Dairy Dessert Company saves £117k annually with Atlas Copco upgrade

UK – A major UK dairy desserts manufacturer has slashed its annual electricity costs by £117,000 after modernising its compressed air system with Atlas Copco’s latest oil-free technology.

The desserts producer, best known for its custard and rice pudding, had previously relied on ageing compressors that were running continuously without backup.

Any failure risked an immediate 30 per cent drop in production capacity, requiring costly rental units to keep up with demand. The existing dryer was also undersized, operating at just three-quarters of the required capacity and only narrowly meeting dew point compliance.

This increased the risk of moisture and bacterial contamination, while leaks in dated pipework added to the inefficiencies. Together, these issues limited the site’s ability to expand output.

Atlas Copco conducted a full audit of the plant’s compressed air system, including an AIRScan diagnostic and independent Site Acceptance Test.

The assessment showed a need for larger capacity compressors and confirmed the performance of the proposed upgrade, which would meet ISO 8573-1 Class 1:2:0 standards for air purity.

The new system was projected to deliver annual electricity savings of £117,000, with additional benefits from heat recovery bringing the overall payback period to just three and a half years. Carbon savings were also estimated at more than 1,300 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

To meet the site’s requirements, the manufacturer invested in three Atlas Copco ZR 160 VSD+ FF compressors with integrated rotary drum adsorption dryers.

The ZR range provides 100 per cent oil-free air, certified to ISO 8573-1 Class 0 – the highest standard of purity for food applications. Variable Speed Drive (VSD+) technology allows the compressors to adjust motor speed to match fluctuating demand, cutting energy use by up to 35 per cent.

 Dew point levels are consistently maintained as low as -63°C, monitored in real time through Atlas Copco’s SMARTLINK system.

The installation also included an Optimizer 4.0 central management platform for efficient load-sharing, and a Gateway 4.0 system linking directly with the customer’s Building Management System to support remote monitoring and Industry 4.0 integration.

An ER650 energy recovery unit was added to capture waste heat from the compressors for reuse in processes such as boiler feed and wash-down water, further reducing utility costs.

Since the upgrade, the site has reported greater confidence in air quality and production security. With dew point levels consistently maintained and oil contamination risks eliminated, the manufacturer has improved output while reducing operating costs by more than £200,000 a year.

 Built-in redundancy now ensures 24/7 compliant compressed air supply with no risk to production.

John Brennand, National Oil Free Sales Manager at Atlas Copco, said food and beverage producers cannot afford to compromise on compressed air quality

 “There is always a risk of contamination with oil-injected systems – you won’t know there’s oil in the product until it’s too late. With the ZR range, this manufacturer has complete peace of mind about achieving Class 0 oil content, while also securing significant energy and emissions savings.”

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