cpp – Process technology for the chemical industry 03.2020

03-2020 

22 TITEL 

DATA – THE NEW OIL? 

8 TWIN SCREW PUMPS 

HYGIENIC DESIGN 

PERFECTLY EXECUTED 

30 MAINTENANCE 

HOW DUMB COMPONENTS 

LEARN TO TALK 

48 DRY VACUUM 

NOTES FOR THE USE OF 

SCREW VACUUM PUMPS 

PROCESS TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 

WWW.CPP-NET.COM

TABLETING TOOLS 

EFFICIENCY FOR TABLET MANUFACTURING 

+ Long dwell times 

+ Continuously high, efficient productivity 

+ Application-specific solutions 

+ Highest quality in every tablet 

www.fette-compacting.com 

A member of

Ideal for the production 

of homogeneous mixtures 

with high solids content 

An autumn without 

Powtech 

Powtech was the original plan. Then came Powtech Special Edition. 

And now the exhibition has been cancelled altogether owing to co - 

ronavirus. This late decision by the Nuremberg organiser was taken 

in response to the concerns of numerous exhibitors and trade visitors 

regarding on-site events. It was also not at all clear whether, as 

the number of cases continues to rise, enough visitors would actually 

be willing to travel to Bavaria’s second biggest city. Against 

this background, the cancellation was definitely the right move. In 

the present tense economic situation, who needs a Powtech that 

could well end in a fiasco? Powtech may no longer be taking place 

now, yet companies who were looking forward to exhibiting in 

Nuremberg can nevertheless make their voice heard in this issue. 

The relevant articles are combined in a special section on “Powder 

and bulk solids processing” starting on page 32. 

Our cover story on page 22 is all about Plantsight. This solution was 

jointly developed by Siemens and Bentley Systems with the specific 

requirements of the process industry in mind. Plantsight makes it 

possible to collect, connect, contextualise, validate and make use of 

all existing plant data. The solution transforms raw data into one 

complete digital twin that is continuously updated. 

A visit to Wangen Pumpen which was planned for June unfortunately 

also had to be called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, 

thanks to modern telecommunications, I was able to conduct the 

interview with application engineer Klaus Renzelmann by telephone 

instead. In the article on page 8, he explains how his firm has so far 

managed to navigate the turbulence of the coronavirus era. In addition 

to this, he introduces the twin screw pumps in the Twin NG series and 

reveals why MX pumps are the icing on the cake of Wangen Pumpen’s 

portfolio. I hope you enjoy reading this issue. Stay well! 

XPP 

/// Compact & extremely 

efficient mixing and 

dispersing plant 

IKA-Werke GmbH & Co. KG 

Phone: +49 7633 831-0 

eMail: process@ika.de 

www.ikaprocess.com // IKAworldwide 

Lukas Lehmann, Assistant Editor-in-Chief 

cpp 03-2020 3

cpp CONTENTS 03-2020 

22 Cover In Plantsight 

from Siemens, real 

and virtual worlds can be 

brought into harmony 

through an all-encompassing 

digital twin 

platform. 

8 In an interview with 

cpp, Klaus Renzelmann 

presents the Twin NG 

series of twin screw 

pumps. He also reveals 

why the MX pumps are 

the icing on the cake of 

the Pumpenfabrik 

Wangen product range. 

30 With the batterypowered 

edge computer 

the size of a field ice 

hockey puck many dumb 

plant components learn 

to talk. 

PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGY 

8 Hygienic design perfectly executed 

Twin screw pumps and progressing cavity pumps 

from Wangen 

13 Flexible cobot gripper handles cosmetics 

Powerful solution for collaborative robots 

34 Powder processing for additive manufacturing 

Use of a 3-in-1 conical mix-dryer and reactor provides 

advantages 

36 PRODUCTS 

38 For clean bags and pallets 

Optical measuring system detects irregularities on 

bag valves 

INSTRUMENTATION, CONTROL, AUTOMATION 

20 Pitfalls and opportunities in the selection of HMIs 

Seeing the bigger picture 

22 COVER Data – the new oil? 

Added value in process industries 

26 Functional safety in the petrochemical industry 

Oil – Gas – SIL 3 

28 Radar sensor monitors filling level in storage silo 

Use in paint production 

30 How dumb components learn to talk 

Condition-based maintenance of mechanical 

components 

FOCUS: POWDER AND BULK SOLIDS PROCESSING 

32 Tablet press field test 

Pharmaceutical manufacturer puts efficiency to the test 

PLANTS, APPARATUS, COMPONENTS 

40 New installation during operation 

Fully automated filling technology for a large 

storage facility 

42 How to solve the most frequent issues 

Overcoming common process sampling system 

challenges 

44 Digitisation in the field of explosion safety 

Central monitoring and control with the safety 

software iQ Safety Cockpit 

46 Choosing the right blower 

Rotary lobe, rotary screw or turbo 

48 Notes for the use of screw vacuum pumps 

Dry vacuum technology for chemical and 

pharmaceutical processes 

50 Added value at all levels 

Supervision and control system for valve actuators 

4 cpp 03-2020

46 Rotary piston, screw 

and turbo blowers – the 

variety of machines for 

the production of compressed 

air is large. It 

pays off to have a comprehensive 

demand 

analysis to select the right 

blowers. 

50 The Sima² Master 

station guarantees highest 

plant availability, thanks 

to reliable and efficient 

communication via stand - 

ardised fieldbus protocols, 

comprehensive redundancy 

options, and a multitude of 

diagnostics. 

COLUMNS 

3 Editorial 

4 Contents 

6 News 

15 PRODUCTS 

52 List of Advertisers 

52 Contact to the Editors 

52 Imprint 

WWW.CPP-NET.COM 

More news, facts, products and 

solutions for the process technology 

in the chemical industry can be found 

on our internet page! 

www.cpp-net.com 


cpp 

NEWS 

FORTY YEARS OF GRANULATION OF CHEMICALS 

MILESTONE FOR IPCO’S ROTOFORM SYSTEM 

Continuous development of Ipco Rotoform 

granulation technology from 1980 to 2020 

Picture: Ipco 

Chemical processing and handling equipment 

manufacturer Ipco is celebrating 40 

years’ continuous production of its Rotoform 

granulation system. 

The development of this rotary dropforming 

technology in 1980 brought new levels 

of quality and productivity to the market 

and changed the face of chemical granulation. 

A premium quality formed product – 

one with consistent specifications – enables 

safer, easier handling during storage and 

transportation. Such is the quality and reliability 

of granulation delivered by Rotoform 

that it has gone on to sell more than 2000 

systems to date. 

“We had been supplying flaking systems 

since the early 1950s,” says Johan Sjögren, 

Managing Director of Ipco’s Equipment 

division,“and our ranges now encompass 

storage and handling solutions too, but the 

introduction of Rotoform was a defining 

moment in our company’s history. It put us 

on the map in this respect and the system 

remains the market leader to this day.” 

While the core principle – direct-from-themelt 

solidification on a steel belt cooler – 

remains unchanged, Rotoform technology 

has undergone significant advances over the 

years. In 2013 the company introduced the 

4G (4th Generation) Rotoform, the foundation 

of an entire family of models designed 

to meet specific process requirements. 

These include the granulation of 

abrasive and sedimenting materials (e.g. 

catalysts and suspensions), melts requiring a 

high feed temperature (e.g. bitumen, resins), 

the pastillation of subcooling melts in 

supercooling plants (e.g. photo chemicals) 

and the handling of high viscosity products 

(e.g. chocolate, hot melts and resin). 

With pioneering spirit passion 

130 YEARS OF PFEIFFER VACUUM 

Corporate building of Pfeiffer Vacuum 

Pfeiffer Vacuum has been setting standards 

in vacuum technology for 130 years. 

Science and industry have benefited equally 

from the numerous innovations developed 

and successfully brought to the market by 

Picture: Pfeiffer Vacuum 

this long-established company. The best 

example of this is the turbomolecular 

pump, which was developed by the company 

in 1958 and has been indispensable in 

the market ever since. Thanks to its expertise, 

Pfeiffer Vacuum is still the world market 

and technology leader in this field. 

The vacuum specialist has been characterised 

by its pioneering spirit and passion 

from the very beginning. When Arthur 

Pfeiffer founded the company in Wetzlar, 

Germany, in 1890, he initially devoted his 

attention to the production of remote ignition 

systems for gas lamps. Once electric 

light bulbs had established themselves on 

the market, the company founder quickly 

turned his attention to the new lighting 

technology that led him to look at the vacuum 

technology used in its production. 

Arthur Pfeiffer quickly recognized the 

significance that vacuum technology could 

have in practically all areas of industry and 

research – and he subsequently concentrated 

entirely on this field. 

Today, Pfeiffer Vacuum products still stand 

for high-tech solutions with excellent reliability 

and efficient performance. Customers 

such as the Max Planck Institute, CERN, 

XFEL and EADS are proof of this reliability – 

vacuum pumps made by the Asslar-based 

manufacturer are even in use in the ISS 

space station. 

CLARIANT DOUBLES THE 

DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY 

Sample preparation with a high-throughput 

robot in Clariant Catalysts’ expanded 

research center in Palo Alto, California 

Clariant Catalysts is picking up speed 

with the successful expansion of its highthroughput 

R&D center in Palo Alto, California. 

Thanks to a significant investment, 

the upgraded facility is fitted with 

the latest high-throughput equipment, 

and will be home to an expanded team 

of technical experts. By doubling the research 

and development capacity of its 

Palo Alto facility, the company greatly 

strengthens its ability to offer faster and 

better solutions to its customers, and to 

support partners with custom catalyst 

scale-up projects. High-throughput R&D 

combines state-of-the art hardware, robotics, 

automated procedures, and 

specialised software to enable up to 100 

times faster experimentation compared 

to traditional practices. 

Picture: Clariant 


Strategic partnership 

THYSSENKRUPP AND AIR PRODUCTS COOPERATE ON GREEN HYDROGEN 

Picture: Thyssenkrupp 

Thyssenkrupp has developed high-efficiency 

alkaline water electrolysis technology 

The industrial gases group Air Products 

and the electrolysis plant manufacturer 

Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers 

have announced the signing of a strategic 

cooperation agreement. The two companies 

will collaborate exclusively in key regions, 

using their complementary technology, engineering 

and project execution strengths to 

develop projects supplying green hydrogen. 

Thyssenkrupp will deliver its technology 

and supply specific engineering, equipment 

and technical services for water electrolysis 

plants to be built, owned and operated by 

Air Products. The collaboration leverages 

Thyssenkrupp’s technology supporting Air 

Products’ development of green hydrogen 

as an energy carrier for sustainable trans- 

portation, chemicals and power generation. 

„We are proud to cooperate with Air Products 

in making value chains for fuels, 

chemicals, and industry feedstocks sustainable. 

Large-scale electrolysis is the key technology 

to connect renewable power to the 

different sectors of mobility and industry. As 

a world market leader in electrolysis we 

bring in both: technology and production 

capacity at scale. Already today, we are set to 

supply one gigawatt for water electrolysis 

plants per year, and we are prepared to 

ramp up the capacity in this rapidly evolving 

market,“ said Denis Krude, CEO at 

Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers. 

