Mobile Mechanical Services and ELGi partner with Giles Foodservice Equipment to bring nitrogen generation in-house

By partnering with Mobile Mechanical Services and ELGi to upgrade its laser-cutting air system, Giles Foodservice Equipment expects to save $500,000 over 10 years, stabilize its nitrogen supply and reduce operating risks.

Giles Foodservice Equipment is a manufacturer of commercial foodservice equipment which production lines depend on precision laser cutting of stainless steel components. That process relies on a steady, high-purity supply of nitrogen, which has been historically delivered to the facility as bulk liquid nitrogen by truck.

For years, that delivered supply met the company’s needs. But as production planning grew more demanding, the limitations of relying on a third-party delivery schedule became harder to ignore. Because the gas boils off continuously, ordering too much wastes money while ordering too little risks a production shutdown. Additionally, market prices and logistics schedules remain entirely out of the manufacturer's control, making future costs and daily operations highly unpredictable.

“Bulk liquid nitrogen served its purpose for a long time, but it also created uncertainty,” said Josh Blalock, manufacturing engineering manager at Giles Foodservice Equipment. “Producing nitrogen on-site gives us control over our supply and removes a variable from the manufacturing process. That stability is important as we plan for the future.”

Moving to on-site nitrogen

Giles Foodservice Equipment partnered with Mobile Mechanical Services to design and implement an on-site nitrogen generation system. Rather than forcing an immediate cutover from delivered supply, Mobile Mechanical Services engineered a phased approach that gives Giles Foodservice Equipment greater control over nitrogen availability while supporting both current production needs and future expansion.

Before finalizing the design, Mobile Mechanical Services evaluated the company’s nitrogen demand, purity requirements and long-term manufacturing goals. The new system generates laser-grade nitrogen on-site from ambient air and works alongside the existing delivered supply to meet total demand.

At the center of the operation is an ELGi EG75 VFD rotary screw air compressor, built for continuous-duty manufacturing environments. The 100-horsepower compressor delivers up to approximately 375 CFM of compressed air at typical industrial pressures around 100 PSI, providing the consistent airflow needed to support stable nitrogen generation for laser cutting.

The compressor’s variable-frequency drive (VFD) adjusts output based on demand. This keeps the system efficient as production fluctuates and guarantees a steady air supply when nitrogen needs spike. As laser cutting throughput is uneven by nature, a compressor that can scale with the line keeps the nitrogen generator fed without wasting energy at idle.

“The new system gives Giles Foodservice Equipment greater control over its nitrogen strategy,” said Nathan Toro, sales consultant at Mobile Mechanical Services. “On-site generation puts control back in the hands of the manufacturer and creates a more stable foundation for its operation.”

The value of control

With the phased system fully operational, Giles Foodservice Equipment is now generating a portion of its nitrogen on-site and feeding it directly into laser cutting operations. This allows the company to reduce the frequency of scheduled liquid deliveries and take direct control over a critical manufacturing input for the first time.

This shift to in-house generation also provides several key operational advantages:

“The financial side matters, but the real value is control,” Blalock said. “Knowing we can generate what we need, when we need it, changes how we think about our operation.”

Financially, this shift in control pays off. Producing nitrogen in-house directly reduces outside purchases, meaning the more Giles Foodservice Equipment generates on-site, the more its savings grow over time.

Over a 10-year horizon, the company projects the system could deliver approximately $500,000 in savings, with on-site generation continuing to displace delivered nitrogen volumes year over year. Because on-site production costs are steady, the company can confidently plan budgets and set pricing without worrying about volatile gas markets.

Supporting long-term operations

Giles Foodservice Equipment and Mobile Mechanical Services have built a partnership that extends well beyond installation. The system is designed to grow alongside the company's needs. Mobile Mechanical Services will provide ongoing support as in-house nitrogen gradually replaces outside deliveries.

“Our role doesn’t stop once the system is running,” Toro said. “We continue supporting Giles Foodservice Equipment as its operation evolves, making sure the system performs reliably and can adapt as its needs change. That long-term support is critical in manufacturing environments like this.”

ELGi provides the compressed air platform that anchors the system, with the EG Series compressor selected specifically for continuous-duty performance and energy efficiency. Today, the phased system is fully operational, giving Giles Foodservice Equipment greater control over its nitrogen supply and the flexibility to further reduce delivered nitrogen as production needs evolve.