ACHEMA 2009 runs from 11 to 15 May. Alongside the exhibition a congress programme of 925 lectures will focus on state-of-the-art developments, while panel discussions featuring distinguished speakers will address hot topics of public interest.
Paul Carter, Delegate for DECHEMA for UK and Ireland, underlines the vast scale of ACHEMA 2009: “There are twenty different exhibition groups, each bigger than any competing event in their field. A total of 4,000 exhibitors have booked space to show their products, in halls spanning 140,000 square metres, to an estimated 180,000 visitors from 100 countries.”
The exhibition
Filtration+Separation spoke to some of the exhibitors about the products they will be showing at the event.
Hall 4.0 Stand K16-L21
What is driving the marketplace currently?
The driving feeling is a high level of uncertainty which does not encourage investments, unless strictly required. Many projects are delayed while waiting for economic developments. Nevertheless a number of projects are running and we are heavily concentrating on such new projects.
What new developments are you working on to address this?
3V Cogeim is a specialist in pressure filtration and vacuum drying. We are continuously concentrating on providing our customers with providing integrated solutions which satisfy their needs.
3V Cogeim is also part of the 3V Tech group, a new organisation which incorporates supply of Thermal Separation equipment through its subsidiary 3V Mabo, Glass Lined equipment through its subsidiary 3V GlassCoat and Borosilicate 3.3 Glass plants through Soffieria Sestese.
What products are you showcasing at ACHEMA?
Nutsche filter dryers, microwave assisted drying, and a full discharge pneumatic conveying system.
What applications is this/are these suitable for?
Active pharmaceutical ingredients and in general any bulk powder which presents good filtration features and requires vacuum drying.
What makes these products innovative/better/more suited to applications than past products?
In general 3V Cogeim is extremely well known for their innovative solutions. What we are presenting at ACHEMA 2009 enables faster drying time, higher quality product, faster and more efficient discharge of the filter -dryer, and a lower level of exposure/contamination.
What does the future hold for your company?
We see this period as a time of selection. Companies that will survive will be able to face the challenges of the new developments.
What are you looking forward to at Achema?
To monitor the market and to receive an adequate number of contacts for the activities to be carried out in the future.
Hall 5.0 Stand B38-B39
What products are you showcasing at ACHEMA?
As a manufacturer of high-quality ceramic membranes, we will be presenting out enlarged product spectrum under the guiding idea of investment costs reduction: membranes with a length of 1,5 m to reduce the specific manufacturing cost and costs for housings as well as the new 85-channel-membranes to achieve this by high packing density.
What applications are these suitable for?
These modules were especially developed for small and serial plants with a filter surface of 0.24 to 1.06 m² and channel cross section from 3.3 to 3.8 mm. They are universal applicable to many separation requirements in the industrial waste and process water treatment.
What makes these products more suited to applications than past products?
The main advantage is cost. Cost advantages for the user also arise from the new membrane housings made of plastics, which consist of PVC-C (Tmax: 80°C, PN 10) and which are characterised by a simplified housing design.
Hall 4.2 Stand M16
What is driving the chemicals marketplace currently?
Increasingly demanding processes in key industries such as electronics and pharmaceuticals are requiring use of the purest form of such media as like water and air. Environmental pollution - e.g. the contamination of drinking water from pharmaceutical products - is getting worse and is creating increasing awareness and concern. Very high performance filtration solutions, therefore, need to be provided.
What new developments are you working on to address this?
Our development activities on filtration solutions are targeted at broadband removal of trace substances, with very high efficiencies down to a ppb concentration range using low pressure drop filter media.
What products are you showcasing at Achema?
All our products are based on spherical adsorbents; a novel type of activated carbon. They are available with either mono dispersed or poly dispersed size distributions in the range from 0.05 mm up to 0.7 mm.
Besides these adsorbers as a bulk material we will showcase air filter media, which are open-cell foams coated with spherical adsorbents. This technology allows combining a low, adjustable pressure drop with high adsorptive capacities and is available in a variety of ‘tuneable’ thicknesses, shapes and capacities which are highly customisable across a wide range of industrial applications.
Additionally, low pressure drop carbon in fixed bed and monolith (which are freely mouldable structures) form will also be shown at ACHEMA.
What applications is this/are these suitable for?
The unique properties of our products make them suitable for high-tech applications such as:
- protection against toxic gases in respiratory equipment and protective clothing
- improvement of indoor and cabin air quality by removal of odour or harmful pollution
- purification of tap water and ultra pure water in industrial applications
- as a polishing filter in waste water treatment systems for the removal of critical substances
- purification and separation in medical or pharmaceutical industry applications
- a filtration component in electronic systems and sub-assemblies
- a carrier structure for catalyst applications (e.g. with impregnation)
What makes these products innovative/better/more suited to applications than other products?
