEOS drives and a permanent magnet motor stretching the 10.4 bar envelope to 78 to 452 l/s, and a 13 bar VSD+ variant serves the high-pressure networks.
Where the ZR 160 VSD Sits in the Oil-Free Range
The ZR/ZT 110-160 range serves the plants whose oil-free demand has outgrown the compact 55-90 class but has not yet reached the ZR/ZT 200-355 VSD+ machines, and the ZR 160 VSD carries 160 kW of installed motor power at the top of the range. The letter Z marks the oil-free architecture: the compression elements never inject oil into the air stream, so no oil carry-over reaches the process.
Atlas Copco pioneered oil-free air technology over sixty years and became the first manufacturer awarded CLASS 0 certification. The ZR 160 VSD brings that standard into the water-cooled 160 kW class, and the package arrives as a complete all-in-one installation: place it on a flat floor, connect the power line, the cooling water circuit and the air outlet, and push the start button. The 110 kW entry of the same water-cooled VSD line runs the ZR 110 VSD.
Two Variants, Minimum to Maximum
Each pressure variant of the ZR 160 VSD works across a band from minimum to maximum, and each row adds one fact:
- Minimum — the lowest working pressure setting of the variant, where the machine delivers its highest free air delivery for networks that run a wide pressure band.
- Effective — the nominal setting of the network, where the converter balances flow and pressure for the daily load profile.
- Maximum — the top working pressure of the variant, where the package still delivers stable flow for the demanding corners of the plant.
Every setting combines with the standard package or the Full Feature build with the integrated iMD dryer. Plants without a cooling water main pick the air-cooled ZT 160 VSD of the same rating.
Technical Specifications of the ZR 160 VSD
The table below condenses the ZR 160 VSD into its headline figures:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | Atlas Copco ZR 160 VSD |
| Compressor type | Oil-free rotary screw, water-cooled |
| Capacity control | Variable speed drive |
| Installed motor power | 160 kW / 215 hp |
| Pressure variants | 8.6 / 10.4 bar(e) |
| Free air delivery | 123-412 l/s by variant and setting (7.4-24.7 m³/min / 261-872 cfm) |
| VSD+ build | 10.4 bar(e) class, 78-452 l/s, dual NEOS drives, plus a 13 bar variant |
| Sound level | 74 dB(A) at the work station |
| Air purity | ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 (2010), TÜV certified |
| Frequency | 50 Hz and 60 Hz |
Rated Data of the 8.6 bar Variant
Unit performance is measured according to ISO 1217, annex C and E, edition 4 (2009), with the free air delivery referenced to the effective working pressure of the variant:
| Setting | Pressure (bar(e)) | FAD (l/s) | FAD (m³/min) | FAD (cfm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZR 160 VSD – 8.6, Minimum | 4 | 124-412 | 7.4-24.7 | 261-872 |
| ZR 160 VSD – 8.6, Effective | 7 | 123-411 | 7.4-24.6 | 261-871 |
| ZR 160 VSD – 8.6, Maximum | 8.6 | 123-386 | 7.4-23.0 | 261-817 |
The 8.6 bar variant delivers up to 412 l/s at its widest band. The m³/min and cfm columns follow the printed values of the official table, and the sound pressure level holds at 74 dB(A) across the whole variant.
Rated Data of the 10.4 bar Variant
The 10.4 bar variant shifts the same architecture into the higher pressure band:
| Setting | Pressure (bar(e)) | FAD (l/s) | FAD (m³/min) | FAD (cfm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZR 160 VSD – 10.4, Minimum | 6 | 167-378 | 10.0-22.6 | 354-801 |
| ZR 160 VSD – 10.4, Maximum | 10.4 | 193-361 | 11.6-21.6 | 409-765 |
The noise level is the A-weighted emission sound pressure level at the work station, measured according to ISO 2151: 2008 using ISO 9614-2, with a total uncertainty value of 3 dB(A).
