Pneumatic nitrogen solution

23 January, 2025

In particular, Atlas Copco realised that the underlying issue with the building’s electrical supply was a key challenge in the delivery of reliable, high-purity nitrogen. Its recommendation was to deploy a pneumatic powered nitrogen generator, which could take advantage of the company’s existing compressed air network. In addition, the solution would be purpose-built to match Paragon’s specific volume requirements.

New nitrogen generator

The NGMs 3 from Atlas Copco is a cost-efficient, point-of-use nitrogen generator designed for low-flow requirements, just like those at Paragon. It uses a proprietary membrane separation technology, meaning users can select the purity their application requires, from 95 to 99.5%. An easily calibrated integral gas purity sensor ensures the specified gas quality is met.

Featuring a compact design and extremely low maintenance, the NGMs 3 is delivered as a complete nitrogen generation system that includes low pressure drop filtration, pressure gauges and sensors in a fully enclosed protective canopy. Each unit is engineered to order, ensuring customers receive the right amount of nitrogen at the required purity for their application. The ability to generate nitrogen on demand makes the NGMs 3 much more cost-effective than purchased nitrogen and offers favourable energy consumption compared to older membrane nitrogen generators.

Crucially for Paragon, the NGMs 3 requires no electricity supply. Simply connect it to an existing compressed air supply, and it will begin generating nitrogen immediately.

Tangible benefits

Paragon has been using its new Atlas Copco nitrogen generator for just under a year, and it is consistently delivering purity levels of 98%, well in excess of the minimum requirement of the SLS process.

The new generator was made to order and delivered within two weeks, so there was no disruption to production. Because the NGMs 3 generates nitrogen on demand, running costs have been reduced. Logistics are simplified because there is no need to order new bottles and manual handling risks associated with moving and changing out bottles are eliminated. The new nitrogen generator is also more compact than the old generator and certainly less noisy, which improves working conditions in the SLS building.

Summarising the experience, Ryan Wake, Paragon’s Operations Manager, says: “Investment in a new nitrogen generator was an important strategic decision, and we wanted to ensure any new unit would deliver a good return. We’ve been really impressed with our non-electric solution from Atlas Copco. It has not only achieved the desired levels of purity, but also improved operational efficiencies. This, in turn, has improved product quality, reduced wastage and reduced our carbon footprint.”

Having experienced the benefits of on-demand gas generation, Paragon is now considering the business case for replacing its current fixed speed compressors with variable speed drive (VSD) models. In the meantime, Atlas Copco says it continues to support Paragon through a service agreement that ensures all their third-party compressed air equipment and the new nitrogen generator are correctly maintained and provide optimal performance and value for money.

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