Atlas Copco Portable Energy hosted a top-notch two-day customer event for its Western Hemisphere customers in Panama City, Panama, on Sept. 28-29.

The lovely La Playa Bonita Resort was the backdrop for the conference that saw more than 160 customers from North, South and Central America, together with 60 Atlas Copco Portable Energy employees from around the world, participate in the company’s regional event for the Americas.

With a theme of “Experience Our Energy,” the event saw the launch of newest products and services from the Atlas Copco Portable Energy division. Delivered simultaneously in English, Spanish and Portuguese, the program also offered a preview of what to expect from the division in terms of its strategy. The Portable Energy Division’s top executives, including president Geert Follens and vice-president of marketing John Hort, gave a multimedia presentation that informed customers of the new organizational structure, as well as new programs and products. Besides explaining the five product groups that support the division – compressors, generators, light-towers, pumps and used equipment – executives explained the primary market segments that their division serves, including oil and gas, tunneling and mining, construction, rental, specialty power and water pumps.

Throughout the event, innovation, sustainability and a commitment to partnering with clients all were stressed. Executives emphasized, “We provide the customer with solutions,” which are intended to be all-encompassing – spanning from products and financing to service and used equipment.

Of particular note were new segments dedicated to service and used equipment. Sam Waes, business development manger, Used Equipment, revealed the company “decided to actively engage in used equipment,” which now will be a global program. The first refurbishing center already has been established in Warsaw, Poland, with plans to extend capabilities worldwide.

The Portable Energy Division also introduced Adrian Ridge, the president of Construction Technique’s new service division, to its assembled customers. Ridge explained that his team’s mission is to support all Atlas Copco construction products all around the world, with a goal to be “a reference for service excellence in the construction industry.” The plan is for the new service division to be operational by the first of the year.

Ultimately, the event demonstrated that the division offers a widening product portfolio that now will be strengthened by service. Moreover, it’s actively adopting a more global perspective, while, at the same time, working to establish itself locally in key markets. 

It wasn’t all business and no play, however. The program included an impressive tour of the nearby Panama Canal expansion project. The evening’s festivities then rounded out with a white-tablecloth meal enjoyed al fresco, complete with entertainment that included lively folk dancing and music, as well as an incredible fireworks display.

The event continued the next morning with a half-day of educational workshops. For the North American attendees, there was an emission legislation workshop explaining requirements for Tier 4A standards, and the related solutions offered by Atlas Copco. The rest of the workshops were conducted in English, Spanish and Portuguese on subjects such as construction air and drilling performance, onsite pumps, power generation, and onsite power and light.

The Panama conference was presented specifically for customers in the Western Hemisphere, with three more regional events held in strategic locations around the world later in the fall. An event in Antwerp, Belgium, welcomed customers from Europe and Russia, followed by an event in Goa, India, for customers on the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. The final event took place in Shanghai, serving customers in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. 
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Introducing the New Hurricane Booster

Critical applications such as oil and gas, water well and geothermal drilling cannot afford booster downtime. Atlas Copco’s newest B7-41/1000 Hurricane booster, introduced at the Panama event in September, comes with advanced operational, safety and maintenance features. It has a capacity of 2,440 cfm at a maximum discharge of 1,000 psi. The new booster is engineered to deliver a powerful performance with a compact footprint (139-in.-by-80-in.-by-72-in.). The booster is driven by a Caterpillar C7 diesel engine, and features a four-cylinder, single-stage, reciprocating booster. Using a six-cylinder, turbocharged drive engine, it provides increased flows and pressures for improved borehole drilling. This booster also comes with a standard 24-volt starting and operating system.

The new Hurricane B7-41/1000 sports several service and safety improvements. Each cylinder has a temperature sensor connected to a shutdown safety system to prevent overheating damage. Engine and booster coolers now are separate for better air-flow efficiency and easier maintenance. New dual inlet ports into the suction manifold should distribute air evenly into the valves for longer valve life. The booster’s redesigned piping system comes with minimal NPT fittings, helping reduce the risk of leaks. Single-point lifting and a stronger base-frame with forklift slots work to ensure safe transportation of the unit.

Other standard features on the Hurricane B7-41/1000 include automatic load/unload, booster bypass, pre-cooler with a built-in bypass valve and after-cooler. A new suction scrubber tank has a built-in water-level safety feature, which will shut down the booster when high water levels threaten to damage the valves. A full-function instrument panel monitors all pressures, temperatures and controls, and is equipped with full protection shutdown and fault indicators. Its optional features include an automatic scrubber tank drain, full protection frame, digital control panel and cold weather kit, with additional options available.