Umer relies on Atlas Copco ZH 7000 oil-free centrifugal compressors to provide essential
oil-free air for the company’s textile mills.
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stablished in 1982, the Umer group of companies headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, today
enjoys an annual turnover of 9 billion Pakistani rupees — approximately US$150 million. The group
has invested more than US$10 million in recent years to expand its textile facilities and meet the
international demand for its yarns and fabrics.
At the heart of the investments, five new ZH 7000 oil-free centrifugal compressors from
Sweden-based Atlas Copco AB provide essential oil-free air for the company’s textile mills. The
purchase brings Umer’s total installation of Atlas Copco compressors across the group to 12 units.
Umer Group Profile
The Umer Group is involved in textile, power generation, footwear, tannery and construction
activities. The textile group comprises three companies: Bhaner Textile Mills Ltd., which is
focused on spinning; and Faisal Spinning Mills Ltd. and Blessed Textile Ltd., which operate both
spinning and weaving facilities. Umer has a total of five spinning mills with an installed capacity
of 140,000 spindles supported by the latest European and Japanese machinery. The spinning mills are
equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment to test every step of the spinning
process to ensure yarn quality.
Contamination-free US, US Pima, Egyptian and Pakistani cotton are used to produce the
100-percent cotton and cotton-rich yarns with counts ranging from Ne10 to Ne120. The yarn is
produced for the domestic industry, in-house consumption and export to the European Union and Far
East.
Umer’s weaving mills feature more than 500 air-jet weaving machines from Japan and Belgium.
Greige fabrics — produced for sheeting, denim and apparel — range from 170 centimeters (cm) to 340
cm in width. The weaving mills produce 200,000 meters of fabric daily.
“We are capable of producing any type and construction of woven fabric,” said Mohammed
Shakeel, director, Umer.
Umer’s textile group comprises three companies: Bhanero Textile Mills Ltd.; Faisal Spinning
Mills Ltd.; and Blessed Textile Ltd.
Importance Of Oil-Free Air Supply In Weaving
“Oil-free air is essential in the weaving process because compressed air passes through the
pipes, nozzles, valves and plungers, where there is dust and short fibers in the air due to the
weaving operations,” explained Khalid Khawaja, technical director, Umer. “If the air supplied is
not oil-free, the nozzles and pipes will clog, resulting in high breakage and weaving defects.
“These newly installed ZH 7000 centrifugal compressors are installed at our latest weaving
unit, providing the necessary oil-free air, plus we can save 18- to 20-percent energy in our energy
consumption,” Khawaja said.
Of the 12 Atlas Copco oil-free Z-compressors Umer currently has, three ZH 7000 units are
installed at Bhanero Textile; and two at Faisal Spinning join an Atlas Copco ZR 160 VSD at that
facility. A sixth ZH 7000 is on order.
Completing the Atlas Copco lineup, four ZR 355s are installed at Faisal Spinning, and two ZR
500 VSDs are installed at Blessed Textile.
All of Umer’s textile operating centers have a total oil-free air requirement of 845 cubic
meters at 7 bars — a requirement that is met 24 hours a day, seven days per week by the Atlas Copco
compressors.
“[The compressors] are supported 24/7 around the clock by Atlas Copco and the AVS team,” said
Atiq-Ur Rehman, compressor engineer, Umer.
The Atlas Copco compressors have the advantage of producing low noise compared with
competitive compressors. Umer also uses the compressors in the spinning mills for yarn splicing at
the winding section, helping to control yarn imperfections.
Shakeel said the decision to use Atlas Copco compressors “was principally due to the new
screw-type technology incorporated by Atlas Copco, plus the energy savings of around 20 percent.
Today, 98 percent of our oil-free air compressors are Atlas Copco machines.”
Khawaja also endorsed the 20-percent energy savings, stating it provides a competitive edge
for Umer.
The greige fabrics produced by Umer range from T 200 to T 600. After further processing, the
fabrics — for apparel and bedding applications — are exported to leading fashion and home textiles
retail stores in the United States, European Union and Middle East.
“In all the air-jet weaving machines, the weft insertion takes place with the air pressure,”
said Javed Iqbal, deputy general manager. “The air must therefore be smooth in pressure and
oil-free to maintain the quality of our fabrics.”
The Umer group of companies currently employs more than 6,000 people. It recognizes the
importance of new, value-added benefits and is planning to expand export-oriented in-house dyeing
and finishing facilities for home textiles in the near future. Bed sheets and bed sets will then be
produced, with a target production of 100,000 meters per day.