Relocation of production to Poland 

GEA INVESTS EUR 30 MILLION IN SITE EXPANSION 

Picture: GEA 

GEA advances the optimisation of its production 

network and invests in site expansion 

in Poland 

The plant manufacturer GEA decided on strategic guidelines and significant 

investments to further optimise its production network. In this context, pro - 

duction at the Bodenheim site near Mainz will be discontinued by the end of 

2024. The plant in Koszalin, Poland, will be expanded into a center of competence 

for pump production and comprehensive machining. GEA will invest around EUR 

30 million in this expansion. Investments and a further consolidation of production 

and process activities are planned at other locations, too. The aim is to further 

strengthen GEA’s global production network in order to increase productivity and 

reduce its cost base. 

Investments and a further consolidation of production and process activities are 

planned at other locations, too. The aim is to further strengthen GEA’s global 

production network in order to increase productivity and reduce its cost base. 

cpp NEWS TICKER 

Namur Annual Conference 

China postponed to 2021 

Porotec becomes part of 

Verder Scientific 

Picture: Verder Scientific 

Picture: Evonik 

Evonik‘s new chief 

innovation officer 

Andreas Fischer has been named 

Bild: Bauer Gear Motor 

Change in management 

Bauer Gear Motor has appointed 

Nader Halmuschi as its new ma- 

The planned Namur Annual 

Conference with the motto “Enhanced 

Connectivity for Smart 

Production“ which is sponsored 

by Phoenix Contact was intensively 

prepared by Namur China 

core team and Phoenix Contact 

The Verder Group has acquired 

Evonik‘s new chief innovation of- 

naging director to take the reins 

local team. Due to the current 

the German company Porotec 

ficer, effective July 1. He takes 

as Karl-Peter Simon announces 

global situation of Covid-19, the 

GmbH, thus further expanding its 

over from Ulrich Küsthardt, who 

his intention to retire. Bauer Gear 

Namur Annual Conference China 

particle characterisation busi- 

has held this position since 2015 

Motor, which is part of Altra In- 

will be postponed by one year. 

ness. Porotec operates success- 

and is now taking early retire- 

dustrial Motion Corp., has used 

Namur and Phoenix Contact will 

fully as a dealer for Microtrac 

ment. Fischer plans to further 

the last few months to plan the 

continue the close cooperation 

MRB, a company under the roof 

strengthen the link between in- 

management succession and ap- 

and prepare for the conference 

of the Verder Scientific Division 

novative capability and customer 

point a replacement who has the 

for August 2021. 

also specialised in particle char- 

focus, and make it an unmistak- 

experience and technical knowl- 

acterisation. 

able hallmark of Evonik. 

edge required for the position. 




Pictures: Pumpenfabrik Wangen 

Klaus Renzelmann works in the application technology team at Pumpenfabrik Wangen, where he is also responsible for the Twin NG and 

MX ranges of hygienic pumps 

Twin screw pumps and progressing cavity pumps from Wangen 

Hygienic design 

perfectly executed 

In an interview with cpp, Klaus Renzelmann presents the Twin NG series of 

twin screw pumps. The application engineer also reveals why the MX 

pumps are the icing on the cake of the Pumpenfabrik Wangen product 

range. And he reports on record months during the coronavirus crisis. 

Mr. Renzelmann, how badly did the coronavirus crisis hit 

Pumpenfabrik Wangen? 

Klaus Renzelmann: Actually, we did really well throughout the first 

half of the year. March, April and May were real record months for us. 

We do not know how the situation will continue as the corona virus 

will tend to have more and more of an impact on new projects. 

Let us now talk about the Twin range of twin screw pumps. Since 

when have the pumps been part of your company’s product range? 

Renzelmann: We initially launched the Twin pumps at Anuga Foodtec 

2012, but only sizes 104 and 130 back then. Since then, the 

pumps have been used in a wide variety of different sectors. Our 

engineers continued to gradually develop the pumps based on the 

experience we gained there. The Twin NG series of twin screw 

pumps is the result of this continuous development work, and this 

year we will replace its predecessor, the Twin range. 

How do Twin NG pumps differ from the previous models? 

Renzelmann: Through their significantly improved ease of service. 

This starts with the handles on the pumps, which make the removal 

of the pump housing more convenient. Then the seals now have a 

cartridge design, which makes it considerably easier to replace the 

seal. A self-centering flange housing also ensures alignment of the 

coupling after service work. And, last but not least, the Twin NG 

pumps are equipped with Fast-X-Change technology. 

What is behind this technology? 

Renzelmann: It is a process for automatic synchronisation of the 

spindles. During installation or maintenance of the pump, the screw 

spindles simply need to be attached without the need for re-synchronisation. 

Fast-X-Change makes changing the spindle unbelievably 

easy, saves valuable time, avoids sources of error, and ultimately 

simplifies the adjustment of the pump to the media to be pumped. 


An important point to stress at this point: we have significantly increased 

the variety of different spindles with the Twin NG pumps. 

Does the operator need to remove the pump when changing the 

spindle? 

Renzelmann: No. The pump housing, complete with all its connections, 

can remain in the system. The pump simply needs to be 

opened and the old spindles replaced by new ones. 

What about the robustness of the pumps? 

Renzelmann: Once again here, the Twin NG pumps have much to 

offer. For instance, particularly under harsh operating conditions, 

shaft protection sleeves ensure that the shafts do not run into the 

radial shaft seals as easily, and hence also prevent oil losses. More - 

over, the couplings have a ledge, which prevents them from hitting 

the housing should they become loose. 

What sizes of pump are available? 

Renzelmann: They are available in sizes 70, 104, 130 and 180. The 

smallest pump, the Twin NG 70, has a pump capacity of 25 m 3 /h. 

This figure rises to 200 m 3 /h with the largest pump, the Twin NG 

180. The pump capacities are based on media with a viscosity of 

1 mPas. The pumps can be used for media with a viscosity of up to 

1,000,000 mPas. 

Please give us a few examples of products that can be used with 

the pump. 

Renzelmann: The products range from low-viscosity products, such 

as alcohol, juices, cleaning agents and water, to liquid sugar, soups, 

mayonnaise and fruit preparations, and even high-viscosity pulps, 

tomato purée, dough or sausage meat. It is important that the same 

pump can be used to pump low- and high-viscosity products. This 

means that Twin NG pumps can be used as product pumps and also 

as CIP pumps. Customers save the cost of a separate centrifugal 

pump, bypass lines, valves and measuring technology etc. 

„The MX pumps are the icing on the cake. 

They round off the top of our range of pro - 

gressing cavity pumps in terms of hygiene 

and pumping precision.“ 

In which materials are Twin NG pumps available? 

Renzelmann: Wetted components are generally made of higherquality 

stainless steel. However, we can also supply a galvanised or 

coated grey cast iron bearing housing, with all wetted components 

continuing to be made of stainless steel. 

What qualities of stainless steel are used? 

Renzelmann: We manufacture, as standard, in stainless steel 4404 

or 4408. Special materials, such as Duplex or Hastelloy, are available 

on request. 

What hygienic standards or guidelines do the pumps meet? 

Renzelmann: We are permitted to use the 3-A label and EHEDG for 

the Twin NG 70, Twin NG104 and Twin NG 130 pumps. All four 

sizes also achieve excellent values with CIP and SIP cleaning. Thanks 

The Twin NG twin screw pump stands out on account of its ease 

of service 

to their ease of disassembly the pumps can also be manually cleaned 

very easily – a factor that becomes increasingly important if the 

pumps cannot be process-reliably cleaned by CIP. 

In what sectors are the pumps used? 

Renzelmann: The food industry is the major customer. The pumps 

are also used in the chemical industry, especially in areas where 

large volumes of product need to be pumped and where the ability 

to clean the pump is crucial. I am thinking here about the production 

of paints and coatings. 

And what about the pharmaceutical industry? 

Renzelmann: These pumps are rarely used in that sector. However, 

this industry is one of the main customers of our MX range of progressing 

cavity pumps. 

That was a very elegant link to the second part of our interview in 

which I would like to talk to you about MX progressing cavity 

pumps. How do these pumps differ from your company’s other 

progressing cavity pumps? 

Renzelmann: We took over these pumps from Knoll. They ideally 

complete the top of our range of hygienic progressing cavity 

pumps – they are essentially the icing on the cake. These totally hygienic 

pumps are designed for applications in which very high 

pressures need to be generated in a few steps and where pumping 

precision is crucial. 

Does that mean that Wangen’s other progressing cavity pumps are 

not as hygienic and precise in terms of metering? 

Renzelmann: No, they are not. But they have other strengths, such 

as their excellent robustness to foreign matter. 

The MX range includes the four pump designs MX-R, MX-S, MX-T 

and MX-F. How do these pumps differ from each other? 

Renzelmann: The MX-R is a hopper feed pump, which is suitable 

for use with high-viscosity products that are no longer free-flow - 

ing. The MX-S is a suction design of progressing cavity pump. The 

MX-T and MX-F designs are designed for vertical operation and so 

are perfect for various metering and transfer tasks, with the MX-F 

also featuring a follower plate. All the above pump designs share a 

common feature: all their stators have an EvenWall design. 




Please explain this technology to us. 

Renzelmann: With EvenWall technology, the stator casing is adapt ed 

to the inner contour of the stator and has a uniformly thick 4 to 

12 mm thick elastomer layer. This results in attractive benefits to 

users compared to conventional progressing cavity pumps with a 

cylindrical outer stator casing geometry and correspondingly differ - 

ent elastomer wall thicknesses: MX pumps achieve considerably higher 

pressure stability, there is less backflow, fewer downtimes and 

their efficiency is extended. Other benefits include less shearing of 

the products being pumped and improved suction behaviour. Moreover, 

thanks to EvenWall technology, the pumps generate 10 bar 

per pressure stage. This value is between 4 and 6 bar with conventional 

progressing cavity pumps. As the MX pumps can be designed 

as multi-stage pumps, this enables them to achieve pres sures of up 

to 80 bar – coupled with their extremely compact design. 

Are there other benefits apart from the special design of the stator? 

Renzelmann: Definitely. The pumps have a modular design so that 

they can be easily adapted to the most diverse applications. Their 

sealing chamber is generously sized providing space for all possible 

sealing arrangements. 

Are the pumps CIP- and SIP-capable? 

Renzelmann: But of course. They are also designed to be easy-toclean 

with no dead spaces. EHEDG and 3-A Sanitary Standard certification 

approval will come in the next weeks. 

Let us now talk about the materials used. 

Renzelmann: We use stainless steels 1.4571, 1.4404 and 1.4301 for 

the wetted metal components. The elastomer components are made 

of different materials, which are all FDA-compliant and approved 

PUMPENFABRIK WANGEN: 

FACTS & FIGURES 

Dr. Herbert Wallbrecher founded Pumpenfabrik Wangen 

in 1969. Over the past 50 years, his small craft business 

with a handful of employees has grown into a globally 

operating plant manufacturer. The displacement pump 

specialist today employs around 250 people. The company’s 

product range includes progressing cavity pumps 

and twin screw pumps for the food and beverage industry 

as well as for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and 

chemical industries. The pumps are developed and produced 

at the company’s headquarters in Wangen. The 

medium-sized company also has a branch in Schwerin 

and a subsidiary in the USA. The international sales of 

pumps rely on a global network of sales and distribution 

partners. The international sales and distribution 

network is currently being expanded to include partners 

in Great Britain, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Australia and 

New Zealand. 

