With the advanced NG nitrogen generators, Atlas Copco provides the ultimate solution: flexible on-site nitrogen generation at the lowest possible cost. One of the many applications where nitrogen is essential is metal treatment. Nøsted Kjetting a.s. is one of Scandinavia’s leading manufacturers of steel chains. The company’s TRYGG product line is renowned for high quality throughout Europe, North America and Australia. The company recently replaced its old nitrogen systeby an Atlas Copco NG nitrogen generator.

Already in 1939, Alf Nøsted saw that the increase in the number of cars on the Norwegian roads and the resulting increase in car traffic in the winter would create a need for snow chains and he established Norsk Kjettingfabrikk AS (Norwegian Chain Factory) in Mandal.

The factory has used compressors from Atlas Copco for many years and is highly satisfied with both the stability and the quality of the compressed air they supply.

At the same time it is also extremely pleased with the follow-up it has received both from its local dealer SWT Sørmaskin AS and Atlas Copco Kompressorteknikk’s (ACK) district manager Odd-Sverre Johansen.

Nøsted use nitrogen as a part of the atmosphere in the hardening furnace together with propane and methanol. This composition creates a carbon potential in the furnace atmosphere that results in the carbon entering the steel through diffusion. This then results in the steel being case-hardened. Nitrogen is also used as a safety gas, to rinse the furnace of explosive gases if necessary.

Their old nitrogen system was connected to a separate compressor. When this compressor needed replacement, Sørmaskin contacted ACK’s Gunnar Nordheim to talk about a new compressor. This was the week after NG was launched as a part of Atlas Copco’s product range. Gunnar seized the opportunity to discuss nitrogen—that is a part of his area of responsibility—and they quickly agreed to present this solution to Nøsted Kjetting. It was soon clear that ACK would be able to meet their demand for nitrogen by attaching a nitrogen generator to the existing compressor system from Atlas Copco. In this way they would no longer need to buy another compressor.

"We use a minimum of 99.5% pure nitrogen, 7.5 m3/h, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so we are completely dependent on having a stable production of nitrogen," explains industrial engineer Per Ivar Torland from Nøsted Kjetting, "and that’s what we get now!" The reactions about the system are very positive. "There are no problems, and our expectations have been exceeded," Torland adds. "We don’t even remember that it’s there.

Cleanliness is superb, we save space and not least we saved the price of a new compressor. At the same time it is highly satisfying for us as a customer that we only need to contact one supplier that we already know to be extremely reliable.

HSE is an important field for Nøsted Kjetting. In addition to taking care of their staff, the company also takes care of the environment. It has a closed production process, i.e. with zero emissions into water or the air. Manufacturing waste is recycled and sold to an engine block foundry.

The company is one of the five largest privately owned industrial firms in Mandal, and in terms of population numbers Mandal is not just a popular holiday destination but also a significant industrial town. Nøsted KjettingASrepresents continuity — not just in production but also as a workplace.

It has always stood proudly on its own feet — and will continue to do so…