Based in Karachi, Pakistan, Shahi Enterprises Pvt. Ltd makes various snack foods including traditional Nimco products (dried snack foods) and relies on a source of nitrogen for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP).
MAP is a technique which helps maintain product freshness, quality and extend shelf-life. It uses nitrogen which is a clean, dry, inert gas, to reduce the oxygen content within food packaging to prevent product deterioration which may occur due to oxidative rancidity, moisture loss or gain, microbial, in addition to mould induced spoilage.
Nitrogen can also used be as a filler gas to create a pressurised atmosphere that prevents ‘package collapse’ thus helping to protect the product.
Shahi Enterprises Pvt. Ltd previously relied on a source of nitrogen via a cylinder supply. However, this proved to be very 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 often delivered empty, whilst still having to pay for nitrogen not received.
Moreover, the volume of cylinders required demanded considerable resource for manual handling and thus inconvenient for its busy packaging process.
The company was keen to investigate an alternative solution and when introduced to MAXIGAS by Trade Tacts International (Pvt.) Ltd, a local Parker domnick hunter distributor it quickly recognised the many 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. Offering reliability, efficiency and a constant, controlled nitrogen flow and pressure, the generators are a cost-effective solution for nitrogen supply with an exceptionally low lifecycle ownership cost.
The short payback time period in addition to features such as continuous purity monitoring, economy mode for energy savings, compact design and modular approach for multi-bank flexibility, encouraged the company to make its own nitrogen with a MAXIGAS nitrogen gas generator.
In September 2007, one MAXIGAS108 unit and a compressed air pre-treatment system including a desiccant dryer and filter was commissioned to deliver 28 m3/hr and a 0.5% oxygen content.
Mr. Asad Naeem Raza from Trade Tacts comments “This was the first Parker domnick hunter generator commissioned in Pakistan. The system has been running trouble-free since installation and the support from Parker domnick hunter has been superb.”
Mr. Rizwan Ali, Manager Factory Operations for Shahi Enterprises Pvt. Ltd confirms “The MAXIGAS generator system has offered us true peace of mind.”
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. Sterile gas in addition to polishing solutions which ensure beverage-grade carbon dioxide remains within specification, are also available.
Note to editors:
About Parker domnick hunter
Founded in 1963 in Tyne and Wear, UK, Parker domnick hunter is an established international specialist in the design, manufacture and global aftermarket support of filtration, purification and separation solutions for multiple applications and industries. Since 2005, Parker domnick hunter has been a division of Parker Hannifin.
About Parker Hannifin
With annual sales exceeding $12 billion, Parker Hannifin is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 62,000 people in 48 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 52 consecutive years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit the company's web site at http://www.parker.com, or its investor information site at http://www.phstock.com.
Product information
MAXIGAS and MIDIGAS operate via the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) principle to produce a continuous stream of nitrogen gas from compressed air. Pairs of extruded aluminium columns are filled with carbon molecular sieve (CMS). Pre-treated compressed air enters the bottom of the ‘on-line’ column and flows up through the CMS. Oxygen and other trace gases are preferentially adsorbed by the CMS, allowing nitrogen to pass through. After a pre-set time the on-line column automatically switches to regenerative mode, venting contaminants from the CMS.
Carbon molecular sieve differs from ordinary activated carbons as it has a much narrower range of pore openings. This allows small molecules such as oxygen to penetrate the pores and separate from nitrogen molecules which are too large to enter the CMS. The larger nitrogen molecules by-pass the CMS and emerge as the product gas.
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