About Enviroline
Enviroline is a laser cutting specialist based in St Marys, NSW, focusing primarily on aluminium sheet work. As part of their operation, they relied heavily on bottled nitrogen to support their Amada laser cutting process—until the tremendous costs became hard to ignore.
The Challenge
Enviroline was spending over $9,000 every month on bottled nitrogen, totalling more than $108,000 per year. In addition to the mounting costs, managing deliveries of nitrogen bottle swaps added unnecessary complexity to their workflow.
They needed a reliable, cost-effective alternative that would not compromise the quality of their Amada laser cuts.
Our Solution
Focus Industrial installed a 22kW 16 bar high-pressure compressor package to replace bottled nitrogen with high-pressure compressed air, delivered on demand, in-house. The installation was a breeze and tailored specifically to suit their laser system and workshop.
We also provided full training to their operators and ongoing technical support, ensuring a smooth transition from bottled gas to compressed air.
The Results
- $96,000 saved in just one year
- 75% reduction in cutting gas costs this year, and 88% by next year
- 3.5-month return on investment
- Improved cutting performance on aluminium – faster and cleaner than with nitrogen
- Saved approximately 3 hours of staff members’ time every week without needing to swap Nitrogen Packs
- Saved factory footprint from storing 12 packs of Nitrogen to just 3 square meters of footprint, freeing up valuable floorspace
The approximate $96,000 in annual savings even factors in the operational and service costs of running on compressed air.
Client Testimonial
“The savings have been outstanding. But even more impressive is the cutting quality. It’s faster, cleaner, and more reliable. The compressor has already paid for itself, and then some.” – Operations Manager, Enviroline
(This is based on mid-2022 power prices, which have since increased even further.)
Why Compressed Air Made Sense
High-pressure compressed air delivered by Focus Industrial’s custom-tailored system provided a clean, consistent cutting system alternative. The transition not only eliminated nitrogen gas delivery costs, but it also gave Enviroline full control over its Amada laser cutting operation.
For aluminium laser cutting in particular, they saw better results than they had previously achieved with bottled nitrogen.
Want to See Similar Results?
If you’re using bottled nitrogen for laser cutting and want to reduce your costs, we’d love to help. We can provide a customised cost savings estimate for your operation and help you explore whether compressed air is the right fit. Try our calculator for a general estimate, or get in touch with us directly.
