Pro Line B59B, B60 and B70 compressors at 15 bar — 90 l wheeled, 500 l on feet
B59B, B60 and B70 · 15 bar · 90 / 500 l · 4 to 7.5 kW · 400 VThree ABAC compressors for operations where the 11 bar of the basic range is not enough. Two are stationary: the same cast-iron two-stage B60 and B70 pump units as in the basic 11 bar range, on a horizontal receiver of the same 500 l volume — but geared down to 1,000 rpm, with a thicker receiver wall and a star-delta starter panel. The result is 15 bar in the receiver, about a third more air in reserve in the same 500 litres and a motor start with a lower starting current. The B60-5.5-500FTXH draws in 570 l/min with a 5.5 kW motor, the B70-7.5-500FTXH 930 l/min with a 7.5 kW motor. The third machine, the B59B-4-90CTH, puts 15 bar on wheels: a B59B pump unit with 4 kW, 442 l/min and a 90 l receiver for mobile tyre fitting. All three run on 400 V. We service the ABAC brand.
Which of the three — wheeled, B60 or B70
First the format: 15 bar wheeled, with a 90 l receiver, or on feet, with a horizontal 500 l receiver. Both stationary machines share the same receiver, starter panel, feet and 2,030 × 670 mm footprint and differ only in the pump unit and the motor — that is, in how much air a minute they put back at 15 bar.
B59B-4-90CTH — 15 bar wheeled, 442 l/min
The B59B pump unit with 4 kW at 928 rpm fills a 90 l receiver to 15 bar; wheels, a handle and a pressure regulator with two quick couplings are fitted as standard, and it needs no starter panel. The choice for mobile tyre fitting and on-site work at the customer's, where the machine travels to the job; 97 dB Lwa and 77 dB at 4 m. It has its own page in the basic B59B to B70 range, to which it belongs by design as well.
B60-5.5-500FTXH or B70-7.5-500FTXH — 570 or 930 l/min on 500 l
The B60 pump unit is the same one the B60-5.5-500FT has at 11 bar, only the belt drive turns it at 1,000 rpm instead of 1,400, so it draws in 570 l/min instead of 827; the 5.5 kW motor starts through a star-delta starter panel. The bigger B70 pump unit with a 7.5 kW motor at the same speed draws in 930 l/min, 63% more, tops the receiver up faster and copes with more draw-off points or tools that draw air in long bursts — material cutting, pressure testing of pipework, a bigger tyre shop. Both are equally loud: 102 dB Lwa and 82 dB at 4 m.
When even the B70 is not enough — and when 11 bar will do
If you need 15 bar without pauses for the whole shift, or 20 or 30 bar straight away, you are beyond what a workshop piston machine with its cycles can do; that is where the ABAC Tech ATH range starts — piston machines built to run all shift long; the links are further down among the siblings. If, on the other hand, you do not need 15 bar in the receiver, the 11 bar version gives you more air for the same motor: 1,210 l/min instead of 930 from the B70-7.5-500FT.
All three machines side by side
| Pro Line at 15 bar — three ABAC machines: the wheeled B59B, the B60 and B70 on a horizontal 500 l receiver | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Pump unit | Receiver | Pressure | Motor power | Air displacement | Speed | Noise Lwa / at 4 m | Weight |
| B60-5.5-500FTXH | B60 | 500 l | 15 bar | 5.5 kW | 570 l/min | 1,000 rpm | 102 / 82 dB | 290 kg |
| B70-7.5-500FTXH | B70 | 500 l | 15 bar | 7.5 kW | 930 l/min | 1,000 rpm | 102 / 82 dB | 305 kg |
| B59B-4-90CTH | B59B | 90 l | 15 bar | 4 kW | 442 l/min | 928 rpm | 97 / 77 dB | 97 kg |
All three: a two-stage pump unit with cast-iron cylinders and a finned intercooler, oil-lubricated, with an oil sight glass; a three-phase 400 V motor with thermal overload protection and V-belts under a guard; a pressure switch with a gauge; an aftercooler on the outlet of the pump unit; a safety valve and a condensate valve in the bottom of the receiver. On top of that, the B60-5.5-500FTXH and B70-7.5-500FTXH have a star-delta starter panel and an unloading solenoid valve for starting, a horizontal 500 l receiver on feet with a thicker wall for 15 bar and a ball valve outlet. The B59B-4-90CTH has a wheeled 90 l receiver with a handle, a pressure regulator with two DN 7.2 quick couplings and two gauges, and no starter panel. Noise: the first figure is the sound power level Lwa, the second the sound pressure at 4 m from the machine. The same pump units at 11 bar have their own category — the links are further down.