Pumpenfabrik Wangen recorded a turnover of around 

46 million euros in 2019. 

The stators of the MX progressing cavity pumps are designed for Even 

Wall technology 

according to EU 1935/2004. They include EPDM, NBR and fluoro - 

elastomers. 

What capacities do the MX progressing cavity pumps provide? 

Renzelmann: We supply four designs of pumps, with each one 

being available in several sizes. Apart from the viscosity of the prod - 

uct being pumped, the capacity, of course, also depends on the pump 

being used. The capacity range extends from 1 to 100,000 l/h. 

What about the viscosity of the products being pumped? 

Renzelmann: MX pumps are able to pump both low and high viscosity 

media. They work very well with low-viscosity products at 

low capacity. This is because MX pumps do not experience the slippage 

that frequently occurs with twin screw pumps. 

Where are the pumps used in the chemical industry? 

Renzelmann: Yes. For instance, a paint and coatings manufacturer has 

60 of these pumps in its company. In the pharmaceutical industry, 

they are used, among other things, for the metering of ointments. 


Online search: Pumpenfabrik Wangen 

THE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY: 

LUKAS LEHMANN 

Assistant Editor-in-Chief 




Powerful solution for collaborative robots 

Flexible cobot gripper 

handles cosmetics 

Whether cartons, bags, tubes or glass containers, Piab‘s Kenos KCS gripper helps 

the cosmetics industry to combine and pack many different small items in different 

ways for different branch types. The matching UR-Caps app makes commissioning 

the gripper for handling cosmetics on a cobot from Universal Robots particularly 

easy. Thanks to the flexibility of the Kenos KCS gripper, it can handle products of 

any shape or surface. 

For the cosmetics industry, placing 

products into packages ranging from 

huge divisions in department stores 

or flagship outlets to tiny cosmetic 

shops, is a particular challenge. Today 

this task is often fulfilled by an armada 

of workers hand picking and 

placing each item into each specific 

box. The opportunity for automation 

seems obvious, but it is also challenging, 

as it demands an extremely high degree 

of flexibility to make an investment 

economically worthwhile. 

Piab’s UR Plus certified Kenos KCS 

gripper considers these requirements 

of customers from the cosmetics industry 

who are in need of a solution that 

provides a combination of many small 

The Kenos KCS gripper can handle almost everything – an important feature 

when it comes to cosmetics distribution 

Pictures: Piab 

items in various ways for different store 

types. 

Automation tool 

Cobot manufacturer Universal Robots 

specialises in the provision of automation 

solutions that solve tasks together with the 

human workforce. While cobots are easy to 

use and fast to deploy, flexibility often 

depends on the gripper technology. 

To support Universal Robots’ vision of 

providing an out-of-the-box usable solution, 

the gripper must seamlessly integrate 

into the UR-Plus plug-and-playplatform, 

which allows easy installation 

and implementations. The start-up phase 

when using new UR-Plus certified 

grippers is considerably shortened by the 

UR-Caps developed by the gripper manufacturer. 

These small programmes are similar 

to mobile phone apps. Within a few 

minutes they enable the user to commission 

a new gripper on a Universal Robots 

cobot without detailed programming 

know-how. Piab’s Kenos KCS gripper is 

now equipped with the respective UR Cap 

and listed on the respective UR-Plus-Solutions 

website. 

Any gripper used in cosmetics distribution 

needs to offer the flexibility of being able 

to handle all kinds of products, in every 

shape and packaging type, be it cartons, 

bags, tubes or glass containers. With the 

flexibility of the Kenos KCS gripper, customers 

in the cosmetics industry are able 

to pick and place products with any shape 




Every 

child 

is one of a kind and 

unique. Each child 

needs individual 

support according to 

their needs. Please 

help us by donating. 

Thank you! 

The Kenos KCS gripper consists 

of a pump unit for vacuum 

generation and a 

gripper unit made of a technical 

foam that can adapt to a 

variety of contours 

Tel.: 0800/50 30 300 (free of charge) 

IBAN DE22 4306 0967 2222 2000 00 

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www.sos-kinderdoerfer.de 

2016/1 

or surface. This makes it easy for them to 

handle a variety of different parts with just 

one end-of-arm-tool. 

KCS system 

The Kenos KCS gripper consists of a separate 

pump unit, which integrates modular vacuum 

generation in a very small space, and of 

a gripper unit. Both are connected by a 

quick-change system. The main gripper consists 

of a technical foam, which can adapt to 

a wide variety of contours and can thus flexibly 

accommodate different parts. This eliminates 

in many cases the need for accurate 

identification of a product as well as the 

gripping surfaces. Accordingly, in many 

applications, exchanging the gripper when 

changing the products to be handled is not 

necessary. The cobot is therefore ready for 

immediate use for different processes. In 

addition to the greatest possible flexibility in 

the field of application, time and cost savings 

are achieved through shorter downtimes and 

time needed for retooling. 

Another advantage in this context is that the 

worn foam layer can be easily replaced without 

having to replace the entire gripper. For 

direct handling of food, the gripper can also 

be equipped with a special FDA-approved 

technical foam. For special applications, such 

as the handling of plastic bags of concentrates 

or granulates, Piab has developed another 

gripper unit, which can be swiftly exchanged 

via the quick-change system. 

Flexibility in terms of forms and surfaces that 

can be handled, as well as in the placement 

of products to be handled, are a plus for the 

cosmetics industry. It does not matter for the 

Kenos KCS gripper if a product is placed 

exactly in a specifically planned location – it 

can pick it up as long as its foam surface can 

hold most of the product. 

The gripper units are characterised by their 

edgeless design. Due to the rounded sides 

and the surface of technical foam, possible 

injury hazards were largely eliminated. This 

makes the gripper units particularly safe to 

use on cobots, which cooperate freely with 

humans. 

Use of Coax vacuum technology 

The pump unit is equipped with the powerful 

Coax SX vacuum technology. The lightweight 

Pichip unit is a small, integrationoptimised 

vacuum pump and was selected 

because of its almost silent operation, making 

it ideal for using it directly next to the 

operator. Because Coax ejectors are very fast 

and deliver three times more flow than a 

conventional ejector with identical air consumption, 

the Pichip unit can deliver high 

performance even with low or fluctuating 

supply pressure. Independent comparison 

tests at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine 

Tools and Forming Technology IWU in 

Dresden have shown that the Piab ejectors 

require significantly lower compressed air 

to achieve the same output compared to 

ejectors from other manufacturers. This 

makes them particularly energy efficient. 

Accordingly, their use reduces the cost of 

providing compressed air and thus the total 

cost of production. 


Online search: Piab 

AUTHOR: 

BERND GRIES 

Manager Global Sales 

Strategic Accounts, 

Piab Vakuum 



PRODUCTS 

Self-learning level switch 

The level switch Cleverlevel 

PL20from Baumer makes processes 

more flexible – because it 

no longer matters what is in the 

tank. The self-learning sensor 

automatically adjusts to the 

different media. This ensures 

maximum flexibility with minimum 

setup times. In addition, 

thanks to its compact design 

and low installation depth, it 

has only a minor impact on the 

process. 

Even adhesions such as those 

that occur with pasty materials 

Picture: Baumer 

and electrostatic charging do 

not affect the performance of 

the sensor. In such cases as well, 

the level switch adjusts the 

switching level without any type 

of parameterisation, minimising 

downtimes that may be caused 

by faulty switching. With an additional 

optional 4…20 mA 

analog output, the PL20 can 

help differentiate the media 

within the process or evaluate 

the cleaning process. What is 

more, the graphic evaluation of 

the measurement results with 

the help of the Flexprogrammer 

ensures a transparent process. In 

addition, the sensor can be 

easily and quickly integrated in 

already existing systems via the 

analogue interface. At the same 

time, the large selection of process 

connections and adapters 

allows the flexible and easy integration 

of the sensor. 


Online search: Baumer 

amixon ® Mix-Dryers and Reactors 

Mixing, drying and synthesizing in one apparatus 

✓ 

✓ 

Particularly gentle mixing and contact drying 

Ideal heat exchange - mixing chamber and mixing tool can be 

temperature controlled 

✓ 

Sizes from 100 liters to 50.000 liters available 

Service packages for expert assistance 

With GEA Remote Support, GEA 

experts are instantly available 

via video, which neither 

requires pre-installing software 

nor an updated IT-infrastructure. 

GEA now offers customers 

two new service packages providing 

different types of remote 

expert assistance. 

The standard package includes 

instant GEA expert support and 

is compatible with any commercially 

mobile device. This GEA 

remote support option leverages 

a video streaming service that is 

safe and ensures the protection 

of customer data given it uses a 

closed video network. Customers 

can initiate a session from 

their own production location 

via e-mail or SMS, which contains 

a secure link to initiate a 

video conversation. This option 

also allows for sharing imagery 

back and forth during the conversation, 

as well as sending descriptions 

and instructions via 

the chat function. To make 

accessing support even easier 

for customers, GEA also offers a 

second, hands-free option: The 

eye wear package includes 

specially-designed glasses and 

provides customers with the 

freedom to communicate with 

GEA experts while performing 

tasks. The optimised GEA Remote 

Eye Wear glasses include 

an integrated high-resolution 

camera and reliable microphone, 

providing several bidirectional 

functions. 


Online search: GEA 

Picture: GEA 

✓ Virtually complete discharge 

✓ Can be used for powders, granulates, liquids and highly 

viscous pastes 

✓ Filling levels can vary from approx. 15% to 100% 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

Variable peripheral speed from 0.3 to 5 m/s 

Easy to clean and sterilize, fully automatic 

All components of the amixon ® mixer are made in Germany. 

The machines are manufactured exclusively in the amixon ® 

factory in Paderborn, Germany. 

Save the date! Trade Shows 2021: 

Eurotier 09.-12. February 2021 Hannover 

amixon GmbH 

Paderborn, Germany 

sales@amixon.com 

www.amixon.com 

Interpack 25. Februar - 03. March 2021 Duesseldorf 

Solids 17.-18. March 2021 Dortmund 

Anuga FoodTec 23.-26. March 2021 Cologne 

Achema 14.-18. June 2021 Frankfurt cpp / Main 03-2020 15


PRODUCTS 

Optimised interfaces to CAE programmes 

The optimised interfaces to 

popular CAE programmes in the 

Project complete planning and 

marking software from Phoenix 

Contact enable data from electrical 

planning to be integrated 

with a click of the mouse. The 

corresponding terminal strip is 

configured automatically. 

The following changes can then 

be made in Project complete: 

replace terminal blocks, add 

accessories, exchange bridges. 

Picture: Phoenix Contact 

After editing the configuration, 

the changes are exported to the 

CAE programmes. The interface 

between the Project complete 

planning software and the CAE 

programme is established with 

just a few clicks. 

The Project complete software 

enables the easy configuration 

of terminal strips. It provides 

support through the entire process 

of control cabinet manufacturing 

– from configuration 

through to the finished application. 

The programme features 

an intuitive user interface that 

enables the individual planning, 

automatic checking, and direct 

ordering of terminal strips. The 

marking and planning software 

is part of the Complete line system. 