Compared to conventional activated carbon our products are preferred for use in special applications because of the following properties:
-high capacity up to the scientifically theoretical limit
-hydrophobic properties due to the very pure inner surface
-high purity as a result of synthetic precursor materials
-high abrasion resistance and mechanical stability
-absence of dust and extremely low elution effects
Our spherical adsorbents are unique regarding the combination of adsorptive properties with extremely high mechanical resistance, which makes them incredibly well suited for use in filtration processes with challenging requirements.
What does the future hold for your company?
While our products and technologies have been widely qualified for military and protective applications for several decades, the use of our technology for industrial applications only really started with a few special projects several years ago. In the meantime much wider potential has already been identified, and ongoing application testing and product development are revealing many more opportunities.
What are you looking forward to at ACHEMA?
Exhibiting for the first time at ACHEMA, we are looking forward to demonstrating our company’s and products’ capabilities. We are looking forward to the opportunity to identify further projects by directly meeting and engaging with new potential partners.
Hall 8.0 Stand F33-G44
What products are you showcasing at ACHEMA?
Amongst other products, we will be showcasing the following at ACHEMA.
-KSB’s Microchem pump for pulsation-free fluid in continuous processes.
-KSB’s new KWPKC-Monobloc pump series.
What makes these products innovative/better/more suited to applications than other products?
We have made some major innovations and developments to our Microchem Pump. As well as extending it to the food industry, the wetted metal components can be supplied with a material certificate 3.1 to DIN EN 10204. This certificate, for which the exact chemical composition of every component has to be documented, is often required for sensitive processes.
As Microchem pumps are easy to clean, their design allows for cleaning in place and their filling volume can be as small as 5 ml, they have already become established in a number of applications. In the field of biotechnology, tests have shown that compared with other pump systems Microchem is favourable to the growth of micro-organisms because of the pumps’ low shear forces.
The KWPKC-Monobloc is designed for use in secondary circuits of flue gas desulphurisation plants. The sturdy design is synonymous with operating reliability and robustness. A back pull-out design has been chosen for the radially split casing to make maintenance quick and easy. An adjustable clearance gap is provided on the suction side to keep the pump’s efficiency high.
The impellers are made of KSB’s highly wear-resistant NORIDUR® DAS. With long service lives in mind, the wetted components such as casing and discharge cover are lined with highly wear-resistant CeramikPolySiC. This high-strength composite material of ceramic and polymer has been specially developed for pumps in flue gas desulphurisation. It has proven to be extremely resistant against both abrasion and corrosion.
What applications is this/are these suitable for?
The Microchem pump’s application range has been extended to include food processing and preparatory processes in the pharmaceutical industry. KSB has developed a variant whose wetted elastomer seals are all made of FDA-approved Kalrez 6221.
The KWPKC-Monobloc is a new pump series specially designed for use in secondary circuits of flue gas desulphurisation plants. The pump’s main applications are to transport limestone slurry and circulating water, to remove gypsum and to thicken solutions. The pump series covers flow rates up to 3.000 cubic metres and discharge heads up to 120 metres.
Hall 5.0 Stand H30-J35
What products will you be showcasing at ACHEMA?
As a technology leader focused 100% on solid-liquid separation, Larox continuously develops and brings to market high-quality industrial filters, filtration solutions and aftermarket services. At Achema 2009, Larox presents the company's entire product portfolio.
Specifically, we will be showcasing the following:
-Larox Automatic Pressure Filters;
-The Larox C Series;
-Larox DS;
-Pannevis RT Horizontal Vacuum Belt Filter;
-Pannevis GT Filter;
-Ceramec Capillary Action Disc Filters;
-Hoesch Membrane Filter Press;
-Hoesch FFP;
-Scheibler Polishing Filters.
What applications is this/are these suitable for? What makes these products innovative/better/more suited to applications than other products?
Larox pressure filtration has earned a reputation for performance, reliability and low operating costs, while the Larox C Series, designed with the needs of the chemical industry in mind, are built to last, and deliver maximum production performance and availability to a wide range of applications. They produce extremely dry solids, thus eliminating or dramatically reducing the need for thermal drying.
Larox DS is a totally enclosed design incorporating all polypropylene plates with membranes on both sides of the chamber. The filter can be designed for inert operation with a nitrogen blanket for solvent-wetted processes or processes requiring a non-oxidizing atmosphere. Cleaning-in-place is a standard feature to meet the most demanding standards of hygiene.