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15 bar or 11 bar — what the high-pressure version adds and what it takes away
The high-pressure version has neither a different pump unit nor a different receiver volume. The B60 and B70 are the same pumps as in the basic range; the difference lies in the belt ratio, the receiver wall and the starter panel — and that cuts both ways.
A third more air in the same receiver
The reserve in the receiver grows with the pressure: 500 l at 15 bar holds about a third more air than the same 500 l at 11 bar. Tools that draw air in bursts therefore run longer from the reserve before the motor has to cut in, and a process that needs more than 10 bar at the tool still has something to draw on after the pressure drop in the pipework. That is why people buy a 15 bar machine even where the tools themselves do not need 15 bar.
Fewer litres a minute for the same motor
Compressing air to 15 bar takes more work than to 11 bar, which is why the belt turns the pump unit at 1,000 rpm: the B60 draws in 570 l/min instead of 827, the B70 930 instead of 1,210. If your demand is steady, without peaks, and 11 bar is enough, you get more air for the same motor from the B60-5.5-500FT. On the plus side, the pistons make fewer strokes a minute and the pump unit runs cooler.
A star-delta starter panel as standard
The 5.5 or 7.5 kW motor comes with a star-delta starter panel and a solenoid valve that vents the pressure from the head of the pump unit after every stop: the motor spins up unloaded, in star connection with a lower starting current, and the panel switches it over to delta only once it is up to speed. The basic 11 bar machines on feet have no starter panel — on those the motor is switched directly by the pressure switch. What a star-delta start means step by step is in the frequently asked questions further down.
Pump unit, starter panel, receiver — what is inside
B60 and B70 pump units — two stages and an intercooler
Cylinders cast in iron: the first cylinder compresses the air to an intermediate pressure, the air passes through a finned intercooler and the second, smaller cylinder takes it up to 15 bar. In this version the B60 pump unit gives 570 l/min, the B70 930 l/min, both at 1,000 rpm. The crankcase has an oil sight glass, and the intake filter sits on the head of the pump unit.
400 V motor, belts and guard
A three-phase 5.5 or 7.5 kW motor with thermal overload protection drives the pump unit through V-belts under a moulded guard. The compressed air leaves through the aftercooler tube into the receiver, cooling on the way, and in the receiver the first of the condensate drops out.
Starter panel and unloading solenoid valve
On the base plate next to the pump unit sits the starter panel with the main switch and the star-delta start. When the pressure switch stops the motor, the solenoid valve vents the air from the head of the pump unit and the discharge pipe, so that next time the motor spins up unloaded; the panel switches it over to delta only once it is up to speed. The pressure in the receiver is monitored by a pressure switch with a gauge. The 400 V supply and its protection are a job for a qualified electrician.
Horizontal 500 l receiver for 15 bar
The receiver has a thicker wall than on the 11 bar machines and stands on feet with holes for bolting down; the machine has no wheels or handle. The air leaves through a ball valve into the pipework; the regulator with a filter belongs at the workstation, where the pressure for the tools is set. The receiver has a safety valve, and the condensate is drained through a valve in the bottom.
Oil, filters and service
Checking the level in the sight glass, changing the oil, cleaning the intake filter and checking the belt tension as per the manual; for a major service we carry the B60-PK1 and B70-PK1 service kits — the same as for the 11 bar machines, because the pump unit is the same. The AirTube QR code on the receiver opens service videos.
