Industrial room with BOGE air compressor system, nitrogen generator, and various equipment for compressed air management.

RS Edelstahl GmbH, Austria

Smart move: RS Edelstahl now produces its own nitrogen.

Sustainable, self-sufficient, and always tailored to demand — the Austrian stainless steel specialist RS Edelstahl found exactly that in an integrated system from BOGE and INMATEC.

In a nutshell

From challenge to solution: how RS Edelstahl secured its nitrogen supply

The challenge

Dependence on costly external nitrogen deliveries, an ageing compressor with no variable speed control or heat recovery, and a photovoltaic system generating surplus electricity that was feeding back into the grid unused — potential going to waste across the board.

The BOGE solution

A fully integrated, customized system delivering purity class 5.0 nitrogen directly on site — combining compressed air supply, heat recovery, and photovoltaic integration in a single solution. Flexible, efficient, and precisely tailored to the operation's requirements.

The result

Maximum supply reliability, measurably improved cutting quality, and significantly reduced energy costs — thanks to on-site nitrogen generation, PV integration, and heat recovery.

Modern industrial building with solar panels on the roof, surrounded by greenery and mountains in the background, with a yellow car parked outside.

About the Customer

What RS Edelstahl manufactures and sells

RS Edelstahl is an Austrian specialist manufacturer with around 20 employees, focused on the processing of high-quality stainless steel. Like many companies in metal fabrication, they work with varying batch sizes, tight production schedules, and high demands on material quality. The company designs and manufactures drinking water tanks of up to 150 m³, spring collection systems, custom-made swimming pools, and piping systems — all in various sheet metal thicknesses, produced using laser cutting.

Laser cutting is at the heart of their production. And like many operations that rely on this process, RS Edelstahl depends on a continuous, uninterrupted supply of high-purity nitrogen at purity class 5.0. Used as a shielding gas, it prevents oxidation at the cut edge, eliminates burr formation, and protects the cutting tool — all essential for clean, reproducible results and efficient downstream processing.

The challenge

Dependent, costly, inflexible

The nitrogen supply came entirely from external bulk deliveries — a costly process with limited planning reliability. Bottlenecks occurred repeatedly whenever demand spiked or order volumes increased at short notice.

For the laser cutting process, RS Edelstahl requires a continuous supply of nitrogen with a purity class of 5.0. Without it, the material reacts with oxygen at the cut edge, causing discoloration and irregular cut patterns. Consistently high gas quality is essential for reproducible results and efficient further processing of the stainless steel components.

At the same time, the existing compressor offered neither variable speed control nor heat recovery. The company's own photovoltaic system was generating surplus electricity that was simply fed back into the grid — significant potential going to waste.

The challenge was to develop a solution that combines supply reliability, energy efficiency, and process quality while remaining flexible enough to handle widely fluctuating production volumes.

Voice of the customer

Wilhelm Reindl, managing director at RS Edelstahl, sums it up:

"We wanted to reduce our dependence on suppliers and improve supply security. At the same time, we wanted to improve the plant’s energy efficiency.”

The BOGE Solution

Integrated compressed air and nitrogen supply from a single source

RS Edelstahl faced three pressing challenges: a complete dependence on external nitrogen deliveries that was costly and unreliable, an ageing compressor with no variable speed control and no heat recovery, and a photovoltaic system generating surplus electricity that was simply being fed back into the grid — unused potential across the board. On top of that, the laser cutting process demands a continuous, uninterrupted supply of purity class 5.0 nitrogen. Any drop in quality means discoloration, irregular cut patterns, and rejects. Together with distributor Schachermayer from Linz, BOGE developed a fully integrated system solution that addresses all of these challenges in one go: a frequency-controlled screw compressor, an on-site nitrogen generator, integrated heat recovery, and intelligent PV coupling — all working together seamlessly. Here is each component in detail:

BOGE oelgeschmierter Schraubenkompressor C-2 Baureihe bis 22 kW

Screw compressor C-2 series

At the heart of the new compressed air supply is the BOGE C 15-2 LFDR. Variable speed control continuously matches output to demand, reliably compensating for load fluctuations. At RS Edelstahl, it replaced an ageing compressor that offered neither variable speed control nor heat recovery — now handling all compressed air demand for the laser cutting machines efficiently and flexibly.

