Atlas Copco will showcase a new nitrogen generation system for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) on stand B82 at PPMA Show 2026, demonstrating how food and beverage manufacturers can produce food-grade nitrogen on-site with greater control over purity, availability and cost
The pre-engineered, plug-and-play package combines an NGP+ pressure swing adsorption nitrogen generator with drying, filtration, purification, storage and control equipment. Supplied as an integrated and tested system, it connects directly to an existing compressed air installation and can produce nitrogen at purities from 99 to 99.9 per cent.
“Most manufacturers are used to buying nitrogen as a consumable, but in modified atmosphere packaging it is an integral part of the production process,” said Chris Hyde, Business Line Manager for the Air and Gas Applications division at Atlas Copco Compressors UK. “Its availability and purity can affect packaging performance, production continuity and the quality and shelf life of the packaged food. Generating nitrogen on site gives producers greater control over how much they make and at what purity, while removing the need to organise cylinder or liquid nitrogen deliveries. The new package brings the equipment needed to do that together in a system designed specifically for food production.”
Atlas Copco will also highlight the NGP 8+, the smallest model in its NGP+ 8-130 nitrogen generator range. For manufacturers that require a standalone generator rather than the complete MAP skid package, it can produce nitrogen at purities of up to 99.999 per cent. The system continuously checks the quality of the incoming compressed air and confirms that the nitrogen output matches the selected purity, helping protect both the generator and the process it supplies.
The NGP 8+ also adjusts its pressure swing adsorption cycle to reflect changes in nitrogen demand and operating temperature. Atlas Copco’s Variable Cycle Saver technology can deliver additional energy savings of up to 40 per cent during periods of lower demand and in colder conditions, avoiding the energy waste associated with producing more nitrogen or operating at a higher purity than the application requires.
Process cooling will be represented by Atlas Copco’s TCX 4-90A industrial chiller range. These compact, air-cooled water chillers combine refrigeration, pumping, water storage and temperature control in an all-in-one unit. Accurate cooling-water control helps manufacturers maintain stable process conditions, while integrated monitoring enables operators to track temperatures, pressures, maintenance requirements and equipment condition.
Atlas Copco will complete the display with process filtration products and oil-free compressed air technology for quality-critical food and beverage applications, demonstrating how nitrogen generation, compressed air, filtration and cooling can be considered together when specifying production and packaging systems.
PPMA Show 2026 takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 22 to 24 September. For more information, visit: https://hubs.li/Q04tHSwH0
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