Bielefeld, July 29th 2025

Laser cutting has become established as a precise procedure in industrial metal processing. Maximum material quality requires a stable inert gas atmosphere in the form of extremely pure nitrogen. INMATEC Gase Technologie provides a solution which allows an energy-efficient and economical nitrogen self-supply right on-site that suits the company’s requirements: a combination of the PNK nitrogen generator and the H2KAT hydrogen catalytic converter.

Laser cutting is indispensable in many branches – especially in areas where metals and other materials have to be cut, shaped or processed precisely and flexibly. The process is particularly widely used in the automobile industry, in mechanical engineering, in aerospace and electronics manufacturing. The increasing demand for laser cutting is based on advancing machine technologies which allow ever faster and more precise processing of different materials. During the cutting process, a stable inert gas atmosphere is essential to guarantee high-quality processing.

Nitrogen is usually used as an inert gas during laser cutting. The colourless and odourless gas prevents the metal from coming in contact with oxygen along the cutting edge, thus ensuring delicate contours and clean cutting edges. If the purity of the nitrogen used is too low, the material will oxidise, creating annealing colours which subsequently have to be removed with great effort. Cutting systems therefore require nitrogen with a very high purity level of 5.0, i.e. 99.999%. “The gas quality has a major influence on the processing result”, explains Stefan Zech, INMATEC Sales Manager. “The purer the nitrogen, the lower the effort during subsequent re-working and therefore also lower energy consumption during processing.”

Filtered twice leads to better cutting results

The combination of PNK nitrogen generator and H2KAT hydrogen catalytic converter uses a two-stage procedure to generate nitrogen on-site. First the IMT PM LASER PSA system (Pressure Swing Adsorption) filters nitrogen from the surrounding air. Then, the H2KAT hydrogen catalytic converter removes the residual oxygen by converting it into water vapour. This creates extremely pure nitrogen with a purity of up to 99.999% – at up to 50% lower energy consumption compared with conventional methods. This solution forms the basis for numerous industrial uses and can be expanded purposefully with specific applications, depending on the industry.

Energy-efficient and economical

On-site nitrogen generation significantly reduces operating costs. In addition to saving money on transport and storage, costs during the cutting process reduce by up to 70%. This is a major benefit for manufacturing companies requiring a substantial gas supply. Companies that use nitrogen generators on-site, benefit from a steady gas supply and an improved carbon footprint, whilst keeping quality standards high. Those who supply their own power can even save up to 90% of costs with an INMATEC nitrogen generator. The INMATEC system can store excess energy generated by a photovoltaic system, for example. It then uses the energy in the form of nitrogen during the laser cutting process if needed. This allows virtually free production and more efficient use of self-generated power.