30 July 2024

TS Metals brings nitrogen production in-house – improving its environmental footprint, safeguarding supply and better managing costs

Nitrogen gas is a key component in any steel cutting, welding and fabrication business, but TS Metals, part of the Quartzelec group of companies has just invested £125,000 in a MSS NitroCube^TM nitrogen generation system to facilitate nitrogen generation on-site.

A state-of-the-art Trumpf TruLaser 3030 Fiber Laser cutter is an integral piece of equipment for the welding and fabrication business and until now the Rugby based business would rely on twice weekly replenishments of their on‑site nitrogen gas storage tanks needed to operate the system.

The acquisition of the NitroCube2, from manufacturers MSS Group (Manufacturing Service Solutions Ltd), located just a mile or so away also in Rugby, now not only makes them self‑sufficient but also makes real economic and environmental sense.

TS Metals’ liquid nitrogen requirements will be sustained by the NitroCube2 system which can produce 20m³ per hour (which equates to 14,600m³ of nitrogen per month) at 99.999% purity (10ppm). The system will be running seven days a week on a rolling operational shift pattern and includes 2x CP24 storage facility (576 m³) and 14 bar HPC ASK34 air compressor.  It is also a future-proof option as it can be easily upgraded with additional high-pressure storage should parent company Quartzelec Ltd choose to further invest in the business building in additional generation capacity. “

The NitroCube2 solution was installed and commissioned in early July 2024 with Jack Morris, MSS service co-ordinator commenting: “I am delighted to be working alongside TS Metals to install this state-of-the-art nitrogen system. It is incredibly positive to see two local businesses working together to bring them the most cost effective and most compact nitrogen supply solution on the market. I have known TS Metals for 14 years and they are a pleasure to work with.”

Ian Addison, TS Metals’ Business manager said: “With this investment we are not only halving the cost of the nitrogen gas used in our fabrication process but by now generating it ourselves on-site, we are safeguarding future supply and significantly improving our environmental and sustainable status by essentially removing thousands of transport miles each year. This is a proven and really flexible solution that can be expanded further to meet future needs and we anticipate that we will achieve full return on investment in under six years.”

In conclusion Valter Bras, TS Metals’ Laser Manager added: “I am delighted that Nitrogen generation has been installed. This allows us to have complete control over our nitrogen supply and purity plus further demonstrates the commitment the company has to invest and innovate. I’m excited to have this level of control now within our business.”

Nitrogen Production Process: The system works by clean, dry compressed air from a dedicated air compressor being fed into the NitroCube2 which then filters out oil, moisture and particulates. The air then enters the on-line gas absorption bed where Oxygen, CO2 and other trace gases are absorbed by one of two carbon molecular sieves, allowing nitrogen to pass through to the dual buffer storage system. Purity is continuously monitored and the resulting Nitrogen is pressure boosted to 300 Bar and stored in a high pressure multi cylinder pack.

Pictured (LtoR) in front of the new Nitrocube2 system is Jack Morris of MSS, with TS Metals’ Ian Addison and Valter Bras.

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