Online search: Phoenix Contact 

Combining performance with durability 

The CSA and CSI Frame 1 

groups of sealless pumps take a 

modular approach to combining 

performance with durability 

and versatility while ensuring 

industry and regulatory safety 

compliance to ASME, ISO and 

IECEx standards. The HMD Kontro 

CSA and CSI ranges offer 

total containment, eliminating 

potentially dangerous leaks, essential 

for handling hazardous, 

toxic or hot substances, and preventing 

the loss of high value 

product. The containment shell 

can be provided either in metal 

Picture: HMD Kontro 

or as HMD Kontro’s unique 

Zeroloss format, which increases 

resistance against system 

upsets and saves energy. A fully 

contained casing gasket further 

improves safety by eliminating 

the risk of blowouts, dangerous 

and potentially costly where unexpected 

breakdowns occur. 

The new range conforms fully 

to the latest IECEx standard and 

assures compliance with ASME 

B73.3 and ISO 2858/15783 for 

the CSA and CSI respectively. 


Online search: HMD Kontro 

Oil-free rotary screw blower 

Hot block for open-vessel digestion 

The EBS 410 rotary screw 

blower from Kaeser is based on 

an oil-free compression blower 

technology, designed especially 

with water industry applications 

in mind. The blowers have a 

flow rate of 10 to 40 m 3 /min 

and pressure differentials from 

0.3 to 1.1, as well as a selection 

of motors ranging from 22 to 

75 kW. The SFC version is 

equipped with a frequency converter 

and a synchronous reluctance 

motor – a slip-free design 

that combines all the advantages 

of high efficiency permanentmagnet 

motors with those of 

robust, service-friendly asynchronous 

motors. Thanks to 

variable speed control, the flow 

rate can be adjusted as required 

and a control range of 1:4 is 

achieved, which allows exceptionally 

dynamic operation. 

The STC version is now 

equipped with an energy-saving 

IE4 Super Premium Efficiency 

motor that reduces energy consumption 

and therefore costs, 

making the STC version more 

efficient than ever before. 

With both versions, power 

transmission from the motor to 

the airend takes place via lossfree 

and maintenance-free gearing, 

which results in an up to 

8 % improvement in specific 

power compared to the previous 

model. The complete machine 

achieves an isentropic efficiency 

of up to 80 %. 


Suchwort: Kaeser 

Picture: Kaeser 

Well-known for its microwave-assisted digestion instruments, 

Anton Paar has now launched a laboratory hot 

block for the acid digestion, evaporation, and concentration 

of samples. Multicube 48 comes with pre-installed 

and customisable methods and complies with standard 

methods such as EPA 3010a, 3020b, 3050b, and 3060 for 

solid waste and EPA 200.2, 200.7, 200.8, 200.9, 245.1, 

and 365.1 for water. The new hot block combines an easy 

workflow and operation with Anton Paar precision. High 

temperature homogeneity of ±1 °C over the whole block 

guarantees the same digestion quality for all samples. The 

disposable low-cost vials with lowest metal blanks elimi - 

nate the risk of external contamination. 

The Multicube 48 vials can be used for weighing and 

digesting, storing digested solutions, and as volumetric 

flasks for filling up the samples to the appropriate volume. 

The vials are fully compatible with autosamplers for metal 

analysis by F-AAS, GF-AAS, ICP-OES, or ICP-MS. 


Online search: Anton Paar 

Picture: Anton Paar

Modular worm gear unit 

IP 68 waste water pumps 

The worm gear unit SN5VH 

from Ruhrgetriebe has a lightweight 

aluminium body and 

impresses with its compact design 

based on the modular principle 

and thus offers a wide 

range of possible uses for industrial 

applications. The output 

shafts can be implemented both 

as solid and hollow shafts – in 

order to be able to react to different 

conditions in different 

applications, the mounting 

position can be selected variably. 

Available are gear-motor combinations 

between 32 and 120 W 

(other engine power possible) 

and ratios from 7 to 50:1 with 

which effective torques of up to 

9 Nm are possible in a compact 

installation space. 

In addition to the many possible 

applications for new designs, 

the SN5VH is also suitable for 

repair or replacement requirements 

for gearboxes already in 

use. 


Online search: Ruhrgetriebe 

Picture: Ruhrgetriebe 

The submersible motor pumps 

Amarex KRT from KSB have 

jacket-cooled drives. The pump 

sets are available with drive ratings 

of 10 to 30 kW and are 

suitable for vertical or horizontal 

dry installation. Since the 

pump motors remain fully operational 

when not submerged, 

the pump sets can also be used 

in pump sumps when water 

levels have dropped. Thanks to 

IP 68 enclosures, the pumps also 

offer trouble-free continuous 

operation when flooded. The 

pump sets meet all explosion 

protection requirements set out 

Picture: KSB 

in the Atex, FM and CSA stand - 

ards. The motor is cooled via a 

closed circuit which avoids contact 

between the circulating 

water-glycol mixture and the 

fluid handled. The cooling 

liquid is circulated by a special 

impeller which the pump’s design 

engineers have integrated 

into the cartridge seal. The 

pumps are able to transport 

fluids with a temperature of up 

to 40 °C and operate in environments 

with a temperature of up 

to 55 °C. 


Online search: KSB 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRODUCTS 

Improved generation of gas analysers 

Depth filter cartridge for slurry filtration 

Picture: Pfeiffer Vacuum 

Pfeiffer Vacuum improved the 

Omnistar and Thermostar GSD 

350 compact, portable benchtop 

gas analysers for atmo - 

spheric pressure. The gas inlet is 

fitted with a heated capillary for 

use at up to 350 °C. This prevents 

vapours from condensing. 

With the new PV Massspec software, 

it is possible to perform 

qualitative and quantitative 

anal yses. This software offers a 

clear and user-friendly platform 

for recording and displaying 

measurement data and param - 

eter settings. Even complete 

measuring procedures can be 

programmed and automated. 

With a variety of equipment 

variants available, the mass 

ranges of 1 to 100 u, 1 to 200 u 

and 1 to 300 u are covered. 

The two new models differ 

from comparable devices by 

their compact size and easy 

operation using an integrated 

touch display or a web user interface. 

The device can be fully 

controlled and the user can also 

perform simple measurements 

without a PC or PV Massspec via 

a smartphone or tablet. 

The low detection limit of up 

to

High-quality stills produce ultra-pure water 

Picture: Lauda 

Lauda has extended its laboratory 

technology product range 

with the Lauda Puridest stills 

product line. The devices with 

the GFL technology quality 

mark produce an ultra-pure, 

low-gas, sterile and pyrogenfree 

distillate with very low conductivity. 

Puridest stills are used 

in bacteriological and medical 

sample preparation and also in 

the preparation of cell and tissue 

cultures. The distillate complies 

with the DAB regulations and 

the specifications of international 

pharmacopoeias. Puridest 

stills also distill raw water 

of lower quality, separate pollutants, 

and reliably kill germs 

such as bacteria and viruses. 

They are available in four highperformance 

product lines with 

14 single- or two-stage model 

variants in the form of stainless 

steel or glass stills. Depending 

on the model, the devices are 

equipped with a storage tank 

and produce 2 to 12 l/h of distillate 

with conductivities down 

to below 1.6 μS/cm. The stills 

are easy to commission and 

operate. The ultra-pure water 

can be extracted directly after 

connection to the raw water and 

power supply. The devices are 

maintenance-free, because the 

glass stills automatically remove 

pollutants. 


Online search: Lauda 

MASS FLOW 

CONTROLLERS 

for Air and Specialty Gases 

High accuracy and reproducibility 

Gas flow ranges from 1 ml n /min up to 500 m3 n /h 

Pressure rating up to 700 bar 

www.bronkhorst.com 

Analysis software increases plant efficiency 

Picture: Bilfinger 

COG MAKES ITS MARK: 

Brilliant rings for 

all occasions. 

With Bilfinger Connected Asset 

Performance (BCAP), Bilfinger 

Digital Next offers operators of 

industrial plants a modular dig - 

itisation solution. At its core is a 

cloud-based platform on which 

all data from the areas of engineering, 

operation and maintenance 

of a plant is brought together. 

From now on the Trendminer 

software is also available 

in the BCAP Solution Store. Its 

diverse functionalities for analysing 

data can be fully used in 

the BCAP environment and 

combined with other modules. 

BCAP self-service analytics 

powered by Trendminer is an 

advanced yet easy to use data 

analytics solution for all workforce 

dealing with operation, 

processes and plants. BCAP integrates 

all different data sources 

and allows for advanced analytics, 

automatic monitoring 

and alarms of critical plant conditions. 

The advanced analytics 

provide intuitive functionalities 

such as similarity search, golden 

batch analysis, anomalies detection 

and so on. Overall, the software 

supports the operators to 

reveal potentials for increasing 

the overall equipment effectiveness 

(OEE) of plants, reducing 

energy consumption and forecasting 

necessary maintenance 

measures. 


Online search: Bilfinger 

Precision O-rings for diverse industrial 

applications and the highest demands. 

01. – 03.12.2020 

Visit us in: 

hall 3, booth 3E28 

www.COG.de/en 




Seeing the bigger picture 

Pitfalls and opportunities 

in the selection of HMIs 

HMIs are now without a doubt one of the essentials of any modern manufacturing, 

processing or exploration application. We talked to Patrick Neuhalfen, associate 

product line manager at power management company Eaton, about the pitfalls and 

opportunities when it comes to selecting HMI solutions, and the added value that 

specialist suppliers can bring. 

With the advance of Industry 4.0 and the 

colossal levels of connectivity derived from 

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) hardware, 

it can be argued that data is now industry’s 

single most powerful tool. But 

without an efficient means of collecting, 

analysing, deciphering and then – most importantly 

– presenting this data, all the gains 

from a connected infrastructure are for 

naught. 

Patrick Neuhalfen, associate product line 

manager for HMI at Eaton, which includes 

the Gecma workstation range, explains: “Increasing 

automation and data capture in 

industry has resulted in a far greater use of 

human machine interfaces, but there is no 

‘one size fits all’, as every application is 

different – some placing extraordinary 

demands on the HMI solutions.” 

Assessing the risk 

Hazardous areas are a case in point. Money 

used to be no object for industries such as 

oil & gas, but as market demands fluctuate 

and industry pressures manifest new and interesting 

challenges, many operators – and 

Increasing automation and data capture in industry has resulted in a far greater use of 

human machine interfaces (HMI), but there is no ‘one size fits all’ 

Picture: amixstudio – Getty Images 

not just in oil and gas – are seeking to reduce 

costs and overheads. Changing the infrastructure 

and re-assessing the Atex zones 

can be one option. 

However, assessing the appropriate level of 

hazard and implementing the correct precautions 

involves an element of risk for the 

company and its employees. A single mistake 

in a long chain of activities – zone classification, 

selecting the right product, product 

design, complex installation, regular 

maintenance – can cause disaster. 

“Standards are essentially guidelines on how 

to design a product, but they are subject to 

change: for example, becoming more restrictive 

in response to lessons learned from 

major incidents or amended to take account 

of new technology etc,” says Neuhalfen. 

For many customers, the decision to select a 

zone 2 product can be a risk too far. Zone 2 

products can be self-declared for Atex and 

do not require any notified body to certify 

the design. Specifying a zone 1 product, 

even in a declared zone 2 environment, adds 

a significant layer of additional protection 

and eliminates potential risks. There is also 

the benefit of future-proofing the system: 

for example, if a plant reconfiguration 

changes an area from zone 2 to zone 1. 

