Industry

Vacuum pumps for printing and paper

In print shops, vacuum holds the sheet on the suction cup, clamps printing plates and material on cutting tables and lifts plates and stacks; in the paper machine it dewaters the web. Becker names suction air and blast air from prepress to finishing, Elmo Rietschle names material handling in printing, cutting, folding and binding. Below you can see which series the manufacturers themselves name for these tasks – 285 models from 5 manufacturers.

Compare 285 modelsSee the applications

  • 285Models
  • 37Series
  • 5Manufacturers
  • 5Applications
Sheet in a printing press
Sheet in a printing press

In short

Printing and paper: vacuum pumps – the key facts

  • Suction and blast airFor the printing and paper industry Becker names suction air and blast air from prepress to finishing and, as examples, the DVT 3.80, BCV 100, SV 201/1 and SV 300/1.
  • Vacuum liftersFor vacuum lifters Becker names SV side channel blowers with 195–1,250 m³/h and −290 to −440 mbar as well as BCV claw vacuum pumps: BCV 100 down to 50 mbar, BCV 300 down to 150 mbar.
  • 20,000 operating hoursBecker backs pick & place with a case study of 20,000 maintenance-free operating hours; the vacuum supplies the suction cups in automated lifting and transferring.
  • Paper machineFor paper and pulp Edwards names the LR liquid ring vacuum pumps for dewatering, filtration, headbox and press section; Atlas Copco lists the AWL and AWS series for this.

Applications

Printing and paper: what vacuum pumps are used for

For each application: what the vacuum does and which series the manufacturers name for it. The information comes from the manufacturers’ own pages.

Printing and paper machines

From the feeder to finishing, printing machines work with suction air and blast air: Becker names dry-running rotary vane and claw pumps, side channel and radial blowers, and pressure/vacuum pumps for this, with the DVT 3.80, BCV 100, SV 201/1 and SV 300/1 as examples; Becker supplies blast air for fanning out the sheets in the feeder, for air cushions and for powder spraying from its compressors. For printing, prepress and finishing, Elmo Rietschle names its claw, radial and side channel series for material handling in printing, cutting, folding and binding. Atlas Copco lists the printing industry for DZS, DVS, GVS A, GVS VSD+ and GHS VSD+, Leybold for CLAWVAC and NOVADRY – both without further description.

More on Printing and paper machines →

Sheet feeding, vacuum lifters and pick & place

Suction cups hold the sheet during feeding and lift plates, stacks and cartons. Becker lists sheet feeding in offset machines under pick & place: vacuum for suction cups in automated lifting and transferring, backed by a case study of 20,000 maintenance-free operating hours. For vacuum lifters Becker names SV side channel blowers with 195–1,250 m³/h and −290 to −440 mbar for tube and column lifters, and BCV claw vacuum pumps for robotic pick & place (BCV 100: 50 mbar, BCV 300: 150 mbar).

More on Sheet feeding, vacuum lifters and pick & place →

Vacuum clamping: printing plates, cutting tables, screen printing

Air pressure holds the workpiece on the table as long as the pump removes the leakage. For the printing and paper industry Becker names the clamping of printing plates during exposure and CTP as well as clamping on cutting tables and screen printing machines; in general Becker describes vacuum clamping as holding parts under vacuum so that they can be machined precisely. As a guide for clamping tables on CNC milling machines Becker names KVT/KVX with 67–145 m³/h at 100 mbar, VTLF/VXLF with 280–570 m³/h at 200–350 mbar and BCV with 275–600 m³/h at 150–200 mbar.

More on Vacuum clamping: printing plates, cutting tables, screen printing →

Paper machine: dewatering, headbox, press section

In papermaking, vacuum draws the water out of the web. For paper and pulp Edwards names the single-stage LR liquid ring vacuum pumps for dewatering, filtration, headbox and press section. For pulp and paper Atlas Copco lists the AWL and AWS liquid ring series without describing the tasks in more detail.

Central vacuum supply in the print shop

For printing and paper Elmo Rietschle also lists central air supply. The operating instructions of the C-VLR 1000 VSD / HV+ describe the claw vacuum pump as part of a central vacuum system with setpoint pressure control; the data sheet names 380–1,140 m³/h.

More on Central vacuum supply in the print shop →

Manufacturers and series

Printing and paper: 5 manufacturers, 37 series

Listed are the series the manufacturer itself names for this industry. “Show only …” sets the filter of the product overview.

Product overview

Printing and paper: all 285 models compared

Use the filters on the left to narrow the selection – by manufacturer, technology and the models’ key figures, for 50 or 60 Hz.