The BOGE C 15-2 series

Wärmerückgewinnung mit BOGE Duotherm Baureihe

duotherm heat recovery and PV integration

The integrated duotherm heat recovery system channels process heat directly into the plant's hot water buffer tank — a direct efficiency gain in day-to-day operations. The control unit automatically prioritizes PV power whenever available. At RS Edelstahl, surplus solar electricity that was previously fed back into the grid now drives nitrogen and compressed air production, directly reducing operating costs.

The duotherm heat recovery system

BOGE Stickstoffgenerator PN-Baureihe PN 1000

INMATEC PN 150 — purity class 5.0 nitrogen, generated on site

The INMATEC PN 150 generates purity class 5.0 nitrogen on site via the PSA process, with a rated output of 5.1 m³/h. The AutoPure function monitors purity continuously and only releases nitrogen once class 5.0 is reliably achieved. A booster compresses to 300 bar, feeding two stationary PED cylinder racks as buffer. At RS Edelstahl, this replaced costly external deliveries entirely — eliminating supply bottlenecks and measurably improving cut quality.

The INMATEC PN 150 series

BOGE Aktivkohleabsorber der DCZ - Baureihe

DCZ activated carbon adsorber

The BOGE DCZ-2 cleans compressed air to a residual oil content of no more than 0.003 mg/m³, reliably removing oil aerosols, oil vapours, and odours. At RS Edelstahl, it protects the INMATEC PN 150 from oil contamination in the compressed air feed — safeguarding both the nitrogen generator and the quality of every laser cut.

The DCZ series

The result

Greater independence, higher cut quality, lower costs

Since commissioning, RS Edelstahl has seen clear, tangible benefits from the new system. As Wilhelm Reindl, managing director at RS Edelstahl, puts it: „Nitrogen production now takes place on-site according to demand, so even short-term order peaks can be covered without any problems."

Supply reliability

No more dependence on external delivery schedules. Nitrogen is produced on-site according to actual demand — short-notice order spikes handled without issue.

Process quality

Consistently high purity class 5.0 delivers cleaner cut edges, no oxidation, and less rework — measurably improving laser cutting quality.

Energy efficiency

A large share of production runs on self-generated PV electricity. Heat recovery feeds process heat into the plant's hot water supply — lowering operating costs from day one.

Two men standing in an industrial setting with BOGE air compressors and equipment in the background.

The INMATEC PN 150 with its AutoPure function ensures a continuous, uninterrupted supply of purity class 5.0 nitrogen — eliminating the supply bottlenecks and quality inconsistencies that came with external deliveries. The BOGE C 15-2 LFDR handles all compressed air demand for the laser cutting machines, adapting instantly to fluctuating production volumes thanks to variable speed control. The BOGE Leakstop keeps the network pressure-stable overnight — no unnecessary run-on cycles, no energy waste. The duotherm heat recovery system channels process heat directly into the plant's hot water supply, while PV integration means a large share of nitrogen and compressed air production runs on self-generated solar electricity — both measures directly reducing operating costs. Together, these components have made RS Edelstahl more competitive, more energy-efficient, and fully independent from external nitrogen suppliers.

Zwei BOGE Mitarbeiter stehend an einem Tisch vor einem Laptop im Gespräch über einen Turboimpeller.

Your next step

Facing similar challenges? Get in touch.

Whether you rely on external nitrogen deliveries, want to make better use of your own energy sources, or are looking for a fully integrated compressed air and gas solution — our experts will find the right approach for your specific requirements.

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RS Edelstahl GmbH, Austria

RS Edelstahl GmbH stands for high-quality stainless steel solutions. With experience, precision, and a strong commitment to quality, the company provides reliable products and services for industry, trade, and demanding projects. RS Edelstahl combines modern expertise with durable materials – delivering results you can rely on.

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