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Atlas Copco announces ability to manufacture GAR Series of railway compressors in U.S.

Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
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Atlas Copco Compressors is currently exhibiting at Railway Interchange 2015, where attendees from the railway industry can learn more about the company’s capability to produce GAR railway compressors in the U.S for select projects.

The Atlas Copco exhibit is located at booth No. 3715. Representatives are available to discuss the importance of offering production of the GAR series in the U.S., which meets the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Buy America provisions that ensure transportation infrastructure projects are built with American-made products. Atlas Copco announced this past July that it is now manufacturing its GAR series at its Bay Minette, Ala. production facility. Currently, two GAR-30 models and SDR membrane dryer systems for U.S.-based locomotive builders are under production.

GAR series compressors are specifically designed at Atlas Copco’s Railway Competence Center in Chambly, France, where a specialized group of electrical and mechanical engineers design and build compressors exclusively for the railway market.

“All of our products for the railway industry are designed to meet the unique demands of the industry and feature extremely reliable package designs that require minimal maintenance over a long service life,” said Jim Donohue, Business Development Manager for Railway and Marine Air Systems at Atlas Copco. “With our dedicated Railway Competency Center in France and state-of-the-art production facility in Bay Minette, Ala., Atlas Copco continues to be a trusted partner to the railway industry in the U.S. and around the world.”

Atlas Copco is showcasing the GAR 30 and the GAR 37; the GAR compressor uses Atlas Copco’s rotary screw element design and currently delivers up to 180 CFM (rated as free air delivery as opposed to displacement). Custom designs can be adjusted based on electrical requirements, physical space and ambient operating conditions; connector types, air treatment requirements and cooling air-flow can also be accommodated. Also on display are Atlas Copco’s lightweight membrane air dryers, as well as two oil-free options—the LF oil-free piston compressor and LFxR oil-free pantograph compressor. The company is also introducing an innovative addition to the GAR range of oil-injected, air-cooled screw compressors, currently being conceptualized for potential future production.

“High quality, compressed air is critical to the smooth and safe operation of railway vehicles and is used in a variety of critical applications such as brake systems, pneumatic door operation and vehicle suspension,” said Donohue. “The new addition to the GAR range would supply more air to the brake line in less time, which could result in better fuel efficiency.”

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