Antwerp, 15 September 2008: Atlas Copco has announced that its ZD high pressure compressors are the first in the world to offer PET packaging production the security of 100% certified oil-free air with a Class 0 certification.

Risk of any contamination by oil is effectively eliminated during PET bottle blowing for the bottled water, soft drink, fruit juice and beverage industry. Testing for the ISO 8573-1 Class 0 certification was carried out using the most stringent test methods available, simulating realistic industrial environments. At all test conditions, no traces of oil could be detected and the compressed air was certified to be in the category 'Class 0' in terms of oil content. Atlas Copco is now the only compressor manufacturer to have all of its oil-free air technologies certified ‘Class 0’. The Atlas Copco ZD remains the most energy-efficient and silent 40 bar compressor available, whilst maintaining the flexibility and reliability required by the high-volume PET blowing market.