The Pannevis RT horizontal vacuum belt filter from Larox is a unique design that offers true multi-step processing for a wide range of products. The heart of the Pannevis RT filter is a continuously moving filter cloth that does not require a rubber support belt. Instead an open grid located in a profiled tray running the length of the filter supports the filter cloth. The RT filter can be designed with any or all of the following functionalities: discrete multiple wash steps, either co-current or counter current, vibration, hot air drying, cooling, steaming or mechanical compression.
The Pannevis GT gas-tight filter is a completely enclosed design that can continuously process virtually any solvent based product in a sealed housing, while operating under continuously re-circulated nitrogen or other inert gas blanket. The filter housing is designed to easily meet cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) making it especially suitable for pharmaceuticals, biotech and food grade products.
The Ceramec filters are widely used to dewater mineral concentrates and pelletising feed slurries. Micro porous ceramic discs replace conventional filter cloth. Capillary action holds liquid in the pores, thus prevents air leakage and requires only a very small vacuum pump which significantly reduces energy consumption.
The Hoesch membrane filter presses can be supplied for a wide range of applications in the chemical process industries. These applications range from simple dewatering of effluents to multiple washing of pharmaceuticals under hygienic conditions and many applications in between where food based and corrosive processes are areas of specialization.
The Hoesch FFP (fast opening) series membrane filter press combines the existing benefits of membrane technology and side bar design with improved mechanical and process performance.
Scheibler polishing filters remove and recover solids in low concentrations from process liquids. Based on the principal of adsorption filtration, the quality of the filtrate increases production capacity and the quality of end products. Constructed with an advanced filter design, Scheibler polishing filters cost-effectively reduce suspended solids to extremely low levels of parts per million (ppm).
Meissner Filtration Products, Inc. Hall F Stand D9-E11What is driving the pharma marketplace currently?
The factors driving the pharma marketplace currently are the development of generic biopharmaceuticals, concerns regarding the existing drug pipeline, manufacturing costs (COGM), and the change in the regulatory paradigm e.g. quality risk management (QRM).
What new developments are you working on to address this?
Meissner Filtration Products is working on the development of single-use systems that are conceived at the systems level not at the component level, and that follow the principles of quality-by-design (QbD) and quality risk management. For example, this entails risk analysis of the level of supply chain integration, risk mitigation strategies through qualification of primary and secondary raw material suppliers, and redundancy of manufacturing operations wherever feasible to ensure product quality, traceability and availability. Meissner adheres to good manufacturing practices (GMP) and follows an overall cleanroom-to-cleanroom manufacturing philosophy as a cornerstone in its product quality risk mitigation strategy.
What products are you showcasing at ACHEMA?
Meissner will be unveiling our Saltus™ Mixing Technology, new from the One-Touch™ family of single-use systems. Saltus™ integrates established vibromixing and single-use biocontainer technologies into a novel solution offering pharmaceutical manufacturers a unique alternative to reuseable and disposable impeller-based mixers. Within our One-Touch™ single-use systems family, we will also be featuring TepoFlex™ biocontainers and fluid path assemblies, as well as FlexStation™ collapsible shipping and storage bins. TepoFlex™ biocontainers are optimised for various liquid management applications including storage, shipping and transportation of process solutions including buffers, media, reagents, WFI, bulk harvest, and purified and formulated bulk. The biocontainers have a very low leachables and extractables profile (TOC<2 ppm) in aqueous solutions including WFI, PBS, and pH 11. TepoFlex™’s high gas barrier properties protect product from degradation due to oxygen ingress, and concentration loss due to water vapor egress.
Hall 4.2 Stand O15-O16
What is driving the marketplace currently?
For ACHEMA, fermentation is the key process. Membrane technology has established itself as a key technology in this field, because it offers several unique advantages compared with thermal, physical or chemical separation techniques. Since this market is growing due to economic and ecological reasons the membrane technology market is growing as well.
What new developments are you working on to address this?
Cassette systems are widely applied in biotechnology. In particular, highly viscous fluids can be filtered by such modules. Their open flow channels eliminate dead zones and ensure a homogenous flow that inhibits sedimentation of particles. At ACHEMA we will present the new FLOW-CEL® cassette system, which has an essential advantage over conventional cassettes in that it allows backwashing. In addition, this system features easy installation and handling.
What products are you showcasing at Achema?
Apart from the new cassette system FLOW-CEL®, other membrane modules which are used in the addressed industries will be showcased.
MICRODYN® and SEPRODYN® capillary and tubular modules are the easiest modules to operate, due to their open flow channels. The diameters of the capillaries and tubes are chosen according to the demands of the process depending on the content of solids. Additionally, the cleaning process is usually facilitated by short back pulses.