Sometimes a static HMI must be re-located, 

or it’s important to eliminate the risk that a 

mobile HMI will be accidentally placed in 

the wrong zone-environment. 

Modular design benefits 

“At Eaton, we think that every company 

should do everything they can to provide 

the safest environment possible,” says Neuhalfen. 

“So, we decided to develop an op- 


Picture: Eaton 

Picture: wwing – Getty Images 

“Every company should do everything they can to provide 

the safest environment possible,” Patrick Neuhalfen, associate 

product line manager for HMI at Eaton 

Eaton recently designed an HMI solution capable of operating at temperatures 

of -40 °C for a customer in Kazakhstan. Their service included recertification 

to ensure compliance. 

tion that can keep long term costs under 

control without compromising safety in 

hazardous areas.” The solution, spearheaded 

by the Gecma team, is the deployment of 

modular HMI designs. 

A major benefit of this approach relates to 

downtime, where individual modules – as 

opposed to the whole system – can be replaced 

and hot swapped, reducing non-productive 

time to a minimum. 

This modular approach also delivers the allimportant 

service differentiators. Due to 

their high flexibility and configurability – 

in both electrical and mechanical aspects – 

customers have a far greater range of 

choices. One example would be transforming 

a KVM transmission HMI into a Thin 

Client or PC. By offering a variety of housings, 

users have more options available, 

such as mounting and positioning especially 

for areas with limited space. 

“We complete the service picture with 

strong support and management of our customers’ 

expectations,” Neuhalfen elaborates. 

“Our expertise can offer the best possible 

support, based on in-depth knowledge 

across multiple applications and the associated 

certification requirements, such as 

Atex, IECEx, TIIS, etc. As a result, our ETO 

solutions are always genuine options that fit 

the precise needs of the customer and the 

legislation they must comply with.“ 

“Compliance is a big area where Eaton can 

add value,” he continues, “not only at the 

front end, but also further down the design 

chain. If compliance is not fully understood 

and addressed by a preferred main OEM 

supplier, customers can potentially run into 

problems: for example, because a CE decla - 

ration for an individual product does not 

mean it remains CE compliant when combined 

with others. Compliance is largely dependent 

on circumstance.” 

The bigger picture 

Industry knowledge and application exper - 

tise are vital. “Sometimes adding value can 

be relatively simple, like offering ceiling 

and wall mounts for offshore applications 

where space is at a premium,” Neuhalfen 

says. “We are also seeing a growing need for 

dual displays, especially in relation to the 

boom in data capture. As well as offering 

more screen real estate for broader information 

delivery, this dual screen approach 

can also cut costs, via savings in 

both wiring and installation.” 

A recent example highlights the importance 

– and effectiveness – of Eaton’s expertise. 

On an oil and gas zone 1 application in 

Kazakhstan, HMI equipment would be exposed 

to temperatures as low as -40 °C. 

Standard solutions cannot operate at these 

temperatures. 

Eaton worked directly with the project management 

company on behalf of the main instrumentation 

contractor to develop a bespoke 

solution. Eaton also conducted a 

feasibility study to ensure its recommended 

approach was viable, managing end customer 

expectations and setting out a clear 

delivery schedule. 

The specially designed HMI is capable of 

operating at temperatures of -40 °C, and so 

required recertification to ensure compliance 

under Atex, IECEx and EAC. The customised 

enclosures were also IP 66 tested, at 

an Eaton facility, and all retesting was 

undertaken to ensure full compliance under 

one certification. An internal heater was 

added to ensure reliable operation and 

maintain a temperature of 0 °C inside the 

HMIs. 


Online search: Eaton 

DR. BERND RADEMACHER 

Editor 




Added value in process industries 

DATA – THE NEW OIL? 

We humans often have a better understanding of facts with the help 

of figurative comparisons. With an expression like „data is the new 

oil“, each one of us has vivid ideas about the potential that lies dormant 

in unimpressive data. But to what extent does this comparison 

apply to the process industries? Is data not valuable here, too? If so, 

what is necessary to use data from process plants profitably? 


Pictures: Siemens 

In Plantsight, real and virtual worlds can be brought into harmony through an all-encompassing 

digital twin platform 

Assuming that data really is the new oil of the digitalised world, 

every owner/operator of process plants would thus possess a source 

of tremendous potential – today, hardly anything is easier than producing 

data. Surely you already realise that it is obviously not that 

simple and that the oil comparison is misleading. So the 2006 

quote was extended to „Data is the new oil. It’s valuable, but if 

unrefined it cannot really be used. It has to be changed into gas, 

plastic, chemicals, etc. to create a valuable entity that drives profitable 

activity; so must data be broken down, analysed for it to have 

value.“ This makes the comparison more precise. While oil must be 

explored, drilled and processed in order to be sold as fuel or as a 

chemical feedstock, data must also be refined in order to use it 

profitably. What might this look like in real terms? 

Data is ubiquitous and often unused 

Measured values, messages, alarms, real time or maintenance data – 

in plant operation, masses of data are produced. And terabytes of 

data are already generated before commissioning, from process 

planning, hardware project planning, possibly from simulations, 

process models, etc. All this information is important – not only 

for the work of individual trades, but also for the productivity and 

safety of the entire plant. Now, however, this data is distributed 

across countless systems, software applications, databases and, as 

before, over innumerable spatial meters of files in the archive. 

Today’s software systems are often specialised for a particular type 

of task, but often still lack the connectivity that would allow easy 

comparison or cross-referencing of asset information. One of the 

reasons for the absence of connectivity is the lack of support to 

keep systems synchronised. In addition, the tools used often require 

high demands on skills, licensing costs, computing and network resources. 

So, finally, operators are confronted with countless formats 

and data that is often outdated, inaccurate, difficult to access and 

poorly synchronised – which is why they are called ‚dark data‘. 

Modern dream child: the digital twin 

But if all data is collected, consolidated, contextualised and stand - 

ardised, the virtual image of reality emerges: the digital twin of the 

plant or production. It allows the entire plant lifecycle to be depicted 

and optimised – for both greenfield and brownfield plants or 

projects. However, the digital twin must always be kept up to date. 

Plantsight from Siemens is a solution that scores in all required disciplines 

with the right tools and services. The system provides the 

technological basis for the complete digital twin, which is continuously 

updated, truly replicates its physical counterpart in both behaviour 

and information context, and provides users with the information 

required for the subsequent steps. This provides site managers, 

operators, engineers and/or plant managers with reliable and 

up-to-date information about plant operation. This dynamic image, 

which is created from data from process and plant technology, plant 

design, design and engineering steps as well as maintenance 




In Plantsight, the real and virtual worlds come together to form a comprehensive digital twin platform 

measures, is particularly important for the process industry, as the 

plants here are characterised by permanent modifications. 

Holistic approach to value creation from data 

Easily and securely accessible via a browser, the Plantsight cloudbased 

solution facilitates the digital twin by aggregating data from 

many sources. These sources can include engineering or mainte - 

nance databases, stored 3-D models, 3-D measurements and photogrammetric 

information, as well as data from enterprise resource 

planning (ERP) systems, recipe databases, project and portfolio 

management systems or laboratory information management systems. 

This is made possible by functionalities in the form of micro 

services and connectors. This approach of distributed data management 

(where data sets are intelligently connected to each other) 

avoids replication while providing consistency and accessibility. 

Such functionalities can significantly reduce the effort to build the 

digital twin and increase the percentage of documented inventory 

information. The time and energy required to merge and complete 

asset information – especially for existing plants – is enormously 

reduced by the use of artificial intelligence; static and dynamic asset 

information can be merged automatically. 

Trusted data for better decisions 

Services for validating and linking data to other information, combined 

with change tracking, improve the accuracy, completeness, 

and also the reliability of asset data and documentation, enabling 

better and faster decisions. Whether plant or site managers, plant 

designers or operators, all benefit equally from reliable and up-todate 

data and information. Context is critical to understand the 

meaning of data and responding to it appropriately in daily operations. 

When, as with Plantsight, data is automatically contextualised, 

added and updated on a daily basis, this results in a higher 

level of information documentation and makes the data all the more 

trustworthy. The Siemens solution presents all information rolebased 

in the Plantsight Web Portal and all involved parties can rely 

on AI-supported proposals for action in their daily decision-making. 

To make long-term success measurable, integrated technologies ensure 

that the quality and completeness of plant information is con- 

stantly monitored and that changes in plant performance in terms 

of plant characteristics or plant modifications are comparable. 

In Plantsight, real and virtual worlds can be brought into harmony 

through an all-encompassing digital twin platform. This platform 

can be used to determine capacity utilisation and effectiveness data, 

and to enable well-founded decision-making in the simulation of 

the virtual plant by means of integrated artificial intelligence and 

machine learning technologies – for more efficient production lifecycles 

and thus for more growth. So, is data the new oil? In contrast 

to oil, data is the bigger challenge. To transform it into valuable insights, 

a great deal of experience in handling data, analysing and 

contextualising it is necessary. Equating data with oil neglects this 

complicated reality. The biggest difference, however, is that both the 

supply of oil and its applications are finite. With data, the opposite 

is true, as long as there are people, we will continue to generate 

more and more data, and we are now only at the beginning of 

countless data application possibilities. 


Online search: Siemens 

AUTHOR: 

ALEXANDER MANKEL 

Head of Strategic CIS 

Portfolio Management, 

Siemens 

AUTHOR: 

NIGEL SAMS 

Portfolio Management 

Business Development Director, 

Siemens 


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Oil – Gas – SIL 3 

Functional safety in the 

petrochemical industry 

Functional safety is highly important in the petrochemical industry, as it is in 

general in the process industry. Even insurance premiums for operators are 

based on the extent of the risk-reduction measures that are in place at a 

plant. Functional safety is not only of great importance for the protection 

of people, plants, and the environment, also the economic factor must not 

be underestimated. 

Crude oil and gas that is extracted from 

underground deposits must be chemically 

processed to form compounds from the 

mixture of different hydrocarbons. The two 

main stages in this process are refining and 

cracking. Fractional distillation involves a 

mixture of substances being separated into 

their components, whereas cracking involves 

chemical processes taking place. 

Deviations from the process sequence in 

petrochemical plants often represent dangerous 

errors. Petrochemical processes automatically 

require SIL 3. Major control system 

manufacturers only list suppliers of interface 

products if the entire portfolio is 

suitable for use in SIL 3 applications and has 

also been tested accordingly. 

The principles of functional safety are set 

out in IEC/EN 61508, which was first published 

in 1998. Edition 2 was published in 

2010. IEC 61511 describes the principles of 

functional safety for safety instrumented 

systems in the process industry and is derived 

from IEC/EN 61508. Some trends in 

how these guidelines are implemented have 

been observed in recent years. 

To avoid scenarios like this under all circumstances, petrochemical processes automatically require 

SIL 3 for functional safety 

Pictures: Pepperl+Fuchs 

Field and interface devices with SIL suitability 

are increasingly being used where SIL 

suitability is not required by a risk assessment. 

Using a single, uniform device type 

simplifies storage and prevents confusion 

between devices with and without SIL suitability. 

Around two thirds of all interface 

devices delivered by Pepperl+Fuchs today 

feature SIL 2 or SIL 3 suitability. 

