Emerson subsidiary Vilter Mfg. marks its 150th year in business this year. Emerson acquired Vilter in 2009, enabling further growth and an increased presence within the industrial refrigeration and gas compression industries that Vilter had been building on since its inception in 1867.
Over the past 150 years, Vilter contributed to some of the industry’s most significant advancements: building a 7,000-lb. ammonia test lab in 2012; developing the 401 mm line, the largest single-screw compressor, in 2013; and the development of a high-suction pressure solution that can handle suction pressures up to 750 psi.
“Vilter has kept equipment, maintenance and energy costs at the foundation of development and innovation throughout our history,” said Tom Hoopes, business development director, Emerson’s Commercial and Residential Solutions platform. “With increasing regulations prompting a shift toward sustainable alternative refrigerants such as CO2, our business is focused on maintaining that lower total cost of ownership while addressing the needs of our customers to lower the charge of ammonia systems and, in some cases, even remove ammonia out of occupied spaces.”
To address those needs, Vilter developed systems that utilize carbon dioxide as a volatile secondary fluid, cascade systems that use CO2 in the low stage and a CO2 transcritical booster system. As a natural refrigerant with near-zero global warming potential, CO2 is becoming a preferred option for retailers seeking to meet sustainability goals and achieve regulatory compliance.
“We remain committed to developing solutions that meet the regulatory compliance, efficiency, cost and sustainability needs of our customers as we move forward,” Hoopes said. “Leveraging The Emerson Helix Innovation Center as well as our ammonia lab, we continue to test and refine those solutions.”