MechChem Africa March-April 2025

⎪ Hydraulic, pneumatic and automation solutions ⎪

Skid-mounted nitrogen generator enhances laser cutting Atlas Copco’s state-of-the-art skid-mounted nitrogen generator, which has now been operating at Transerve-JHT Laser Cut for over six and a half years, has earned high praise from the laser cutting specialist’s Technical Director, Douw Meyer.

“T his solution consistently provides transformative benefits to our operations. Since implementing the nitrogen skid, the company has achieved a payback period of under two years, demonstrating substantial financial advantages along with enhanced operational efficiency," says Douw Meyer, technical director of Transerve-JHT Laser Cut. The innovative skid-mounted system consists ofanAtlasCopcoGA22VSD+FFcompressorwith an integrated Variable Speed Drive (VSD), the LB15 air and nitrogen booster, and the NGP100+ PSA nitrogen generator, along with nitrogen stor age tanks. This on-site nitrogen generation solu tion has proven invaluable for Transerve-JHT’s laser cutting processes, which demand very high air purity for precision cutting of metal compo nents ranging in thickness from 0.5 to 4.0 mm. The success of this skid-mounted system is based on two key factors: Advanced VSD

technology that delivers market-leading energy efficiency and allows for seamless operations; and the NGP100+ Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) nitrogen generator that delivers on-site air with a purity level of up to 99.999%. The system is also complementedbyaLB15nitrogenpistonbooster system that can increase nitrogen pressure to a maximum of 40 bar. "Our previous reliance on liquid nitrogen was not only proving to be costly but also inefficient in meeting our stringent requirements for exception ally high air purity," asserts Meyer. “The transition to the Atlas Copco nitrogen skid has addressed all these issues and has been a game-changer. This nitrogen system minimises waste, en hances our cutting speed and enables us to cut various steel thicknesses with unparalleled accu racy, leading to a consistent 'burr-free' output. This translates to less material handling and improved product quality, significantly bolstering our service delivery to customers."

“Initially, Transerve-JHT sought a high-pressure compressor to support their new innovative 4 kW fibre laser cutting machine,” says Dean Adriaanse, Product Manager at Atlas Copco Compressor Technique. He explains that the customer, however, faced geographical con straints that limited the availability of liquid nitrogen. So, instead of traditional solutions involving costly multi-cylinder packs (MCPs), Atlas Copco Compressor Technique offered a modular skid-mounted nitrogen generation system designed specifically for laser cutting applications. “This advanced solution mitigates all the challenges associated with liquid nitrogen, including reduced operational costs, increased productivity and the elimination of transport and handling issues, which also addresses worker safety enhancement, adding tremen dous value for our customer,” says Adriaanse. www.atlascopco.com/en-za

March-April 2025 • MechChem Africa ¦ 31