Unified nitrogen and compressed air upgrade for Hucknall Sheet Metal
Superior Nitrogen and Compressed Air Upgrade
Client: Hucknall Sheet Metal
Location: Nottingham, UK
Engineering partner: ALS Industrial Services
Installation date: 2025
The Industrial Air Challenge at Hucknall Sheet Metal
Hucknall Sheet Metal operated an ageing compressed air and nitrogen infrastructure that posed a growing operational risk. The facility relied on multiple legacy compressors to power individual assets, including an Atlas Copco GA7, a GA22-7.3 and a GA22-10.
The system no longer aligned with production demand and exposed the business to avoidable cost and downtime.
Primary drivers for change
- reliability risks: concerns over potential breakdowns and limited availability of spare parts for obsolete equipment
- operational inefficiency: compressors ran continuously and produced more air than required, regardless of actual demand
- maintenance obstacles: poor plant positioning restricted safe and efficient servicing access
Energy Savings and Operational Results
ALS Industrial Services designed and installed a consolidated, high-efficiency system to replace the ageing assets with a single, demand-led solution. The objective was to match energy consumption directly to site requirements using variable speed technology.
Core equipment installed
- nitrogen generation: Parker NITROSource Plus N2 generator
- compressed air treatment: Parker CDASHL065 desiccant air dryer to ensure high-quality inlet air for the generator
- unified air supply: CompAir L45RS variable speed compressor replacing three legacy compressors and supplying the full shop, laser systems and nitrogen generator
- storage and regulation: 500 litre nitrogen buffer vessel and 1,000 litre compressed air receiver with regulated 7.5 bar supply to the shop floor
Key technical specifications
The results
Moving to a modern, variable-demand system has delivered measurable operational improvements across cost, safety and resilience.
Before upgrade
- three fixed-speed compressors running continuously
- higher energy consumption regardless of demand
- restricted maintenance access
- risk of breakdown due to obsolete equipment
After upgrade
- single variable speed compressor matched to demand
- reduced energy expenditure
- quieter and cleaner working environment
- improved service access and long-term reliability
Customer testimonial
‘The upgrade delivered by ALS Industrial has been a game-changer for our facility. By consolidating our air supply into a single variable speed system, we’ve reduced our running costs and removed the constant worry of equipment failure. The work area is now quieter and safer, and we have full confidence that our gas supply is secure for the long term.’
Kevin Parsons, Hucknall Sheet Metal