Equipment, operation and maintenance
What you get with both machines
- Two-stage B60 or B70 pump unit with cast-iron cylinders and an intercooler, oil-lubricated, with an oil sight glass; V-belt drive under a moulded guard
- Three-phase 5.5 or 7.5 kW electric motor on 400 V with thermal overload protection
- Starter panel with a main switch and star-delta start, unloading solenoid valve for starting
- Pressure switch with a gauge — automatic stop/start according to the pressure in the receiver
- Aftercooler on the outlet of the pump unit
- Horizontal 500 l receiver with a thicker wall for 15 bar, on feet with holes for bolting down; safety valve, condensate drain valve in the bottom
- Air outlet through a ball valve into the pipework or a hose
- AirTube QR code on the receiver opens service videos; 2-year warranty, 10 years on the receiver against rusting through; extension to 3 years for a 5% surcharge
Three machines in the manufacturer's pictures
Machine details (B70-7.5-500FTXH)
Where 15 bar pays off
Tyre shop and workshop with tools for a higher pressure
Where the tools need more than 10 bar at the tool, there has to be a reserve in the receiver: the B60-5.5-500FTXH holds the reserve for a smaller workshop, the B70-7.5-500FTXH with 930 l/min tops it up faster and copes with more draw-off points; if the compressor travels to the job, it is the wheeled B59B-4-90CTH. Upstream of the tools goes a regulator with a filter at the workstation.
Material cutting and pressure testing
Cutting material with compressed air or pressure testing pipework draws air in long bursts, and at a pressure an 11 bar machine cannot give. The B70-7.5-500FTXH with 930 l/min and a receiver at 15 bar covers the burst from the reserve, and the B70 pump unit keeps topping it up.
A reserve for peaks in the same space
Where there is floor space for only one 500-litre machine and the demand has short peaks, 15 bar in the same receiver gives about a third more air than 11 bar. The tools then work from the regulator at their own pressure, and more time passes between motor starts.
Accessories and service
On the receiver there is a ball valve; the regulator with a filter, the hoses and the quick couplings belong at the workstation — all the more so at 15 bar, because the tools want their own pressure. ABAC belongs to the Atlas Copco group and is one of the brands we repair in our own service workshop; we carry the B60 and B70 pump units and the service kits as separate items, and they are the same as for the 11 bar machines.
- pressure regulator with a filter — A regulator with a filter at every workstation — it brings the 15 bar from the pipework down to the tool pressure and catches oil and water.
- pressure regulators for the receiver — A regulator straight on the outlet of the receiver, when the whole pipework is to run at a lower pressure than 15 bar.
- spiral hoses — Hoses from the pipework to the tool, with DN 7.2 quick couplings.
- impact wrenches — Impact wrenches for the tyre shop — tools that draw air in bursts.
- pressure switches — Replacement pressure switches for piston compressors; we will advise which one goes with a 15 bar machine.
- B60 compressor pump — Replacement pump unit for the B60-5.5-500FTXH — the same pump, only running at 1,000 rpm in the 15 bar machine.
- B70 compressor pump — Replacement pump unit for the B70-7.5-500FTXH.
- B60-PK1 service kit — Valve plate, gaskets and an intake filter for a major service of the B60 pump unit; the oil is bought separately.
- B70-PK1 service kit — The same set of parts for the B70 pump unit.
- ABAC compressor service — Warranty and post-warranty repairs of ABAC machines in our workshop.
Where next if 15 bar is not the right fit
The high-pressure version means the B60 and B70 pump units on 500 l, geared down to 1,000 rpm, with a receiver for 15 bar — plus the wheeled B59B-4-90CTH. If you want the same pump unit at 11 bar, with a dryer, as a pair on one receiver or in a sound-insulated cabinet, ABAC has the siblings; machines of other brands by pressure, receiver and voltage are in the parameter categories further down. You will find the whole range, with filters by pressure, output, receiver and voltage, among all compressors.
- B59B, B60 and B70 compressors at 11 bar — The same B60 and B70 pump units at 11 bar with a higher displacement — 827 and 1,210 l/min — and the smaller B59B — as the wheeled CT and the FT on feet.
- ABAC Tech ATH compressors at 15 bar — ATH piston machines at 15 bar built for a draw without pauses for the whole shift — where a workshop machine with cycles reaches its limit.
- ATH compressors at 20 bar — When even 15 bar is not enough — 20 and 30 bar are in the ATH range.
- low-speed B60-4, B70-5.5 and B79-7.5 compressors — The B60 and B70 pump units at 1,100 rpm with a smaller motor and the B79 at 900 rpm — lower speed, but 11 bar.
