PRODUCT REVIEWS
Nitrogen generation for fibre laser cutting
A UK specialist in retail unit displays, Fit Out UK in Wembley, recently installed one of the largest MSS Nitrocube systems in the UK. The system supplies high-pressure nitrogen for the manufacturer’ s laser cutting operations as part of a major facilities upgrade programme this year.
“ Fit Out was operating three fibre lasers 24 / 7 and consuming around 14 multi-cylinder packs of nitrogen per day. This gas supply presented a major operational problem with very high costs, disruption to laser cutting for regular daily cylinder changeovers, manual handling risks and serious space lost through gas pack storage needs. Following detailed consultation with us, it decided that the estimated cost savings benefit alone justified the relatively quick decision to press ahead with a high-volume, triple Nitrocube system,” MSS told ISMR.
MSS Head of Sales, Chris Smith, added:“ Fit Out needed a reliable solution from a known supplier that would give it a dependable, highquality gas supply with built-in redundancy to guarantee 24 / 7 supply. The Nitrocube 9
system, with extended CP72 high-pressure storage, comfortably met these demanding requirements.”
MSS confirmed that the Nitrocube 9 system provides high-pressure nitrogen at 150m ³/ hour flow and 99.9975 % purity( Grade 4.75), which“ is suitable for high-quality laser cutting( especially for thicker stainless steel).” The system features 1728m ³ of storage at 300 bar pressure when full.
“ All the latest generation MSS Nitrogen systems use the best components available today, which combine to make each system super-efficient. Typically using 25-40 % less energy to generate higher purity nitrogen than other generation systems available, and saving 8-10 times the cost of multi-cylinder pack nitrogen users, the system also features our unique touch-screen control panel that allows remote system performance and status monitoring,” explained MSS.
Martin Kirby, Operations Director, Fit Out UK, highlighted:“ On average, our lasers currently run between 18 and 24 hours each per day, cutting mainly 6-10mm carbon steel
using the nitrogen generated. We previously used cylinders packs but the new Nitrocube installation saves our business over £ 400,000 per year in gas costs, which gave us payback on the capital investment of under 18 months We have plenty of high-quality nitrogen for cutting without having to worry about any supply issues and laser stoppages for cylinder pack changeovers.
“ These cost savings and production efficiency benefits were both key factors in our decision to move all our nitrogen supply over to the MSS Nitrocube equipment, and we have not been disappointed,” he concluded.
With over 1200 systems installed in the UK and US, MSS is a global specialist in high-pressure generation systems for laser applications with over 22 years of experience in the market. n
www
. fitoutuk. com
www
. msslasers. com
Ultra-light“ eco” magnesium alloy foil
NIPPON KINZOKU CO., LTD.( with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan) has announced a strategic expansion in the sales of its magnesium alloy foil. Positioned as a core“ eco-product” that contributes to reducing environmental impact, this material addresses diverse industrial needs by offering light weight with strong vibration-damping properties.
“ Magnesium alloy is gaining global attention for its incredibly low specific gravity( approximately 1 / 4.5 of steel and 1 / 2.5 of titanium), while maintaining excellent specific strength, stiffness and damping performance,” said the company.
“ Beyond mobile PCs and high-end
Magnesium alloy foil( Alloy: AZ31B, thickness: 0.05mm, width: 100mm).
smartphone markets, we expect significant growth in the expanding XR( Extended- Reality) device market. In line with carbonneutral goals, the demand for lightweight materials in transportation equipment— particularly in the aerospace and aviation sectors— is rapidly growing,” it continued.
“ As a pioneer in the rolling of magnesium alloys, we started basic research in 1998. In 2002, we became the first in Japan to achieve mass production using largescale coils. This product is widely used in the chassis of personal computers and smartphones, among other applications. By integrating our proprietary rolling and material development technologies, we have established mass-production technology for ultra-thin magnesium alloy foil, reaching thicknesses as low as 0.044mm,” it added. n
www. nipponkinzoku. co. jp
ISMR March 2026 | ismr. net | 55