Shahi installs nitrogen-gas generator to fill MAP

Snack-food manufacturer Shahi Enterprises has cut costs by installing a Parker Domnick Hunter Maxigas nitrogen-gas generator to produce nitrogen for snack-food packaging.

Based in Karachi, Pakistan, Shahi Enterprises makes traditional dried snack-foods and relies on a source of nitrogen for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

MAP helps to maintain product freshness and quality and extend shelf-life.

It uses nitrogen to reduce the oxygen content within food packaging to prevent product deterioration, which may occur due to oxidative rancidity, moisture loss or gain, or mould-induced spoilage.

Nitrogen can also be used as a filler gas to create a pressurised atmosphere that prevents 'package collapse', helping to protect the product.

Shahi Enterprises previously relied on a cylinder supply of nitrogen.

However, this proved to be expensive and purity levels, which often varied between cylinders, presented serious potential product-quality issues.

The company also experienced production loss during cylinder-refill periods, in addition to interruptions to busy production when cylinders were delivered empty.

Moreover, the required volume of cylinders demanded considerable resource for manual handling, which was inconvenient for its busy packaging process.

The company was keen to investigate an alternative solution and when introduced to Maxigas it quickly recognised the benefits of the system.

Maxigas generators make nitrogen gas from compressed air via the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) method, using carbon molecular sieve (CMS) regenerative technology.

The generators offer reliability, efficiency and a constant and controlled nitrogen flow and pressure.

The short payback time period, continuous purity monitoring, economy mode for energy savings, compact design and modular approach for multi-bank flexibility encouraged Shahi to buy a Maxigas generator.

In September 2007, one Maxigas108 unit and a compressed-air pre-treatment system including a desiccant dryer and filter were commissioned to deliver 28m3/hr and a 0.5 per cent oxygen content.

Maxigas and Midigas nitrogen-gas generators are suitable for various applications in multiple industries and are backed by Parker Domnick Hunter's global network of manufacturing, sales and customer-support centres, providing full service, spares and applications expertise.

Optional preventative-maintenance contracts are also available.

In addition to nitrogen, Parker Domnick Hunter also offers pre-treatment solutions such as Oil-X Evolution compressed-air filters and Pneudri adsorption dryers to provide compressed air to ISO 8573-1:2001 air-quality standards.

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