Norwegians rely on vacuum pumps from Atlas Copco 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 a high level of food safety 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 keep fish and seafood fresh during transport and storage.

In addition to high quality, efficient production is more important than ever, and a vacuum system has a key role to play. The vacuum is used to extract the process vapor that is produced when the foam expands.

Atlantic Styro achieves this very effectively thanks to our modern vacuum solution, reports 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.

Designed for energy and water efficiency

In addition to the high, stable vacuum performance, the liquid ring pumps are energy-efficient and ensure low operating and maintenance costs. Equipped with two variable speed drives, the vacuum system saves energy and water: the first of the VSD twins maintains the required vacuum level by precisely 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, continues Roy Mikalsen. 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. What's more, 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.

Energy savings of up to 50 per cent

For Atlantic Styro, the LRP VSD+ pumps combine high functionality with significant savings: Overall, the Norwegian company can calculate with fifty per cent less energy consumption. Its user-friendliness and centralization options make the vacuum solution from Atlas Copco the ideal system for the production of EPS boxes.

This allows the full range of benefits of the raw material to be realized: a lightweight, cost-effective material that is perfect for packaging, insulating and transporting frozen fish and seafood. This means that seafood and fish retain their temperature and consistency over a long period of time and develop their full flavour when eaten later.