The spiral-wound module SPIRA-CEL® has by far the most efficient geometrical design to achieve the maximum membrane surface area per volume. Within the spiral wound module, the fluid flows along a spacer net that introduces turbulence. This net can be chosen to adjust the entire configuration to the needs of the specific process.
We will also exhibit our 400 m² BIO-CEL® Module, designed for Membrane Bioreactors. The BIO-CEL® Module is the new generation of submerged modules, combining the advantages of classic plate and frame and hollow fibre modules.
What applications is this/are these suitable for?
In the chemical or biotech industry membranes are often used upstream of the cultivation tank to pre-treat the raw materials. They perform cleaning, fractionation or concentration tasks during the processing of the products. Furthermore, they are essential for the provision of ultrapure water and closing water cycles.
What makes these products innovative/better/more suited to applications than past products?
Membrane technology has established itself as a key technology in the chemical or biotech industry, because it offers several unique advantages compared with thermal, physical or chemical separation techniques:
- high selectivity;
- gentle procedure;
- low energy consumption compared with thermal processes;
- easy plant construction;
- great variety of membranes and module types.
What does the future hold for your company?
The fermentation industry is one of the membrane markets with the biggest potential. As well as the BIO-CEL® membrane bioreactor for the treatment of waste water, we are also introducing the FLOW-CEL® system for the fermentation market. This year we will invest more than €2 million in production lines to underline their position as one of the largest independent membrane producers worldwide.
What are you looking forward to at Achema?
The ACHEMA trade show is one of the most important in the calendar. The three years cycle means that innovations and new developments can be exhibited. This makes the event extremely attractive to the decision makers in our industries. We are looking forward to welcoming our global partners at the show, as it gives us a fantastic opportunity to present our latest developments and also enables us to address a lot of potential new clients.
Hall 5.1 Stand J3-H7
What is driving the marketplace currently?
At the macroeconomic level there are two things - consolidation and cost pressures. Both dynamics are driving an innovation crunch. Millipore is also in part, fuelling these industry moving innovations, especially in the disposables arena for our customers. Our customers in biopharma and traditional pharma need to bring more molecules to market faster. Millipore is well positioned and completely aligned with our customers towards this end. We develop technologies that enable the industry to gain efficiencies by producing varied batches in faster process times.
Millipore is unmatched in our ability to bring new, truly innovative products to market that address the biggest concerns in the industry. We have very close partnerships with some of the largest players because they know that we have the people and expertise to move them and the industry to the next level.
What new developments are you working on to address this?
Millipore recently launched four Mobius® FlexReady Solutions for clarification, media and buffer preparation, tangential flow filtration (TFF) and virus filtration that address these concerns. These advancements are possible because we partner closely with our customers, evolving with them and continuing to listen to their needs. Our innovative solutions are designed to meet these needs on an ongoing basis.
What products are you showcasing at Achema?
- Mobius® FlexReady Solutions.
- Viresolve® Pro virus clearance solution.
- NovaSeptum® sampling system.
- Cogent® M1 bench top TFF system.
What applications is this/are these suitable for?
Mobius® FlexReady Solutions are made up of FlexwareTM single-use filter assemblies and process-ready hardware systems optimized for clarification, media and buffer preparation, tangential flow filtration (TFF) and virus filtration unit operations.
Viresolve® Pro solution is a next-generation parvovirus safety solution designed to provide the highest levels of retention assurance and productivity. The Viresolve Pro membrane allows for the processing of high concentration feed streams that are becoming more common with the recent improvements in bioreactor productivity and advancements in other downstream processing technologies.
NovaSeptum® sterile sampling systems is ideal for general fluid and cell culture sampling from aseptic and sterile processes. The NovaSeptum AV units meet the sampling demands of today's high value biotherapeutic products with small, accurate volume sampling capability.
Cogent® M1bench top Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) system is suited for process development, scaling studies, clinical trials as well as small-scale production.
What does the future hold for your company?
The future is very bright for Millipore because we have continued to evolve, innovate and move the market. Our strong collaboration with our customers enables us to give them the solutions that they want and need. We’re excited about what’s to come with our core device, single use and suite of purification technologies. Millipore prides itself in bringing innovation to the industry and it is something that we will never stop doing. We are a leader in the life science tools market being able to operate efficiently while minimizing our impact on the environment.
What are you looking forward to at Achema?
Connecting with our customers and showcasing the innovative solutions Millipore can provide to help them reach their goals. I look forward to seeing the excitement created around the European launch of our new Mobius FlexReady Solutions.