Quick Shutdown 

In the event of a critical operating state in 

the plants, the emergency shut down system 

(ESD) must stop the supply of material and 

vent the lines. Solenoid valves are often used 

for this purpose. Solenoid valves function as 

an upstream interface between the electrical 

control level and the pneumatic drive. They 

are operated by electromagnets and can 

switch very quickly. The electromagnets are 

controlled by solenoid drivers, which protect 

the intrinsically safe field circuit and establish 

galvanic isolation between the control 

panel and the intrinsically safe solenoid 

valve. Solenoid drivers prevent compatibility 

problems between the field device and the 

diagnostics of the digital output (DO) cards 

in the emergency shut down system. The 

user can fully utilise the diagnostics and 

protective features provided by the DO 

cards during operation, while the general 

safety function remains unaffected. These 

measures include test pulses with frequencies 

in the kHz range and a duration in the 

microsecond range; a specific load current 

in the on/off state, depending on the card 

and manufacturer; and a limitation of the 

inrush current to protect the DO card. Sen- 


sors monitor the shutdown. In addition, 

acoustic and visual warning systems, and 

fire extinguishing devices must be activated 

in an emergency. Safety relays are used to 

activate these systems. 

With integrated diagnostics 

To optimise the availability of the safety 

functions, Pepperl+Fuchs has developed a 

safety relay that includes fault monitoring 

in the switching elements, integrated diagnostics, 

and line fault detection for fieldside 

short circuits and lead breakages. All 

contacts have been arranged redundantly to 

increase the availability of the safety functions. 

The design is based on MooN architecture, 

which means that M-out-of-N 

elements must be in an operating state. 

Integrated diagnostics are performed using 

time-delayed switching of the elementary 

relays, with one relay checked during each 

switching operation. In ETS (energized-tosafe) 

circuits, all three relays of both contact 

groups are initially closed if three consecutive 

switching operations occur. During the 

delay period, the device checks whether this 

operation closes the circuit as a way of detecting 

a faulty contact. By changing the sequence 

for time-delayed switching, all contacts 

are checked after three switching operations. 

Diagnostic checks of DTS (de-energized-to-safe) 

circuits take place during the 

restart process rather than during shutdown. 

Initially, two relay contacts are closed 

simultaneously and the third contact is 

closed after a time delay. The idea is that 

there is no current flowing before this contact 

closes, otherwise this relay is faulty because 

it no longer disconnects the circuit. A 

different relay is checked during every 

switching cycle. The checks are typically carried 

out on an annual basis. The safety relay 

executes the routine described above once 

during these annual tests, and will have 

been fully tested after three years without 

any additional effort. 

The line fault transparency feature provides 

seamless monitoring of voltage and load resistance. 

It detects field-side short circuits 

and lead breakages and can assign them to a 

specific signal circuit. 

Thought was also given to the need for 

quick adjustments of the safety relay. The 

input circuit is identical for all devices. This 

means that once a device has been tested 

using one of the control panel's DO cards, 

all other modules of the safety relays are 

compatible. The complete product family of 

The safety relays from Pepperl+Fuchs carry out integrated diagnostics during each switching 

operation 

the single-channel and loop-powered safety 

relay KFD2-RSH includes a total of four 

modules for DTS and ETS applications with 

either 24 V(DC9 or 230 V(AC). They are approved 

for Atex Zone 2, and comply with 

SIL 3 (IEC 61508 ed2) and PL e (EN/ISO 

13849 for the DTS modules). 

Extended test cycles 

Operators are increasingly discussing extending 

the test cycles for safety devices. 

Operators should carefully consider the 

benefits and potential disadvantages of extended 

test cycles since systematic failures 

are frequently discovered during tests, such 

as the media incompatibility of field devices. 

Currently, attempts are being made to 

extend testing cycles from a typical oneyear 

period to one of up to five years. Typically, 

a plant or plant part is shut down at 

specific intervals for maintenance purposes, 

instead of testing each device individually. 

The idea that the weakest link determines 

the strength of the chain applies in this 

scenario. All components used must be able 

to be incorporated into the desired maintenance 

cycle, i. e., each component must 

individually have a sufficiently long proof 

time. 

Pepperl+Fuchs has responded to precisely 

this development by developing the safety 

relay with integrated diagnostics. Diagnosing 

the state of the elementary relays increases 

the proof times to well over ten years. 

Redundant SIL 2 devices 

In addition to the above-mentioned integrated 

diagnostics in devices, the redundant 

design of SIL 2 devices has become established 

in SIL 3 applications. This is permissible 

if systematic failures are excluded as 

far as possible. This can be ensured by 

heterogeneous redundancy. Homogeneous 

redundancy is also possible if the devices 

have systematic capability for SIL 3 applications. 

This systematic capability can be 

proven by a functional safety management 

(FSM) certificate. In cases where the Machinery 

Directive applies, the EMC standard 

EN 61326–3–1 also applies. According to 

this standard, the test duration must be increased 

by three to five times for some tests 

on an SIL 2 device if the device will be used 

for SIL 3 applications. However, this is not a 

requirement in the corresponding standard 

for the PA division, EMC standard EN 

61326–3–2. 


Online search: Pepperl+Fuchs 

AUTOR: 

ANDREAS GRIMSEHL 

Product Marketing Manager 

Interface Technology, 

Pepperl+Fuchs 




Use in paint production 

Radar sensor monitors 

filling level in storage silo 

A European paint and varnish manufacturer stores quartz sand and other components 

in its German production plants, partly in special silos with a small diameter. 

The storage bins are divided into three parts and have additional deflector plates 

and ladders on the inside walls. In order to completely and precisely monitor the 

level despite the special design of the silos, the company uses the free-radiating 

radar sensor Nivoradar NR 3000. 

Facade and interior paints, varnishes and 

glazes, plasters, floor coatings and concrete 

protection, each with a myriad of specifications: 

for the painter, varnish and plasterer 

trades, there are thousands of products 

for all kinds of needs. The European system 

operator also has an extremely large product 

range with more than 10,000 articles. It has 

one of the most advanced goods distribution 

centres in the industry. It is particularly 

important for the producer to be able to 

react compliantly to market developments 

and orders thanks to the open and flexible 

system and to guarantee short delivery 

times in addition to high delivery security. 

More than 900 of its vehicles are in use 

every day to supply customers and subsidiaries 

mainly in Germany, Austria, Italy, the 

Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. This 

sophisticated logistics system is supported 

by reliable level monitoring within the silo 

systems. 

The radar sensor Nivoradar NR 

3000 is equipped with an air 

purge connection for cleaning 

the lens antenna 

Pictures: UWT 

In the chemical industry in particular, sensors 

are usually exposed to aggressive, adhesive 

or corrosive materials. High temperatures, 

dust, varying DK values and viscosity 

have to be dealt with quickly and reliably by 

the measuring technology. 

Radar sensor for special silo design 

For its production plants in Germany, the 

operator was looking for a precise solution 

for level measurement detection in its various 

silo containers, where components for 

paint production, such as solvents and 

binders, pigments, oils, resins, fillers and 

additives, are stored. The decisive factor is 

an even and controlled introduction into the 

production system. Convinced of the 

measurement technology of UWT GmbH 

for years, the project planner again turned 

to the Allgäu-based company. For continuous 

level measurement, work was also carried 

out on site to find a reliable solution 

for some special storage silos on site, where 

quartz sand is deposited, among other materials. 

These silos have a small diameter, are 

divided into three parts and have additional 

deflector plates, and a ladder is mounted on 

the inner walls. This makes it particularly 

difficult for a level sensor to continuously 

monitor the entire measuring range. 

With the contactless radar, a holistic so - 

lution for the diverse storing processes was 

found. In addition to electromechanical lot 

or plumb bob systems, radar sensors are 

mostly used for continuous level measurement 

in content monitoring. They measure 

distances of up to 100 m (328 ft) and, due 

to their high sensitivity, can be used in both 


The Nivotec system offers reliable support of the logistics concept 

through targeted silo management with optimised inventory planning 

coarse-grained and very fine powdery 

bulk materials as well as in different liquids 

and pastes. 

Dust-proof construction 

The silo containers for component storage 

have an average height of 17 m (55.78 ft). 

The bulk weight of the quartz sand is 

1400 g/l (87.39 lb/ft³) and the DK value is 

between 2,0 to 3.0. The process temperatures 

reach up to 80 °C (176 °F) and the 

given process pressure is around 0.8 bar 

(11.6 psi). Vibration in the container or 

electrostatic charging are not relevant to the 

application. However, there is a dust-intensive 

atmosphere, especially within quartz 

sand storage. The contact-free radar was accordingly 

equipped with a completely dustproof 

construction and delivers reliable 

measurement results at process temperatures 

of up to 200 °C (392 °F). The device 

works at 78 GHz high frequency and therefore 

has a very narrow beam angle of only 

4 °, which eliminates any signal interference 

at the flange but allows optimum reflection 

of the bulk solids material, even with 

steeper cones. The radar is perfectly aligned 

via the adjustment flange, since the beam 

can be fixed at the desired point, e. g. on the 

silo discharge. This enables smooth use in 

tight, high silos and makes installation and 

placement of the sensor considerably easier. 

Thanks to its encapsulated housing construction, 

the radar is optimally protected 

within the demanding environmental conditions 

and delivers reliable measurement 

results. In addition, due to the integrated air 

flush connection for cleaning the lens antenna, 

application here was problem-free. 

The sensor’s self-cleaning function also ensures 

reliable measurement when it comes 

to condensation or dust build-up. The device 

works with two-wire technology and is 

easily put into operation via an optimised 

local programming device with display and 

a quick start assistant. 

Optional data visualisation 

For the use of the acquired data, the radar 

sensor can be connected to the Nivotec 

visualisation system. The data visualisation 

provides the detected levels in height, percentage, 

weight or volume. Trends are saved 

and e-mails about fill levels or silo messages 

can be activated. The remote retrieval of the 

data obtained can also be done via a GSM 

modem at any PC in the company Ethernet. 

System installation is straightforward and 

can be done by the own service staff. The 

availability of all detected levels improves 

the planning reliability of the plant 

operator. 


Online search: UWT 

AUTHOR: 

ARMIN WAIBEL 

Technical Service, 

UWT 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

handling systems for different kinds of 

 

 

IPCO offers: 

 

of 96% 

 

2000 systems installed 

in 30+ years 

 

 

 

 




Condition-based maintenance of mechanical components 

How dumb components 

learn to talk 

The condition-based maintenance discussions have some parallels with Bizet’s Opera 

l’Arlésienne, everybody talks about it but, like the protagonist never shows up in 

the opera, only few can show real live applications. Performing maintenance of 

industrial sites based upon a need instead of on a scheduled time interval is widely 

accepted as the right thing to do, so why are there only few who do this? 

A recent study by the World Economic 

Forum and the consulting firm Accenture 

lends substance to the high hopes currently 

riding on predictive maintenance. According 

to the study, it can reduce the cost of 

planned repairs by 12 %, cut maintenance 

costs by almost 30 % and reduce unsched - 

uled downtime by a massive 70 %. Present 

tools to monitor the condition of process 

equipment like safety valves (PSV) are too 

expensive to procure and install. Consequently, 

many process and equipment parameters 

to define the health of such devices 

are simply not monitored. Maintenance is 

performed following a fixed plan and the 

equipment is removed for tests, even when 

nothing is wrong. With Ideation’s “no 

threshold” solution the previously dumb 

equipment can now be monitored continuously. 