- tandem B59B–B70 compressors — Two pump units on one 500 or 900 l receiver at 11 bar — for peaks and standby during service.
- compressors with a dryer — The B60 and B70 with a refrigerant dryer on the receiver — ABAC does not offer a 15 bar version with a dryer; the dryer goes into the pipework.
- vertical VT compressors — The A39B to B60 pump units on a vertical 150 to 270 l receiver — where floor space is short.
- sound-insulated ABAC Silent compressors — The B59B, B60 and B70 pump units in a sound-insulated cabinet, where the compressor has to stand next to people.
- 15 bar compressors — Fifteen-bar machines across brands, including receivers for 15 bar.
- 11 bar compressors — Eleven-bar machines across brands.
- compressors with a 500 l receiver — 500-litre machines across brands — the receiver of both machines.
- 400 V compressors — Three-phase machines across brands.
- compressors with 5.5 kW of motor power — Machines with 5.5 kW across brands — this is where the B60-5.5-500FTXH belongs.
- compressors with 7.5 kW of motor power — Machines with 7.5 kW across brands — this is where the B70-7.5-500FTXH belongs.
- stationary compressors — Machines on feet across brands — piston and screw.
- two-stage compressors — Two-stage machines across brands — the B60 and B70 are both two-stage pump units.
- screw compressors for a draw without pauses — Screw machines across brands for a draw without pauses for the whole shift.
Ventilek advises
Fifteen bar in the receiver is not more air a minute, but more air in reserve and a pressure an 11 bar machine cannot give — in exchange for a lower displacement from the same pump unit. For a tyre shop or a workshop with a few workstations I take the B60-5.5-500FTXH; where material is cut or pipework tested, the B70-7.5-500FTXH with 930 l/min; and if the compressor travels to the job, the wheeled B59B-4-90CTH. If 11 bar is enough for you, I can give you more air for the same motor from the basic range; if you want 15 bar all shift without a pause, look at the ATH piston range.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a 15 bar compressor for, when the tools work at 6 to 8 bar?
- For the reserve and the margin. In the same 500 l receiver there is about a third more air at 15 bar than at 11 bar, so the tools run longer from the reserve before the motor has to cut in, and a process that needs more than 10 bar at the tool still has something to draw on after the pressure drop in the pipework. The tools themselves get their pressure from the regulator at the workstation. How to choose a compressor by demand is described in our article on choosing a compressor.
- Why does the B70-7.5-500FTXH have a lower displacement than the B70-7.5-500FT at 11 bar?
- Because it is the same B70 pump unit, only the belt drive turns it at 1,000 rpm instead of 1,300: compressing air to 15 bar takes more work, and the 7.5 kW motor copes with it at a lower speed. The B70-7.5-500FTXH therefore draws in 930 l/min, the B70-7.5-500FT at 11 bar 1,210 l/min; on the B60 it is 570 against 827 l/min. Fewer litres a minute is the price of the higher pressure, not the sign of a weaker pump unit.
- What is a star-delta start, and why do both machines have it?
- The motor starts connected in star, that is with a lower current, and once it is up to speed the starter panel switches it over to delta for full power; at the same time the solenoid valve vents the pressure from the head of the pump unit after every stop, so that the motor does not spin up against pressure. The starting current is therefore lower than with a direct-on-line start. Machines with an X in the code have the starter panel as standard. More in the glossary.
- Is a 230 V socket enough?
- No. Both machines have a three-phase motor on 400 V — 5.5 kW on the B60-5.5-500FTXH and 7.5 kW on the B70-7.5-500FTXH — and a star-delta starter panel. Leave the supply, the protection and the connection to the starter panel to a qualified electrician.
- How much air do the machines deliver, and what does air displacement mean?
- We quote the air displacement of the pump unit: 570 l/min on the B60-5.5-500FTXH and 930 l/min on the B70-7.5-500FTXH, both at 1,000 rpm. It is the amount of air the pump unit draws in; how much of it reaches the tool depends on the pressure, on the receiver and on how long the tool draws air at a stretch. A piston machine works in cycles of topping up the receiver and pausing.
- Can the machine be set to a lower pressure, say 10 or 12 bar?
