PROCESS Innovation Award nominates the Champions of Innovations 2015 — A smartphone that understands pumps? A virtual chromatography process? An innovative material? These and many other developments have the potential to fundamentally change the industry. Anyone believing that all significant inventions in the process industry have already been made is much mistaken: At Achema 2015, we have searched for the innovation champions — with surprising results.

In 2009, the SGL Group’s Process Technology Business Unit changed tact and began taking the initiative by deciding to act rather than react. When PROCESS paid Frank Wittchen, who is in charge of the BU, a visit, he explained why he prefers to reach out to customers and outlined what he means by the 3D strategy...

Hidden champion and pump manufacturer Lewa is operating in almost all parts of the world—Nikkiso of Japan acquired the German company in 2009. Lewa has in-depth expertise in metering systems. Its innovative strengths and willingness to continually evolve lay the foundation for sustained business excellence. The company operates under the direction of a three-man German/Japanese senior management team. Chief Marketing Officer Stefan Glasmeyer provided an insight into the underlying strategy.

Package unit integration: how do you assemble a modular system? — Package units, modular system design and process skids are hot topics at the moment. Thinking in systems is becoming a familiar soundbite in the component manufacturing and chemical industries, but the building block approach is not making as much headway as had been expected. Interfaces to existing automation and control systems are lacking. An overview.

Time and again, the media sets its sights on pipelines. Nord Stream, which now is in operation, provided a score of headlines. Construction of South Stream has also started, a triumph for Russia. The USA is experiencing a gas boom, yet exports are trailing behind – at least for the moment. Whatever the case, valve makers always are in the winning team.

Successful food production requires adherence to a number of regulatory standards, such as EC 1935/2004, and eccentric disc pumps help processors satisfy their strict demands.

As for any complex process, the devil is in the detail, and, in manufacturing, there are few exceptions. Here is where a system's smallest components can make or break a company's financial targets for success. To improve the operational efficiency of o-rings, gaskets diaphragms, valves and pump stators, perfluoroelastomer seals may be the right choice.

Slurry pumps are real workhorses — under harsh conditions they transport often highly abrasive and corrosive slurries in applications that do not leave much room for compromises. ITT’s Goulds Pumps has spend significant efforts to design a hard-working pump that combines economically sound performance with high reliability, the company says. The result: a design that “provides a leap in productivity,“ John Manna, ITT’s vice president, global marketing, believes.

Dairies worldwide are adopting green technologies to meet their energy needs. Indian dairies must catch up soon. Today there are several innovative and efficient technologies available in the renewable energy domain that can be used for catering to various energy needs of the dairy industry. Harnessing solar energy for various heat-based applications like generating steam, hot water, etc has become more viable with time.

Getting down to the lab: Quattroflow's new single-use quaternary diaphragm pumps are perfectly suited for Radial Flow Chromatography (RFC) systems. RFCs are typically used in biopharmaceutical productions to adsorb and purify Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API).