Rated Data of the VSD+ Build
The VSD+ build extends the ZR 160 VSD in the 10.4 bar class with dual NEOS drives and a permanent magnet motor. The dual drive system regulates the machine from 28 to 100 percent of load without unloaded operation and keeps the compression working at optimal efficiency at any pressure, and the unit performance follows the same ISO 1217 measurement basis:
| Setting | Pressure (bar(e)) | FAD (l/s) | FAD (cfm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZR 160 VSD+ – 10.4, Minimum | 4 | 78.2-451.5 | 165.6-956.7 |
| ZR 160 VSD+ – 10.4, Effective | 7 | 78.8-452.1 | 167-958 |
| ZR 160 VSD+ – 10.4, 9 bar setting | 9 | 78.6-419.4 | 166.5-888.6 |
| ZR 160 VSD+ – 10.4, Maximum | 10.4 | 77.6-396.1 | 164.3-839.3 |
In the Full Feature builds, iMD and iMDG, the rated data reads 79 to 448 l/s (167 to 950 cfm) at the minimum setting, 79 to 415 l/s at 9 bar and 78 to 392 l/s (164 to 831 cfm) at the maximum of 10.4 bar.
The ZR branch adds a 13 bar VSD+ variant for high-pressure networks. From the minimum setting of 9 bar(e) it delivers 78.5 to 395.9 l/s (166.3 to 838.8 cfm), at the effective setting of 10.4 bar(e) it delivers 77.2 to 395.5 l/s, and at the maximum of 13 bar(e) it still delivers 75.6 to 356.8 l/s (160.2 to 755.9 cfm).
Dimensions and Weight
The ZR 160 VSD shares its frame with the whole 110-160 VSD range, and the water-cooled design keeps the package compact:
| Branch | Weight | Dimensions (L × W × H) |
|---|---|---|
| ZR 160 VSD, Standard | 2,920 kg / 6,440 lb | 2,431 × 1,660 × 2,000 mm (96 × 65 × 79 in) |
| ZR 160 VSD, Full Feature iMD | 3,720 kg / 8,200 lb | 3,400 × 1,660 × 2,000 mm (134 × 65 × 79 in) |
No foundations are required for either branch. The package installs directly on the flat floor of the compressor room, with the cooling water connections at the rear of the frame.
Variable Speed Drive Without Unload Losses
The integrated converter of the ZR 160 VSD varies the speed of the compression elements between 30 and 100 percent, so the delivered air follows the demand of the plant instead of the on-off pattern of a fixed-speed machine. Full regulation eliminates the unload losses, and no compressed air is blown off to the atmosphere when the demand drops.
The converter and the motor live inside the compressor frame as one engineered unit, which keeps the electrical installation to a single connection point and removes the torque peaks and stress of a across-the-line start. Plants with a steady consumption profile instead of a swinging one pick the fixed-speed ZR 160 of the same rating.
Water Cooling and Heat Recovery
Water cooling defines the ZR branch of the range. The closed heat exchange path keeps the sound pressure level of the ZR 160 VSD at 74 dB(A), five decibels below the air-cooled sibling, and holds the package stable in hot machine rooms because the cooling water carries the heat of compression out of the frame instead of the room air.
That rejected heat is an asset. The water-cooled design turns the compression heat into a source for process water, washing water or space heating, which raises the total energy efficiency of the site again instead of venting the energy into the machine room.
Class 0 Air Purity, Verified by TÜV
The ZR 160 VSD belongs to the oil-free range certified according to ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 (2010). TÜV type-tested the range with the most rigorous methodologies available, measuring all possible oil forms across a range of temperatures and pressures, and found no traces of oil at all in the output air stream. CLASS 0 is the most stringent class of the standard: the total oil concentration is as specified by the equipment user or supplier and more stringent than class 1.
That certification is what makes the ZR 160 VSD the default choice where a single trace of oil costs a batch: food and beverage lines running fermentation, packaging and filling, electronics plants cleaning chips and boards, petrochemical operations in extreme heat and humidity, and pharmaceutical production from tablet coating to bottling.
Full Feature: The Integrated iMD Adsorption Dryer
In the Full Feature build, the iMD adsorption dryer eliminates the moisture before it enters the air net. The dryer regenerates with the heat of the compressor, so no external energy is needed to dry the air, and the whole drying function lives inside the compressor package instead of beside it. The Full Feature branch is available on the 8.6 bar variant of the ZR 160 VSD.
