Atlas Copco ZT 132 VSD (FF VSD⁺) Oil-free Air Compressor

The Atlas Copco ZT 132 VSD sits in the 132 kW (175 hp) air-cooled oil-free class and carries its output on a variable speed drive. Air cooling matters for sites that have no cooling water circuit, because the whole package rejects its heat to the plant atmosphere through the cooler block and needs nothing more than a power supply and an air main. Class 0 oil-free air is the headline: the compressed stream never meets oil, so downstream products and processes keep their purity without a final filter catching lubricant carryover.

ZT 132 VSD Technical Data

The ZT 132 VSD is published at two working pressures, and each pressure carries a Minimum, an Effective, and a Maximum row that describe the envelope the drive sweeps. The installed motor is 132 kW (175 hp) across the range.

The noise level at the work station is 79 dB(A) for the ZT 110–160 (VSD) group, measured with the cooling-air ducting on the outlet grating included. That figure places the machine close to work areas rather than demanding a dedicated, isolated compressor room.

ZT 132 VSD⁺ Technical Data

The ZT 132 VSD⁺ takes the same 132 kW (175 hp) class onto the dual NEOS drive platform, the widest turn-down of the range, and it is offered as a Pack unit and as a Full Feature (iMD) build with the rotary drum dryer integrated. Both builds share the 10.4 bar(e) envelope below.

The Pack unit weighs 2795 kg and measures 3400 mm long, 1660 mm wide, and 2000 mm high. The Full Feature (iMD) build extends the frame to 4085 mm and brings the weight to 3445 kg, because the rotary drum dryer occupies the added length. The ZT 132 VSD⁺ reads 65 dB(A) at the work station.

The ZT 132 VSD⁺ is the version most buyers pick when they want the dryer inside the same envelope, because the factory-connected air treatment removes a whole installation step. The two drives are not the same machine with a name change: the VSD follows demand with a single inverter stage and a Minimum of 4 bar(e) on the 8.6 bar(e) variant, while the VSD⁺ carries the dual NEOS drive and a Minimum of 4 bar(e) on the 10.4 bar(e) variant, with a wider low-end turn-down for plants whose demand dips deep before it recovers.

Full Feature Build and Air Treatment

The Full Feature (iMD) build integrates a rotary drum adsorption dryer inside the same canopy. Three quarters of the drum surface dries the compressed air while the remaining quarter regenerates with hot compressed air, so the dew point is held without a separate desiccant tower row and without purge air leaving the package.

Wiring and piping between the compressor section and the dryer are completed in the factory, which turns installation into a matter of connecting the air main and the power supply. The integrated build also lifts the Minimum flow point: the Full Feature (iMD) starts at 6 bar(e) and 107 l/s, versus 4 bar(e) and 79 l/s on the Pack, because the dryer needs a minimum swept volume to regenerate.

Supervision of the ZT 132 VSD runs on the Elektronikon Touch controller, the advanced touch screen monitoring system with enhanced connectivity that schedules maintenance, raises warnings before they become trips, and visualizes the condition of the package online. Service items are grouped behind panels at one side of the canopy, so a technician works from a single position during a stop.

Air Cooling and Noise

Cooling is the defining difference of the ZT 132 VSD: the cooler block is fed by ambient plant air, and the heat is returned to the room rather than carried off by a water loop. That keeps the ZT 132 VSD independent of a cooling water circuit, a treatment plant, and the freeze protection those bring. The 65 dB(A) reading on the VSD⁺ (79 dB(A) on the VSD) lets the package sit beside the process it serves, which opens floor plans that a louder, water-cooled installation would rule out and avoids building a separate compressor house.

Where the ZT 132 VSD Fits

Plants without a cooling water circuit are the natural home of the ZT 132 VSD: food and beverage packaging halls, textile mills, and electronics plants that need Class 0 air but cannot justify a water treatment loop for the compressor room.

The 132 kW (175 hp) envelope of the ZT 132 VSD often lets one machine replace a pair of smaller fixed speed oil-free units, cutting standing losses and halving the number of service positions on the floor. The integrated dryer in the Full Feature build is the deciding point for sites that would otherwise buy a separate dryer tower for the ZT 132 VSD, because the factory-connected air treatment removes a whole installation step and a second vendor from the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much air does the ZT 132 VSD deliver?

On the 8.6 bar(e) variant the ZT 132 VSD spans 125–358 l/s at the Minimum point and 125–337 l/s at the Maximum point, with the 132 kW (175 hp) motor behind it. The ZT 132 VSD⁺ reaches 79–393 l/s on the Pack and 107–393 l/s on the Full Feature build.

Does the ZT 132 VSD need a cooling water connection?

No. The ZT 132 VSD is air-cooled by design, rejecting its compression heat through the cooler block into the plant air. Only the power supply and the air main are needed for installation.

What is the difference between the VSD and the VSD⁺ here?

The VSD covers the 8.6 and 10.4 bar(e) classes on a single inverter. The VSD⁺ runs the dual NEOS drive on the 10.4 bar(e) class with a wider low-end turn-down and is the version offered with the integrated Full Feature dryer.

How loud is the machine?

The ZT 132 VSD reads 79 dB(A) at the work station, and the ZT 132 VSD⁺ reads 65 dB(A), both measured with the cooling-air ducting included. The lower figure lets the package sit close to work areas.

Is the Full Feature dryer inside the same frame?

Yes. The Full Feature (iMD) build holds the rotary drum adsorption dryer in the same canopy, extending the length from 3400 mm to 4085 mm and lifting the weight from 2795 kg to 3445 kg.

Can one ZT 132 VSD replace two smaller units?

Frequently, yes. If the combined demand of two smaller fixed speed oil-free machines stays inside the envelope of the ZT 132 VSD at the header pressure, one machine covers the load and removes the cascade control between them.

Stepping Up to the ZT 145 VSD

When the demand profile outgrows the 393 l/s ceiling of the ZT 132 VSD⁺ at the top pressure, the adjacent step in the same air-cooled family is the Atlas Copco ZT 145 VSD (FF VSD⁺) Oil-free Air Compressor, which extends the envelope in the 145 kW (200 hp) class.