Atlas Copco develops, manufactures and markets a range of world-class compressors with advanced technology. S Kumar, Business Line Manager, Portable Energy Division, Atlas Copco (India) Ltd, spells out the company's products and solutions.

What are the latest product offerings from Atlas Copco in portable power solutions?
The equipment industry is in constant evolution where there is not just product innovation but also application innovation. New technology also creates new opportunities and improved ways of using equipment.

In the portable energy business, Atlas Copco develops, manufactures and markets a range of world-class compressors with advanced technology.

• XRHS 650 breakthrough technology for shallow water drilling
• XRX 1350 compact, dual pressure compressor
• W 1250 for deeper and faster drilling
• Electric Portable Range of compressors offer different pressure and flow combinations so that customers can now experience the full power of electric

Which are the industry segments where you provide your range of power solutions? What are the application areas?
Our portable power solutions are offered to many segments like: construction, mining, quarrying, oil & gas, waterwell, and DSI segments. Each of these segments have varied applications such as: drilling, hill cutting, breaking, flushing, exploring, pigging, cable blowing, sand blasting, ice blasting, cement unloading, piling, over burden removal, conveying, and testing.

Atlas Copco is the undisputed market leader in the portable air compressor segment. While having a major chunk of the pie, we also believe in consistently upgrading our product portfolio keeping in mind the product gaps.

How flexible/adaptable is your product range? Please also specify the range and application areas.
We have a good mix of compressors in our diesel range with the following parameters:

• Starting from 140 to 1,350 cfm,
• Pressure range of 7 bar to 35 bar covering all pneumatic application,
• We also have a good electric range starting from 45 kw up to 75 kw (300 cfm up to 500 cfm; 7 bar to 12 bar)
• We also offer options such as:
• Skid or trolley mounted
• Flexible toe bars
• Sheet metal or hard hat canopies to suit various applications
• Zone-specific compressors meeting safety norms
• Containerised super silenced compressors
• Reciprocating booster compressors

The range combines light weight compressors with small dimensions, making it easy to manoeuvre on site.

Brief us on engines and sub-systems used in your range that helps enhance the performance in terms of fuel efficiency; increased power output and lower weight ratio, and increased lifecycle at affordable costs.

The in-house manufactured screw element combined with a multiple range of powerful engine such as Ashok Leyland, Mahindra and Cummins is specially designed to deliver optimal power specific to applications.

The Atlas Copco asymmetric screw profile and power pack engine combination ensures less consumption of fuel, thus making this range best in its class in terms of fuel economy.

Unique design of unloader reduces RPM of engine during partial load, thereby consuming lower fuel. A combination of smart engineering, time tested technology and quality components all adds up to a solution that is highly reliable and energy efficient with extreme versatility.

What are the features inbuilt that can efficiently counter extreme operating conditions?
A host of unique features ensure effective operations in extreme and tough conditions.
Canopy: The modern aesthetically appealing Belgium-designed canopy is offered in two forms - gull wing design and hood type.
These fully galvanised powder coated canopies are most durable and ensure maximum protection from heat and corrosion.
The unique patented hood type canopy offers all-round easy serviceability while the gull wing design canopy ensures the compressor utilises minimal frame space. The robust and compact design is built to give high stability while transporting the compressor over tough gradients and slope.
Blower fan: The powerful blower fan of the radiator keeps the temperature of the internal components under controlled limits at all times. This enables the compressor to operate at 50-degree Latent Ambient temperatures (LAT), which is the best in the industry.

How do you ensure best volume of air for the end tools?
The quality of a compressor can be measured through the reliability, efficiency and durability of the compressor element used. Decades of expertise in the design of compressor elements, results in most efficient and reliable compressor, which gives maximum flow at the outlet with minimum input power.

What is the demand-supply scenario, especially for air compressors in different capacity range from mining, construction and quarrying verticals?
From the past year and a half or so we are seeing good growth in the compressor requirement in most segments, especially in the water well segment. We have a state-of-the-art factory in Chakan, Pune which is twice the capacity of our earlier set up and has a possibility to get doubled if required to meet increasing customer demands.

Is there a shift/change in demand from end-user segments? How successful have you been to meet this shift in terms of product/technology?
Yes, more and more customers are moving towards higher pressure band to have better productivity, for e.g., customers who were earlier buying a 450/150 compressor are more or less going for a 500/175 unit, which results in higher penetration rate with very small increase in fuel consumption.

We had well anticipated the shift in customer requirements and were ready to fill in the need gap with our compressor range (216/316). Similarly, in other segments like waterwell, new launches such as electric and dual pressure compressors are the latest additions to our portfolio which demonstrates our ground breaking technological expertise.

Further, availability of electric power on site with an increase in fuel cost and stricter emission norms is showing a shift to usage of electric compressors on site, Equipped with the right ergonomics and inbuilt features to enhance performance, Atlas Copco electric compressors offer 19 per cent faster drilling with 11 per cent less power consumption as compared with other compressors in its class.

How do you look at the market growth trend in the next five years?
With an upgraded portfolio and technologically advanced equipment, Atlas Copco construction equipment will continue to touch lives and improve infrastructure needs of people in India. 2017 so far has shown a very healthy growth over last year in all equipment categories and we expect the trend to continue in the next five years as well.