- The pressure at which the motor cuts in and out is controlled by the pressure switch; the cut-out pressure of 15 bar is set at the factory. The tools and the pipework are set with a regulator downstream of the ball valve — either a regulator straight on the receiver for the whole pipework, or a regulator with a filter at every workstation. Leave any resetting of the switch to the service workshop.
- I need 13, 14 or 16 bar — will a 15 bar machine do?
- Fifteen bar is the cut-out pressure in the receiver; at the tool there is always somewhat less after the pressure drop in the pipework, so this range will not give you 16 bar — for 16 bar and more there is the ATH range at 20 and 30 bar; the link is further up among the siblings. Whether a 15 bar machine will hold 13 or 14 bar at the tool depends on the demand, the length of the pipework and the setting of the regulator; we will advise according to your tools.
- How does the B60-5.5-500FTXH differ from the B60-5.5-500FT?
- The B60 pump unit, the 5.5 kW motor, the 500 l receiver and the 2,030 × 670 mm footprint are the same. The high-pressure version is geared down to 1,000 rpm instead of 1,400 (570 l/min instead of 827), has a thicker-walled receiver for 15 bar and a star-delta starter panel with an unloading solenoid valve. If you do not need 15 bar in the receiver, the 11 bar version gives you more air for the same motor.
- How loud are the machines, and where should they stand?
- Both are 102 dB Lwa and 82 dB at 4 m. The machine belongs in the compressor room or behind a wall, with the air going to the people through the pipework; it does not belong next to the bench at the workstation. How to set the machine up in the compressor room and how to route the air is described in our article on setting up a compressor. If you need a compressor next to people, ABAC has the B59B, B60 and B70 pump units in a sound-insulated cabinet in the Silent range.
- How much room does the machine need, and how is it moved?
- A footprint of 2,030 × 670 mm and a height of 1,400 mm — the same as the 500-litre machine at 11 bar. Leave room around the machine for access to the pump unit, the starter panel, the switch and the outlet valve. The machine has no wheels; it is moved with a pallet truck or a forklift and stands on a level floor on its feet, which have holes for bolting down — on anti-vibration mounts, not bolted rigidly to the floor.
- Is there a wheeled 15 bar machine, or one with a bigger receiver?
- The range has one wheeled machine: the B59B-4-90CTH with a 4 kW B59B pump unit and a 90 l receiver — it is in the table above and has its own page in the basic B59B to B70 range. The high-pressure version has no receiver bigger than 500 l — a bigger reserve comes from a separate 15 bar air receiver in the pipework; if you need 15 bar without pauses for the whole shift, that is a job for the ATH piston range, which is built for it.
- What does the code B70-7.5-500FTXH mean?
- The pump unit, the motor power in kW, the receiver volume in litres and the version: F is a stationary machine on feet, T a three-phase 400 V motor, X a star-delta start and H the high-pressure version at 15 bar. So the B70-7.5-500FTXH is a B70 pump unit with a 7.5 kW motor on a 500 l receiver, at 15 bar, with a starter panel. An overview of all the ranges is in the ABAC PRO Line guide.
- What is the warranty and what does maintenance involve?
- Two years on the machine, an extension to three years for a 5% surcharge, and ten years on the receiver against rusting through. Maintenance as per the manual: draining the condensate through the valve in the bottom of the receiver, checking the oil level in the sight glass, changing the oil, cleaning the intake filter and checking the belt tension; for a major service there are the B60-PK1 and B70-PK1 service kits; the links are further up among the accessories.
- Where do I find the service videos, and who does the servicing?
- On the receiver there is an AirTube sticker with a QR code — scanned with a phone, it opens instructional and service videos for the pump unit. Repairs, belts, filters and oil are handled by our workshop; the other ranges, from the suitcase models to the screw compressors, are in the ABAC brand guide.
All values apply to a 50 Hz supply. Air displacement is the amount of air the pump unit draws in at 1,000 rpm; how much of it reaches the tool depends on the pressure and the receiver. Noise is given as the sound power level Lwa and the sound pressure at 4 m from the machine. The dimensions given in the text are those of the machine without packaging. A piston compressor works in cycles (topping up the receiver and pausing), not continuously.