Control and Monitoring
The Elektronikon unit controller runs the compressor and the integrated converter from one control system. The display shows the running conditions with clear icons and intuitive navigation, monitors the maintenance status, and raises pro-active service indications, alarms for malfunctions and safety shutdowns. Built-in remote control and notification functions come as standard with ethernet-based communication.
SMARTLINK and Options
The option list of the ZR 160 VSD tailors the package to the plant:
- SMARTLINK — online data monitoring of the compressed air system with warning indications and maintenance scheduling.
- Energy recovery options — the heat of compression captured for process water, washing water or space heating.
- Long duration particles filter and other air quality options — for specified coating materials and demanding purity targets.
- Wooden case packaging, material certificates, test certificate and witnessed performance test — for controlled installation and documented acceptance.
Applications of the ZR 160 VSD
Food and beverage plants run the ZR 160 VSD for fermentation, aeration, transportation, filling and capping, where the CLASS 0 certification removes the contamination risk from the audit trail. Electronics manufacturers use the clean, dry air for removing microscopic debris from chip and board surfaces, and petrochemical sites value the machine’s ability to run in extreme temperatures and humidity conditions around the clock.
Pharmaceutical production completes the picture, from fermentation and tablet coating to packing and bottling, where 100 percent oil-free air protects both the process and the brand. Where the demand of the network grows beyond one machine, the plant adds a second ZR 160 VSD or steps up to the larger models of the range.
Service and Support Around the ZR 160 VSD
The ZR 160 VSD is built for long overhaul intervals, few service interventions and minimal maintenance cost, and every machine is tested before delivery to ensure it meets the specifications. A global service operation with field service engineers across 160 countries backs the installed base, and genuine Atlas Copco parts keep the package at its rated performance.
Seadweer supplies genuine Atlas Copco spare parts and service kits for the ZR 160 VSD and its Full Feature branch. 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 ZR 160 VSD deliver at 8.6 bar?
At the maximum setting of 8.6 bar(e) the machine delivers 123 to 386 l/s, and across the full minimum-to-maximum band of the variant it covers 123 to 412 l/s. Free air delivery is referenced to the effective working pressure according to ISO 1217, annex C and E, edition 4 (2009).
Is the ZR 160 VSD water-cooled?
Yes. The ZR letter marks the water-cooled branch of the ZR/ZT range: the cooling water circuit carries the heat of compression out of the frame, which holds the sound level at 74 dB(A) and enables heat recovery. The air-cooled equivalent is the ZT 160 VSD.
How oil-free is the air?
The ZR 160 VSD carries the ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0 (2010) certification verified by TÜV, the most stringent class of the standard. TÜV testing found no traces of oil at all in the output air stream across the tested range.
What does the Full Feature build add?
Full Feature integrates the iMD adsorption dryer inside the compressor package. The dryer regenerates with the heat of the compressor, so no external energy is needed, and the package weight grows from 2,920 kg to 3,720 kg while the length grows from 2,431 mm to 3,400 mm.
How much can the speed turn down?
The converter regulates the motor speed between 30 and 100 percent, which eliminates the unload losses of a fixed-speed machine. That is why the ZR 160 VSD fits plants whose air demand swings between shifts and seasons instead of holding one steady level. The VSD+ build goes further: dual NEOS drives regulate from 28 to 100 percent of load, the widest operating range of the class, without unloaded running.
How loud is the ZR 160 VSD?
The sound pressure level at the work station reads 74 dB(A) on both variants. The value follows ISO 2151: 2008 with the ISO 9614-2 method and carries a total uncertainty value of 3 dB(A).
Hannu Virtanen –
Our air demand keeps growing, so we stepped up to the water-cooled ZR 160 VSD. The converter follows the load swings of our molding lines without unload losses, the package reads 74 dB(A) at the work station, and the recovered heat feeds the process water loop. Seadweer confirmed the 8.6 bar Full Feature build from our model and pressure in one reply.