Hugo the compressor, our work horse

Hugo the compressor, which has been in operation for over 60 years and ensures food is refrigerated in the "Hotel & Restaurant Traube", came into being in Nürtingen in the 1950s. Germany was prospering at the time. Reconstruction work after the Second World War was at an advanced stage, many businesses and industrial operations were back on their feet and the economy was thriving.

Then Bock & Co. KG also profited from this growth. Under the direction of company founders Wilhelm Bock, his younger brother Hugo Bock and Erich Etter, the compressor plant prospered. Yet it was not only demand that helped boost revenue, this positive development was also driven by innovative spirit. The K range, a new series of counter-flow compressors and HK compressors like Hugo were setting benchmarks at the time.

By 1955, the Bock company had become so successful that compressor production and installation was relocated from Nürtingen – where Hugo was being built – to Frickenhausen. Success creates commitment – a commitment that included developing further innovations such as the "fast running" F series, which set a new quality standard in the 1960s, or the FK compressors for vehicles. Derived from the F portfolio, the FK model design was fortified to cope with the harsh operating conditions in vehicles. Thanks to its compact form, it also fit into smaller vehicles such as the popular VW Beetle.

Hugo, the tireless compressor from the 1950s, has descendants of which it can be proud. Its great grandchildren are young, powerful, dynamic and modern, no matter whether small or large. Of the current compressor generation, the single-stage, semi-hermetic compressors of the HG series resemble Hugo the most. They have a housing with a sophisticated gas routing system, an optimised valve plate system, interchanble and highly efficient motors, always an oil pump and many, many more features. With its seven different sizes and 25 capacity stages, the HG series covers the wide range from 5.4 to 281.3 m³/h (with 50 Hz operation).

In addition to the models for synthetic refrigerants, there are also HG compressors for operation with hydrocarbons, as well as versions for use with the refrigerant CO₂ in subcritical and transcritical systems. These models, optimised for natural refrigerants, are able to meet the highest requirements for sustainable, climate-friendly and environmentally beneficial operation.

Despite all the features that make them modern and sustainable, the HG series compressors have more than just the nominal speed of 1,450 rpm in common with their ancestor Hugo. They uphold qualities they inherited from the previous generations: stamina, discipline (smooth running), reliability and frugality. The latter in two senses, incredibly energy efficient, yet requiring little to no maintenance.

No, you shouldn't forget us, even after the purchase. But you don't need to memorise our Service number. Because our compressors run without any problems – for years and decades on end. They are easy-clean and low-maintenance.

"The local refrigeration technician does everything that's necessary," says Alexander Layh, Head of Compression at Bock GmbH. "Maintenance is usually limited to a visual inspection, cleaning the system and checking the refrigerant charge. The refrigerant only needs to be topped up after several years – if at all."

Taking the mobile compressor as an example, Layh explains what a "tough Bock" can withstand: "Renowned bus manufacturers, suppliers of refrigeration vehicles and containers, rail and shipping companies put their trust in our compressors. They are light and quiet, withstand vibrations and shocks and can also work under extreme operating conditions – no matter whether in the desert or on the North Cape." Even under highly stressful conditions, the compressors usually outlive the utility vehicle itself.