The concept of compressing a gas by turning one involute form – or “scroll” – against another around a common axis is nearly a century old. It wasn’t until the late 1980s, however that one company – Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. – turned theory into practical reality, using sophisticated, computer-assisted design and manufacturing methods to achieve the critical tolerances required. In the years since, Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. has become the leader in scroll compressor applications, with nine scroll manufacturing facilities on three continents and millions of units installed worldwide.

Copeland Scroll^® compressors employ two identical, concentric scrolls, one inserted within the other. One scroll remains stationary as the other orbits around it. This movement draws gas into the compression chamber and moves it through successively smaller “pockets” formed by the scroll’s rotation, until it reaches maximum pressure at the center of the chamber. There, it’s released through a discharge port in the fixed scroll. During each orbit, several pockets are compressed simultaneously, so operation is virtually continuous.

Click to view an animated scroll demonstration.
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