Vacuum pumps for fish packaging

Norway has a long tradition of catching and processing fish. The country ranks second in the world for exports behind China. To ensure the high quality of their freshly caught products, Norwegians pay particular attention to an unbroken cold chain. One company that contributes to food safety in the cold chain is Atlantic Styro. The manufacturer, based on the Atlantic island of Lovund, just outside the Arctic Circle, produces containers made from expanded polystyrene (EPS). The polystyrene boxes are designed to keep fish and seafood fresh during transport and storage.

In order to produce as sustainably as possible, the box manufacturer relies on a modern vacuum supply. The vacuum is used to extract the process vapour that is produced when the foam expands.

“Atlantic Styro achieves this very effectively thanks to our modern vacuum solution,” said Roy Mikalsen, the responsible sales manager at Atlas Copco. “Three liquid ring vacuum pumps from the LRP VSD+ series are used on Lovund, which are very well integrated into the overall process,” Mikalsen said.

Three liquid ring vacuum pumps from the LRP VSD+ series from Atlas Copco are used.

In addition to the high, stable vacuum performance, the liquid ring pumps are designed to be energy-efficient and ensure low operating and maintenance costs. Equipped with two variable speed drives, the first of the VSD twins maintains the required vacuum level by controlling the operating speed of the pump, which ultimately reduces power consumption. The second drive controls the water circulation pump and thus optimises the water flow in the pump.

“The closed water circuit means that leaking seal water is collected in a tank and recirculated,” Mikalsen said. This recovery secures the water supply. An additional energy recovery also reduces production costs. To achieve this, the LRP VSD+ series is equipped with the powerful, user-friendly Elektronikon vacuum controller from Atlas Copco, among other things. This enabled Atlantic Styro to integrate the vacuum solution into its system and control the entire system.

With its compact design, the LRP VSD+ installation saves space. A soundproof bonnet insulates the background noise in the immediate working environment to a pleasant level of 65 dB(a). The ease of operation rounds off the ergonomic advantages: inlet, outlet and power cable connections are located on the top of the pump for easy installation. These easily accessible features make the solution as a whole an uncomplicated plug-and-play product.

Overall, the Norwegian company calculates 50% less energy consumption using the LRP VSD+ solution from Atlas Copco.

Image credit: iStock.com/Matveev_Aleksandr