Emerson announced that Vilter Manufacturing has marked its 150th year in business. 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, Emerson officials said Vilter has contributed to the industry’s advancements, including building a 7,000-pound ammonia test lab in 2012. The company also developed the 401 mm line single-screw compressor in 2013, and created 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 of 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 has developed systems that utilize CO₂ 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,” said Hoopes. “Leveraging The Emerson Helix Innovation Center as well as our ammonia lab, we continue to test and refine those solutions, simulating the conditions and environments that are most challenging, and allowing us to design ideal systems.”