It allows customers to start with one 

piece of equipment and an app. 

The CBM Predictor can be equipped with eight sensors 

Pictures: R. Bösch 

Roots in off-shore platforms 

The Ideation concept finds its roots in offshore 

O&G production platforms and terminals, 

where maintenance is a significant 

customer burden. An average oil platform 

has more than 500 silent mechanical devices 

that need periodic maintenance interventions 

to make sure that they operate 

within specifications. Many of these must 

even be periodically dismantled for testing 

and refurbishing, an enormous cost. 

Of course, these maintenance practises are 

also happening in other industries. The preventive 

scheduled maintenance interventions 

are a high cost for many businesses. 

Often, historical data is used as a measure 


The device the size of an ice hockey puck is a battery-powered edge computer 

for reducing the intervals between interventions, 

it helps to reduce cost – but it is definitely 

not a prediction for future behaviour 

of the equipment. 

The widely available new and off the shelve 

technologies bring the required solutions to 

reduce the installed cost of the condition 

monitoring devices. Historical data shows 

that only 3 % of the serviced devices on 

standard oil rigs really need an intervention. 

No need to say that removing, for example, 

a PSV is a costly undertaking, especially 

when scaffolding is to be built, explosive atmospheres 

need to be monitored and/or 

parts of plants must be shut down for these 

interventions. Especially the example of PSV 

underlines how easy to install equipment 

can change the maintenance costs. 

Condition-based maintenance 

The CBM Predictor from Ideation is a sophisticated 

multifunctional wireless battery-operated 

information server with the functionality 

for abnormal condition detection (ACD) 

of uninstrumented equipment in the process 

industry. The on-board processor can be 

equipped with up to eight sensors for specific 

applications. All data processing, filtering 

and mathematical calculations are performed 

locally, the CBM Predictor only sends 

actionable information to the outside world. 

In the following paragraph, we expand on 

three of many typical applications for this 

technology. 

Minimum temperature monitoring 

Often, process equipment like pipelines is 

provided with additional heating systems to 

warrant that the transported medium stays 

within temperature specifications. To avoid 

single points of failure, it is often required 

to monitor the health of the heating system 

separately from the standard control systems. 

The CBM Predictor guards the temperature, 

reports abnormal condition via a 

Bluetooth message and keeps the timestamped 

events in the internal stack. The 

user can then consult detailed and historical 

information via the Android app or via the 

Gateway. The stored events are alarm, revert 

and every ten minutes when in alarm condition. 

Monitoring of pressure safety valves 

Most process safety valves (PSV) are pure 

mechanical devices and are un-instrumented 

and rarely connected to a DCS system. 

It is thus almost impossible to know if 

they are functioning properly, if they 

opened recently and/or if they re-seated 

without leaking. The CBM Predictor analyses 

and records these abnormal situations, 

stores the time-stamped events on its internal 

memory, plus reports an abnormal condition 

via a Bluetooth message. Also in this 

case, the user can request detailed and historical 

information via the Android app or 

via the Gateway. 

Humidity detection in enclosures 

When provided with a humidity sensor, the 

same CBM Predictor can monitor the humidity 

in cabinets and other enclosures. The 

sensor is directly mounted on the CBM Predictor 

and penetrates the enclosure via the 

cable gland. The CBM Predictor measures 

The detailed information can be requested 

directly via the Android app 

humidity, stores the time-stamped events/ 

data on its internal memory and reports an 

abnormal condition via a Bluetooth message. 

The user can then request detailed and 

historical information directly via the Android 

app or via the Gateway. The stored 

event data is on alarm, on revert and every 

ten minutes when in alarm condition, similar 

to the minimum temperature application. 

Ideation is currently working on further applications 

for the CBM Predictor, always 

with a focus on monitoring dumb components. 

While in Bizet‘s opera the hero remains 

unhappy, a solution has been found 

for the problem of dumb devices in process 

plants. 


Online search: Ideation 

AUTHOR: 

ALEXANDER SCHMIDT 

Advisor to the Board, 

Ideation 


cpp FOCUS POWDER AND BULK SOLIDS PROCESSING 

Pharmaceutical manufacturer puts efficiency to the test 

Tablet press field test 

There are many ways of improving efficiency in tablet production – for example, by 

saving electricity, increasing output volumes, and reducing changeover times. With 

its F10i tablet press, Fette Compacting aims to make all of these adjustments at the 

same time. In an extensive field test, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Artesan put 

the efficiency of the machine to the test. 

Since July 2019, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Artesan has been testing the F10i tablet 

press supplied by Fette Compacting at its production facility in Lüchow (Germany) 

Pictures: Fette Compacting 

Since the beginning of the coronavirus 

crisis, pharmaceutical manufacturers have 

been mobilising all of their forces to find 

vaccines and medicine to combat the 

Sars-CoV-2 virus while simultaneously 

safeguarding the supply of standard 

medication. At the same time, the pharmaceutical 

industry is also feeling the eco - 

nomic impacts of the pandemic – for 

example, through disruptions of the 

supply chains. 

In view of these challenges, pharmaceutical 

companies are reliant on reducing costs 

and producing efficiently, whereby the 

focus is shifting to the role played by machine 

manufacturers. Fette Compacting regards 

it as its key task to support pharmaceutical 

customers in finding efficiency 

potentials for their production. Machine 

manufacturers nowadays need to know 

their customers’ entire machine park and 

keep an eye on all production processes. 

Fette Compacting has therefore initiated 

technological developments, which have 

considerably driven the topic of improving 

efficiency. One result of this work is the 

new i series. 

For many years, Fette Compacting has been 

supplying pharmaceutical manufacturers 

with tablet presses from the classic i series. 

These include the high-performance 2090i 

and 3090i machines as well as the standard 

1200i, 2200i, and 3200i tablet presses. 

More than 3000 models of this series are 

already in use around the world. 

The new i Series represents an innovative 

development of these established machines. 

This concerns numerous aspects – from 

cross-generation system compatibility 

through dust-tight standard design to digital 

connectivity. 


Quickly ready for production 

The new i series was kicked off with the 

F10i tablet press, a single rotary press for 

smaller batches, which was presented to the 

public in 2019. Even the initial production 

figures during practical operation indicate 

that Fette Compacting is capable of keeping 

its promise of efficiency associated with the 

new generation of machines right from 

the start. 

Since July 2019, the pharmaceutical manufacturer 

Artesan has been testing the efficiency 

of the F10i tablet press at its production 

facility in Lüchow (Germany). Even 

commissioning of the new machine triggered 

great excitement among those responsible: 

it usually takes pharmaceutical 

manufacturers several weeks to set up a new 

machine for production but this period was 

reduced to a mere two days for the F10i. 

This is made possible by the cross-generation 

system compatibility displayed by the 

new i series. Despite its fully-revised design, 

almost all of the process-relevant assemblies 

featured in the F10i are identical to those of 

previous models. This is particularly valuable 

when companies are already using 

other machines from Fette Compacting: 

“Apart from the F10i, we are already using 

tablet presses from the series P1200, P2200, 

1200i, and FE55,” claims Torsten Schewe, 

team leader at Artesan. “Because the old and 

new components are very similar, we had 

significantly less effort regarding validation 

and qualification.” 

According to Schewe, the field test demonstrated 

that at Artesan the F10i is a suitable 

substitute for the P2200 from Fette Compacting. 

“We were easily able to process 

large magnesium tablets requiring a pressing 

force of 70 to 80 kN. And machine 

usage was considerably quieter than with 

the P2200.” 

Significantly higher output 

But Artesan was even more impressed when 

previous production volumes were compared 

with the initial results of the F10i 

tablet press: on average, the new machine 

increased the output of all products tested 

by 63 %. In individual cases, it was even 

possible to quadruple the previous production 

volume. 

Two factors are primarily responsible for 

these good results: the general efficiency of 

the machine and intensive support provided 

by Fette Compacting. During installation, 

service technicians adapted the process pa - 

rameters and optimised the setup of the filling 

unit. These two fine adjustments alone 

had a significant impact on improving the 

performance. 

Despite the high level of output, the F10i 

works very economically. So economically, 

in fact, that during the entire period of use, 

Artesan was able to save 15 % energy over a 

comparably high-performance machine. 

This is attributable to a very efficient torque 

drive, which can also be operated in an optimal 

performance range even for high production 

volumes. 

The F10i has also proven its efficiency in 

terms of saving production time. The 

contract manufacturer Artesan converts its 

tablet presses for a new product roughly 

twice a week. For each changeover, the machine 

has to be cleaned of any residue of 

the previous product. In order to minimise 

these cleaning efforts, the cladding components 

to be cleaned were reduced by 70 %. 

For Artesan, this means 45 minutes saved 

for each product change. Seen over an entire 

year of production, this translates into 66 

hours of additional production time. 

Easy format change 

Complex geometries are a challenge in tablet 

production. The more unusual the shape 

of a tablet is, the more complications can 

The F10i increases the output 

of all tested products by 

63 % on average 

arise during the early phase of production. 

As revealed by the test production of a convex 

tablet, this problem could soon be a 

thing of the past at Artesan. Smooth production 

generally requires aligning the machine’s 

tablet scraper to the particular shape 

of the tablet. But it was possible to dispense 

with this adjustment for the F10i as the tablet 

scraper can be adjusted reproducibly 

using a coding element. This setting is saved 

by RFID for the respective formula, which 

means complex readjustment is not 

necessary. 

Torsten Schewe draws a clear conclusion: 

“The field tests were convincing. With the 

F10i, Fette Compacting has built a tablet 

press, which represents a real gain at many 

levels. After the end of the test phase, we 

will be integrating the F10i into our regular 

machine park as fast as possible.” 


Online search: Fette 

AUTHOR: 

JÖRG GIERDS 

Senior Product Manager, 

Fette Compacting 



Use of a 3-in-1 conical mix-dryer and reactor provides advantages 

Powder processing for 

additive manufacturing 

3D printing finds applications in many branches of industry. In addition to more obvious 

applications in mechanical engineering, automotive manufacturing and architecture, 

new applications in biomedicine and dentistry are looking highly promising. 

The German company Amixon offers the appropriate technology for the preparation 

of the powders, including the conical mix-dryer and reactor AMT. 

Rapid Prototyping, 3D printing and additive 

manufacturing are all terms commonly 

used to refer to a manufacturing process in 

which three-dimensional components are 

created by laying down successive layers of 

material from the bottom up. In powderbased 

3D printing, each layer of the structure 

constitutes a thin cross-section of the 

final object and is generated according to 

data from 3D-CAD tools. The layers of the 

object are printed by applying an energy 

source, usually a laser, and thereby melting 

fine powders into the precise shapes detailed 

in each cross-section. After completing one 

layer, the laser returns to the starting position 

and melts the newest layer together 

with the earlier ones, binding the structure. 

The final result is that the computer-generated 

3D model is directly translated into a 

physical 3D object. Materials used in powder 

bed 3D printing include metals, plastics, ceramics, 

synthetic resins, carbon and graphite. 

