April 2010

It is a hard job but someone has to do it

On March 1, I did run my second Vasa lop, the famous Swedish 90-km cross-country ski competition in the classic style. It is the longest skiing competition in the world, and believe me, it feels as long as it looks like. The course of 9 hours and 55 minutes is not really fast but after all, it is mainly a matter of getting through.

Actually, it is almost 10 painful hours. However, compared to 2009, the year that was very painful for many companies, it is a nice feeling that after all, it is over like a long working day.

2009 was really the year when the global economy turned upside down and for many company owners, it turned out to be a matter of survival. However, as many other crises throughout recent history, the typical length of such crisis is 5 quarters. Therefore, by the end of 2009, we should have suffered enough.

For Oxymat, 2010 started with the largest order in almost 2 years. Whether it was due to the end of the crisis or just because of the beginning of a new fiscal year, it is hard to say in these weeks. Anyway, the activity we can see among our customers is based on great optimism. It almost seems as if the spring already started at the beginning of the year even though we had the coldest January in Northern Europe in the last decade.

We are also optimistic about the future in Oxymat but we still believe that at least in Europe the economical growth will be slow in 2010.

The crisis was actually healthy for many companies. Many CEOs were forced to scrutinize the cost structure of their companies and to cut down all the costs that were not directly related to the income.

So were we in Oxymat A/S. Everything from newspaper subscriptions to jobs were evaluated, and the final result is a well-trimmed organization.

However, there is an area that has not been affected by the cost cutting - our R&D that represents our priority. It has been important to develop more efficient PSA generators both in terms of costs and power consumption. We have had the clear goal to be the preferred partner in the PSA business. It has also been important for us not only to stay in the lead but also to be well-known as the leading company in the PSA technique due to superior solutions in control, energy consumption, investment costs and life cycle costs.

• New low-pressure Oxygen PSA technology using 1 kW per m3. The programme goes from 5 to 30 tons per day, modular systems with 4 bar(g) or 10 bar(g) outlet pressure.
• The first 10 bar(g) outlet PSA system is developed.
• New low-consumption Marine PSA technology is so attractively priced that many our customers rather invest in these systems than change membranes in existing membrane systems on board. We have reached target prices that fully match membranes but have half energy consumption.
• In 2010 we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our touch screen technology. We also launch our latest version of our new advanced panel display with superior communication options via GSM modem and Internet. We have seen copies on the market but it is hard to copy 10-year experience.
• In 2009 we launched our new programme in high purity Nitrogen working from 1 to 100 ppm. We have supreme low-energy consumption, while the systems are attractively priced.
• In 2009 we also launched our new programme for standard oxygen generators cutting 15% energy consumption and up to 40% price.

However, we do not stop with the development at this step. We are constantly testing new zeolite and new CMS. We are more than any other PSA producer on the market optimizing our parameters, only to give them to our most valued partners – to our customers.

For us in Oxymat, 2010 has started very well with the highest order in more than 18 months. We have employed more people in the Danish office in the sales and plc programming department. Nowadays, we are able to service our customers from Denmark, as well as from Slovakia. At the moment, we are also working on the introduction of sales and service offices all around the world to be as close to our customers as possible.

It is sure that 2010 will bring new products to the market. However, we have changed our information policy a bit. We will provide you with the information only when it is developed, tested and sold to customers - there are simply too many copycats on the market to announce it in advance.

If you have any questions about our new products or you want to join VASA in 2011, please contact Mr. Jesper Sjögren, tel. No. +45 29 61 26 80.

Oxymat PSA Nitrogen generator

Van Amerongen CA Technology (VA) in the Netherlands ( www.van-amerongen.nl ).

It is one of the largest suppliers of the so-called turnkey Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage systems applied for long-term fruit and vegetable storage. Our company started its operation in 1957 and since then, it has constantly been growing around 10% on average every year. Currently, it is doing business in almost 50 countries.

There are several systems available for the nitrogen production. Membrane systems are quickly contaminated and use around 2 - 3 times more electricity compared to the systems working with active coal. VSA, low-pressure systems, are most often not convenient when ULO (Ultra Low Oxygen) conditions, like it is generally wished under CA, are to be reached. VA produces middle-pressure VPSA systems but in many cases, high-pressure technology is more favourable, as applied in the case of PSA.
VA started selling Oxymat’s PSA systems in 2009 when we met several customers who needed a PSA instead of a VPSA.
Why Oxymat PSA systems? (There is certainly more than one PSA manufacturer in the world)

• Like VA they are a small team that produces, sells, installs, and services their installations all around the world.
• Their flexibility and their open-mindedness to serve our customer wishes.
• The simplicity and quality of their generators.
• And of course, the good cooperation between each other.

The usual problem with PSA systems is the competition. Unfortunately, customers usually look at the purchase price and overlook the costs over a time of 5 years and depreciation, too. Oxymat produces machines with an excellent compressor (Kaeser) and other parts for a reasonable price. Our customers reacted positively to our co-operation. We take demonstration machines to fairs and provide information to our dealers. Both of us have the same expectations from sales of PSA machines - an increasing turnover.

Beer Steiger with Oxymat flavor

There are really many applications for Oxymat PSA on-site generators. Naturally, some of them are more attractive than others. This is especially true for men and their part of the population. Specifically, I mean beer production for which we have recently installed our PSA system for blanketing for beer packaging at Steiger, a traditional brewery in Slovakia.

The main idea is to bottle beer by applying fuel gas consisting of nitrogen mixed with carbon dioxide. What can be an easier way than to obtain nitrogen directly on-site from the outside air?

Having introduced our nitrogen generation system into the food producing industry and cost calculation, it has become clear that the system will be paid back in a short period. The nitrogen system is equipped with an additional filtration for air-intake, as well as for nitrogen production to be considered suitable for food. The installation took only a few minutes as the plant had been prepared as a plug & play solution. The main task was to find a proper nitrogen/CO2 ration in order to keep an excellent taste of beer, as well as its other properties.

As I am also a beer fan, I can confirm that its taste remains excellent. This win-win situation contributes to all the interested parties – the reliable on-site nitrogen source brings a high quality, a short pay-back time, and new opportunity for breweries. I would like to wish the customers constantly growing and pleasant figures of Steiger brand.