Blog by Steve Haddrell.

Over the years, I’ve seen numerous companies purchase nitrogen-generation systems.

On each occasion it turned out these systems had too little capacity to meet the demands of the machine that they were supplying, as large capacity lasers guzzle nitrogen at a fantastic rate.

Alternately, it was soon apparent that the running costs were not all they seemed during the purchasing process, as servicing, electricity use, and other aspects had not been taken fully into account, leading to the generation system not being economically viable.

All of this resulted in my tainted view of these systems.

However, recently I’ve been re-examining the reasons for owning such a system. Technology has moved on, the systems have improved, capability and running costs have been enhanced.

Also, in the past, I only thought of them as a direct replacement for nitrogen in tanks or bottles. But now, in these changing times, there’s a new reason for going down the nitrogen-generation route: security of supply.

I’ve met a few customers recently who said they couldn’t get a reliable supply of nitrogen – by that I mean a date for a delivery that they can depend on, every time they need one.

If you’re running a business that wholly relies on laser cutting machines, whether you are subcontract cutting shop, or a manufacturer adding value to your products, you can’t afford to be without any service that may stop your machines from functioning because it will stop your business dead!

Nitrogen falls into this category for many companies now.

Therefore, security of supply has become the new reason to own a nitrogen-generation system. In these uncertain times it doesn’t hurt for us all to sit back and think, “what if”, and make some plans to cover some manageable eventualities.

Nukon Lasers UK can supply your company with nitrogen generation. Get in touch to find out more – sales@nukonlasers.co.uk