Atlas Copco helps Saint-Gobain achieve safe, efficient production
Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials (Mudanjiang) Co., Ltd., China, primarily manufactures green silicon carbide. In 2009 Atlas Copco supplied the company with a modular AIRnet® piping system, which allows simple reconfiguration of the factory whenever required. Installed at the same time were ZT Series oil-free screw compressors enabling the company to meet the ISO 8573-1 “0” standard for oil content in the compressed air. Atlas Copco has now become a strategic global supplier to the Saint-Gobain Group.
Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials (Mudanjiang) Co., Ltd., is located in the city of Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang Province. In 2009, with the leap-forward development of photovoltaic industry, the demand for silicon carbide increased sharply and Saint-Gobain expanded its production capacity.
“We selected Atlas Copco from two world-class air compressor suppliers,” relates Mr. Liu Guanzhan from Saint-Gobain's purchasing department. “Our choice was based on multiple factors, including product quality, market share, etc., in combination with reputation in the industry.”
Modular system gives maximum flexibility
The layout of the Saint-Gobain factory requires frequent adjustments. Atlas Copco’s AIRnet air piping system is a modular concept allowing simple reconfiguration. Individual components can be removed and re-installed repeatedly as the configuration of the factory is changed. The components are made from robust, lightweight, powder-coated aluminum tube. It is designed for easy, low-cost installation with a large selection of engineered polymer fittings. The AIRnet system conveys high-quality air from the compressor to any point in the process without loss of pressure.
Stringent requirements on compressed air quality
Since many of the raw materials for the silicon carbide manufacturing process are in powder form, there are extremely stringent requirements on the power source for the manufacturing process in terms of the moisture content of the compressed air, including oil.
The Atlas Copco ZT Series of oil-free screw compressors meet the latest ISO 8573-1 "0" standard for oil content in the compressed air and this has been confirmed by TÜV based on stringent measurement and testing. In the ZT Series, a two-stage compression system minimizes energy consumption.
A relationship based on trust “After the collaboration with Saint-Gobain in Mudanjiang project, we are pleased to see Saint-Gobain has an in-depth understanding of the technologies, products and services provided by Atlas Copco,” says Kevin Wu, Atlas Copco AIRnet product specialist. “The parties have established a good relationship of trust and cooperation.”