Atlas Copco AWL series 11 models

AWL 4000Pumping speed 4,290 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 160 kW 50 HzVariants
AWL 5500Pumping speed 5,580 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 185 kW 50 HzVariants
AWL 7000Pumping speed 6,900 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 185 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWL 9500Pumping speed 9,200 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 200 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWL 12500Pumping speed 12,500 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 280 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWL 15000Pumping speed 15,000 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 315 kW 50 HzVariants 9
AWL 17500Pumping speed 17,400 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 400 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWL 21500Pumping speed 21,300 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 450 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWL 26000Pumping speed 25,800 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 560 kW 50 HzVariants 6
AWL 30000Pumping speed 30,000 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 630 kW 50 HzVariants 4
AWL 37500Pumping speed 36,600 m³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 800 kW 50 HzVariants

Atlas Copco AWS series 22 models

AWS 180Pumping speed 168 m³/h 50 Hz202 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 5.5 kW 50 Hz7.5 kW 60 HzVariants 6
AWS 280Pumping speed 246 m³/h 50 Hz290 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 7.5 kW 50 Hz11 kW 60 HzVariants 6
AWS 360Pumping speed 340 m³/h 50 Hz412 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 11 kW 50 Hz15 kW 60 HzVariants 6
AWS 450Pumping speed 450 m³/h 50 Hz535 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 15 kW 50 Hz22 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 600Pumping speed 600 m³/h 50 Hz700 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 18.5 kW 50 Hz30 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 800Pumping speed 750 m³/h 50 Hz888 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 22 kW 50 Hz30 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 1100Pumping speed 1,080 m³/h 50 Hz1,320 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 37 kW 50 Hz45 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 1300Pumping speed 1,230 m³/h 50 Hz1,452 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 37 kW 50 Hz55 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 1600Pumping speed 1,700 m³/h 50 Hz2,000 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 45 kW 50 Hz75 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 2500Pumping speed 2,450 m³/h 50 Hz2,780 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 75 kW 50 Hz90 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 3300Pumping speed 3,200 m³/h 50 Hz3,840 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 75 kW 50 Hz110 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 3800Pumping speed 3,750 m³/h 50 Hz4,520 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 90 kW 50 Hz132 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 5500Pumping speed 5,300 m³/h 50 Hz5,850 m³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 160 kW 50 Hz185 kW 60 HzVariants 8

Atlas Copco DVS series 10 models

Atlas Copco DZS series 8 models

Atlas Copco GHS VSD+ series 21 models

Atlas Copco GVS series 9 models

Atlas Copco GVS VSD+ series 4 models

Becker BCV series 7 models

Becker DVT series 4 models

Becker KVT series 4 models

Becker KVX series 4 models

Becker O series 6 models

Becker SV series 16 models

Becker T series 6 models

Becker U4 series 6 models

Becker U series 8 models

Becker VADS series 3 models

Becker VARIAIR RV series 1 model

Becker VASF series 6 models

Becker VATP series 1 model

Becker VTLF series 6 models

Becker VT series 7 models

Becker VXLF series 5 models

Becker VX series 4 models

Edwards LR1A series 12 models

Edwards LR1C series 9 models

Edwards LR1D series 12 models

Elmo Rietschle C-KLR series 2 models

Elmo Rietschle C-VLR series 7 models

Elmo Rietschle C-VLU series 4 models

Elmo Rietschle G-BH1 series 25 models

Elmo Rietschle G-BH2 series 9 models

Elmo Rietschle G-BH7 series 15 models

Elmo Rietschle G-BH9 series 1 model

Elmo Rietschle G-BH100 series 1 model

Leybold CLAWVAC series 5 models

Leybold NOVADRY series 4 models

Model comparison

Models a manufacturer no longer carries in its current range are listed in its “Outdated models” section.

Selection

Printing and paper: choosing a vacuum pump

What the manufacturers highlight for use in this industry.

Dry-running or liquid ring

For print shops Becker names dry-running rotary vane (DT) and claw pumps (KL), side channel (SK) and radial blowers (RAD), and pressure/vacuum pumps (DV); oil-lubricated families are not on its list for this industry. Atlas Copco lists both dry (DZS, DVS) and oil-sealed series (GVS A, GVS VSD+, GHS VSD+). For the paper machine with dewatering, headbox and press section Edwards names LR liquid ring vacuum pumps.

Vacuum level and pumping speed

Lifting and holding need different amounts of vacuum: for vacuum lifters Becker names SV side channel blowers with −290 to −440 mbar and 195–1,250 m³/h, BCV claw vacuum pumps with 50 mbar (BCV 100) to 150 mbar (BCV 300) and, for clamping tables, KVT/KVX with 100 mbar at 67–145 m³/h. The pump must continuously remove the leakage at the suction cup and the table.

