Milestone
Separation Technology

In a significant step forward to bring continuous processing technology to a broader pharmaceutical customer segment, Gea has repositioned its Consigma portfolio to ensure that new drugs can be brought to market as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.

The degree of automation in production plants in the food, dairy and beverage industry is constantly increasing. This also increases the demand for intelligent field devices. Sooner or later this leads to a confusing multitude of interfaces with different mechanical and electrical characteristics. In general, the solution to this challenge is called IO-Link and Gea's T.Vis actuators are now available with this technology.

At the start of 2020, Gea embarked on a new course — two functional business areas were divided into five divisions, including Liquid & Powder Technologies with the business unit Chemical Technologies (BU CT). Dr. Christopher Braun, who has been managing the business of Gea Wiegand for 19 years, is expecting this to deliver clearer responsibilities. He believes that areas of growth for thermal separation technology will be found particularly in attractive niche markets.

Earlier this year, GEA Pavan successfully handed over a seventh production line for manufacturing breakfast cereals to polish breakfast cereal producer OBST. Both companies have been working in a close partnership for 20 years.

“Go West”: German machines and process equipment manufacturer Gea brings its hygienic pump solutions to US markets. To support user industries right on the spot, Gea has built up the service network and a local assembly. Now, the company wants to bring its proven hygienic Hilge pumps (which are among the market leaders in Europe) to the US dairy, pharmaceutical, food and beverage markets.

Italian company Bracco in Torviscosa, located in the Udine Province, has placed an order with GEA for the supply of a falling film evaporator. This plant is a key component in the concentration of liquids and solutions in the manufacturing process of medical contrast media.

Regardless of whether for distillation, filtration, drying or clarification — without separation technology, nothing goes. After all, most raw ingredients and products of chemical reactions are mixtures of substances that need to be separated for further processing. So it is good to have a partner who is a single provider capable of supplying everything from mechanical separation systems to exhaust air purification.

At Achema, GEA hosted a joint press conference with key suppliers to the pharmaceutical industries to highlight collaborative efforts aimed at promoting the advancement of continuous manufacturing technologies.