Where the UK leads, Bitzer invests

UK: Seen as a hub for both developing and adopting new refrigeration ideas, compressor maker Bitzer says it will continue to invest to support its UK suppliers and customers.

Marking the launch of Bitzer UK’s new training programme, UK md Kevin Glass paid tribute to the ingenuity and vision of the UK industry and its customers, which he believes is making an important contribution to the international effort to develop safer, more environmentally acceptable systems.

“The UK is known to be pretty technically advanced, driven in part by the leading end users. But it is not often appreciated how big an impact this has on the wider global refrigeration scene,” he said.

“Bitzer as a group has a worldwide perspective, and Britain is known for its willingness to challenge accepted ways of doing things, which puts our industry at the forefront of many exciting new approaches, particularly in relation to environmental issues.”

End users’ focus on reducing running costs and improving environmental credentials is seen as a key driver. “Almost every day, we are involved in conversations about new ways to solve problems. With such a large product range and extensive application knowledge, we are often able to develop novel solutions to meet unusual, specific or challenging requirements.”

The training roll-out is part of increased investment by Bitzer in the UK, designed to further enhance support for customers and accelerate business growth.

In addition to the appointment of a dedicated technical and training manger, Bitzer is expanding Green Point, its compressor remanufacturing operation, which now offers an expanded service covering compressors made by Bock, Carrier, Copeland, and Trane.

In Germany, the parent company is due to open its new global training centre at Rottenberg early next year. To be known as The Schaufler Academy, it will offer hands-on and theoretical training and provide UK engineers with an opportunity to complete courses in CO2 refrigeration.

With the compressor manufacturers at the forefront of developing equipment to work with the new refrigerant, Bitzer has been working to provide options that cater for all eventualities, including solutions based on the natural refrigerants, as well as low GWP alternatives like the HFOs and HFO-based blends.

“The focus has been on ensuring not just compatibility and reliability, but – crucially – efficiency. This has been a herculean effort in terms of r&d activity, and required substantial investment. The result is that, no matter which direction the industry takes in the future, people can be confident that our ranges of alternatives are proven and available.”

Admitting that there is no silver bullet for all applications, he added: “One thing is certain: in the low GWP future ahead, the industry will have to learn to manage such things as flammability, toxicity and temperature glide.”

The company has a number of important technical developments planned for the next 12 months. These include additions to its screw compressor range, where it sees great potential for growth, with larger capacity models being added to the line-up. New compressor technologies for the transport field are promised, as well as advances in intelligent control and monitoring from its Danish subsidiary Lodam.

“The UK is a key market for Bitzer, which is why we have put in place new distribution arrangements and continue to invest in training to support our suppliers and growing customer base. In terms of innovation, as mentioned, the UK is technically exciting and creative, with new ideas and approaches being developed that have potential for global application.

“We believe the UK will always generate new ideas and push boundaries, and – as we have done for many decades already – Bitzer UK will be here to support the pioneers helping to shape the industry’s future.”

For details of Bitzer UK courses, please contact either Marcus Levy or Tracy Francies at infotech@bitzeruk.com