Speed control

Where demand fluctuates, the manufacturers name controlled versions: Becker lists the VARIAIR variants for SV and BCV, Atlas Copco lists GVS VSD+ and GHS VSD+, and Elmo Rietschle describes the C-VLR 1000 VSD / HV+ in a central system with setpoint pressure control.

Suction and blast air

Printing machines need both: vacuum for suction cups and clamping tables, blast air for fanning out the sheets in the feeder, for air cushions on deflection rollers, powder spraying, ionisation and layer transport on cutting tables. For this Becker names pressure/vacuum pumps such as the DVT 3.80 and, on the compressed air side, its compressors (KDT, DTLF, BCP).

Frequently asked questions

Printing and paper: frequently asked questions about vacuum pumps

Which vacuum pump is suitable for printing machines?

For the printing and paper industry Becker names suction air and blast air from prepress to finishing and, as examples, the DVT 3.80, BCV 100, SV 201/1 and SV 300/1 – that is, pressure/vacuum, claw and side channel pumps. Elmo Rietschle names its claw (C-KLR, C-VLR, C-VLU), radial and side channel series (G-BH) for material handling in printing, cutting, folding and binding. Atlas Copco lists the printing industry for DZS, DVS, GVS A, GVS VSD+ and GHS VSD+.

Which vacuum pump for sheet feeding in offset machines?

Becker lists sheet feeding in offset machines under pick & place: the vacuum supplies the suction cups in automated lifting and transferring. Becker names the VT/VX, KVT/KVX and VTLF/VXLF dry-running rotary vane pumps, the BCV claw vacuum pumps and the SV/VASF side channel blowers; a case study names 20,000 maintenance-free operating hours. Fanning out and separating the sheets in the feeder is done by blast air.

How much vacuum does a vacuum lifter need?

For tube and column lifters Becker names SV side channel blowers with 195–1,250 m³/h and −290 to −440 mbar, for robotic pick & place BCV claw vacuum pumps: the BCV 100 reaches 50 mbar, the BCV 300 reaches 150 mbar. Side channel blowers therefore deliver a high volume flow at a low vacuum, claw pumps a deeper vacuum.

Oil-free or oil-lubricated for printing and paper?

For this industry Becker names only dry-running families: rotary vane DT, claw KL, side channel SK, radial RAD and pressure/vacuum DV. Atlas Copco lists the printing industry both for dry claw and rotary vane pumps (DZS, DVS) and for oil-sealed rotary vane and screw pumps (GVS A, GVS VSD+, GHS VSD+). For the paper machine Edwards names LR liquid ring vacuum pumps.

Which vacuum pump for clamping printing plates (CTP)?

For the printing and paper industry Becker names the clamping of printing plates during exposure and CTP as well as clamping on cutting tables and screen printing machines. For vacuum clamping in general Becker lists the VT/VX, KVT/KVX and VTLF/VXLF rotary vane pumps, the SV/VASF side channel blowers as well as VARIAIR RV and VATP; on CNC clamping tables Becker names KVT/KVX with 67–145 m³/h at 100 mbar.

Which vacuum pump for the paper machine?

For paper and pulp Edwards names the LR1A, LR1C and LR1D liquid ring vacuum pumps for dewatering, filtration, headbox and press section. For pulp and paper Atlas Copco lists the AWL and AWS liquid ring series.

Which vacuum pump for cutting, folding and binding?

For printing and paper Elmo Rietschle names material handling in printing, cutting, folding and binding and, for this, its C-KLR, C-VLR and C-VLU claw vacuum pumps, radial blowers and G-BH side channel blowers. Becker names layer transport on cutting tables (blast air) and clamping on cutting tables (vacuum).

Side channel blower or claw vacuum pump for the print shop?

Becker assigns SV side channel blowers to tube and column lifters (195–1,250 m³/h, −290 to −440 mbar) and BCV claw vacuum pumps to robotic pick & place (50 to 150 mbar). For printing and paper Elmo Rietschle names both designs: G-BH side channel and C-VLR claw. What matters is whether the task needs a high volume flow at little vacuum or a deeper vacuum.

Is there a pump for suction air and blast air on the printing machine?

As an example for the printing and paper industry Becker names the DVT 3.80, a dry-running pressure/vacuum pump, and lists the DV family for the industry. Becker supplies pure blast air for feeders, air cushions and powder spraying from compressors (KDT, DTLF, BCP).

A pump at each machine or a central vacuum system?

A central system in a room of its own keeps noise and heat away from production and matches its output to the demand. Central vacuum systems are planned and built by Eugen Theis Vakuum, a company of the Ehrler & Beck group – more under Central Vacuum.

Does Ehrler & Beck also supply spare parts and service?

Yes. Ehrler & Beck offers original spare parts and accessories as well as maintenance and repair.

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