Vacuum mix-dryer and reactor AMT 2000 – the conically shaped mixing vessel and convex 

helical blades facilitate the complete discharge of the mixer without segregation 

Pictures: Amixon 

In particular, 3D printing is the method of 

choice when manufacturing products with 

complex geometric structures, small batches, 

and a high degree of customisation. 3D 

printing is also useful in the case of machine 

repair, especially to recreate complex parts 

that are no longer in production. Even the 

mechanical and technological aspects of the 

component can be replicated through 3D 

printing. 

In comparison to more conventional machining 

and cutting processes, 3D printing 

does not involve a wide range of devices, 

castings, or product-specific tools. In many 

cases, significant savings can be made in 

terms of component volume and material 

loss. Furthermore, the process makes it possible 

to create complex structures that cannot 

be created via casting or machining. So, the 

economic efficiency of 3D printing rises in 

relation to increasing complexity and decreasing 

batch size. 

Powder 3D printing process 

Powder bed 3D printing proceeds successively, 

layer by layer. For each layer of the 

structure, a powder bed is first laid to the 

desired thickness. Next, a precisely controlled 

energy source melts these clusters of 

powdery particles into the exact dimensions 

of the cross-section. Finally, surplus 

powders are removed, ideally to be repurposed 

for use in subsequent layers. 

In order to achieve a functional end-product, 

the powders used in 3D printing must 

be adequately stable so that particle size, 

bulk density, and rheological characteristics 

remain unaffected by the melting process. 

At the same time, each step of the process 


must take place in quick succession if costefficiency 

is to be ensured. Speedy processing 

is usually aided by the implementation 

of pneumatic conveyance, which can often 

lead to a high degree of abrasion. For this 

reason, polymer powders used in 3D printing 

must be expertly conditioned. 

This same challenge applies to selective 

laser micro sintering, a 3D manufacturing 

process that uses metallic powders. The 

metallic materials are laid into the powder 

bed by means of a doctor blade, a process 

that is often relatively time-intensive. The 

flowability characteristics of the materials 

play a decisive role in the resulting homogeneity 

of the powder bed. The powders 

must be as free-flowing as possible, requiring 

a spherical particle shape and a narrow 

particle size distribution. Additionally, agglomerates 

must be eliminated in order to 

prevent the formation of laminar or lineal 

defects in the finished component. Most 

metallic powders used in 3D printing are 

cohesive and have a particle size less than 

10 μm, meaning they have a tendency to 

clump and adhere to the doctor blade or 

work surface. While this phenomenon is objectionable, 

it is also difficult to avoid. 

In order to prevent the formation of unwanted 

agglomerates, 3D printing powders 

may be coated with nanoscopic additives as 

a means of conditioning them. Such a conditioning 

process is best performed in an 

automated precision mixer or fluidised bed 

processor, where clumping and unwanted 

agglomerates are less likely to form and the 

flowability characteristics of the powders 

can be improved. 

3-in-1 mixer, dryer and reactor 

Mixing, drying, and reacting equipment, 

such as the Amixon’s conical mix-dryer type 

AMT, plays an important role in powder 

metallurgy and the preparation of polymers 

for 3D printing. These devices must be incredibly 

precise, because it is only possible 

to create a nanoscopic coating on each individual 

particle by adding the coating agent 

to the mixture in minute dosages as a weak 

solution or suspension. 

Homogeneously integrating coating agents 

into bulk ingredients involves creating uniform 

levels of moisture within the powder. 

In order to achieve this, each and every individual 

particle must be wetted. If the 

liquid phase is ultimately to be dried, then 

the coating will remain evenly distributed 

upon the surface of each particle. Ideally the 

The AMT conical mix-dryer creates a three dimensional current within the mixing chamber 

drying process will take place under a vacuum, 

reducing both duration and heat involved. 

As a solution to this processing challenge, 

vertical mixing equipment that also doubles 

as a dryer and reactor can be used. A helical 

mixing blade rotates in the centre of the 

mixing chamber, generating a three-dimensional 

current that conveys its contents upwards 

along the periphery before they sink 

gravimetrically along the mixing shaft. This 

current envelopes the entire volume of the 

mixing chamber, making the process completely 

free of dead space. 

Under these mixing conditions, only a low 

rotary frequency is necessary, reducing the 

amount of shear to which the particles are 

subjected. Every particle moves in relation 

to every other particle, flowing constantly 

and completely within the mixing vessel. 

The evaporation of liquid elements proceeds 

by gently warming the powders. Every contact-surface 

within the mixer is doublejacketed, 

from the walls to the arms of the 

helical mixing tool. Heated fluids (thermal 

oil, water or vapour) circulate below their 

surface. 

Almost complete discharge 

The ability to clearly separate each batch 

and avoid their intermixing is crucial for 

batch tracing and quality assurance. Amixon’s 

3-in-1 conical mixer, dryer and reactor 

type AMT is exemplary in this regard. 

The conically shaped mixing vessel and 

convex helical blades facilitate the complete 

discharge of the mixer without segregation. 

In some use cases, preparing powders for 

3D printing requires the introduction and 

gentle homogenisation of trace amounts of 

extremely light flow additives, like pyrogenic 

silicon dioxide, to the mixture. Flow 

additives are only effective when mixed 

gently and homogeneously with bulk 

powders and cannot withstand any friction. 

The challenge lies in the fact that these light 

fractions have a bulk density of 150 g/dm³, 

a particle size of 10 μm, and a specific surface 

area of 350 m²/g, which explains their 

tendency to float to the surface of the 

powder mixture. This phenomenon is detrimental 

to the mixing process, as it can both 

slow down the operation and require a 

higher energy input, which may damage 

the delicate particle structures. 

Special ceramic coatings 

Special ceramic coatings are provided when 

the mixer or mixer dryer has to keep the 

powders free from any metal abrasion during 

mixing. The solutions are similar if the 

powders are particularly abrasive and the 

premature wear of the mixing tools has to 

be counteracted. Almost every processing 

machine that Amixon manufactures is a 

prototype – individual – partly in tiny but 

decisive nuances tailored to the requirements 

of the respective customer, in a wide 

variety of industries. 


Online search: Amixon 

AUTHOR: 

LUDGER HILLEKE 

Technical manager and 

member of the management 

board, 

Amixon 


Versatile laboratory mixers 

Crystal clear 

Picture: MTI Mischtechnik 

Laboratory mixers with heatable 

and coolable mixing vessels 

from MTI Mischtechnik are suitable 

for the entire scope of bulk 

material processing tasks including 

the production of trial 

mixtures and small-scale production 

batches in laboratories 

and technology centres. The laboratory 

mixer range includes 

the type M vertical high-speed 

mixers with working volumes 

of up to 28 l, heating/cooling 

mixer combinations from the 

M/KMV series with working 

cooling mixer volumes of up to 

51 l and the Uni tec type UT 

vertical universal mixers with 

working volumes of up to 51 l. 

On a small scale, they cover the 

entire range of conventional 

industrial applications from 

homogenisation via friction 

mixing, coating, agglomeration 

and granulation to drying. All 

MTI laboratory mixers share the 

same plug-and-play layout ensuring 

immediate usability and 

convenient handling. Various 

optional add-ons, such as liquid 

addition lances, choppers or 

aspiration systems, expand the 

range of applications. 


Online search: MTI 

Melt crystallization - an 

effective and economical 

 

Melt crystallization is used to obtain high 

purity organic and specialty chemicals 

from a variety of chemical solutions. 

Key advantages: 

Ideal on solutions with close boiling 

point components 

Does not require additional solvents 

Operates at low temperature and 

atmospheric pressures 

Low energy consumption 

Continuous operation 

In-house test facilities, comprehensive 

technology and process know-how and 

customer-oriented service concepts 

guarantee the productivity 

and performance of your plant. 

Screw compressors for jet mills 

Aside from steam, jet mills are 

most commonly operated using 

nitrogen or compressed air. In 

the case of the latter, heat energy 

can be recovered from the 

compressed air inside the jet 

nozzles and subsequently reused 

for the milling process. Exhaust 

heat arises as a by-product of 

compressed air generation, 

which essentially makes it a 

cost-free source of energy. 

With the specific needs of jet 

milling applications in mind, 

Kaeser has now extended the 

range of options available for its 

two-stage, oil-free compression 

rotary screw compressors to include 

such features as compressed 

air discharge temperature 

control. Operating via flexible, 

controlled adjustments to 

the intercooler, this option can 

lead to a clear reduction in specific 

energy consumption per 

tonne of the final product, depending 

on the type of material 

being processed. 

Kaeser offers the option of compressed 

air discharge temperature 

control on compressors 

from the CSG, DSG and FSG 

model range, featuring a power 

output from 37 to 355 kW and 

pressure from 4 to 11 bar. 


Online search: Kaeser 

For contact details: gea.com/contact 

Picture: Kaeser 


Thin film dryer with short residence time 

Space-saving articulated robot 

In the thin film dryer from 

Buss-SMS-Canzler, liquid, pasty 

or solid material is continuously 

applied by a rotor to the cylindrical 

heating jacket in a thin 

layer and dried. Advantages are 

the low hold-up, the effective 

heat transfer and the indirect 

drying. Thus, even difficult drying 

tasks with problematical 

substances can be accomplished 

under vacuum. New applications 

are constantly being 

tested and implemented in industrial 

plants. An example is 

the production of the monomer 

Picture: Buss-SMS-Canzler 

2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic 

acid (trade name 

AMPS). It is made from acrylonitrile, 

isobutene, fuming sulfuric 

acid and water. After the 

reaction, unreacted toxic, environmentally 

hazardous and 

caustic acrylonitrile is separated. 

The monomer is then a white 

powder. Thin film dryers from 

Buss-SMS-Canzler are available 

in horizontal and vertical versions. 

www.prozesstechnik-online.de 

Online search: 

Buss-SMS-Canzler 

Products for the chemical industry are filled in special 

bags, barrels, canisters, cartons or buckets. To palletise 

them, Beumer offers the space-saving articulated robot 

robotpac. Depending on the packaged items, the company 

equips the robot with the appropriate gripping 

tools which can be easily and automatically changed, if 

the packaged items change. The fork gripper, for 

example, was designed specifically for palletising cardboard 

boxes, the finger gripper for bagged goods. 

Beumer also has a double gripper in its product portfolio 

for both versions. The company also offers parallel 

grippers for dimensionally stable packed items, suction 

grippers for items with a smooth surface and many 

other special grippers and combination tools. 


Online search: Beumer 

Picture: Beumer 

Clean as a whistle, 

fast as lightning. CMQ. 

Flat, smooth mixer head and 

a patented wing-shaped mixer 

arm – the CMQ series reduces 

cleaning times up to 80%. 

The result: Highest 

performance with first-class 

dispersion and ease 

of operation. 

Quick – clean – safe 

Naturally ATEX certified 

zeppelin-systems.com 

Unbenannt-2 1 01.09.20 13:11 



Optical measuring system detects irregularities on bag valves 

For clean bags and pallets 

If bags aren‘t sealed properly, the product can escape uncontrollably, which can 

cause entire pallets to become contaminated. Greif-Velox has therefore developed 

the Valvo Detect system as extension for its bagging machines. Two optical sensors 

detect irregularities on the bag valves and ensure that the faulty bags are rejected. 

Valvo Detect is already being used by the ICL Group at their site in Ladenburg. 

The damage caused by contaminated pallets 

can result in annual costs for recalls 

which hit the five-figure mark. And that’s 

not all – depending on which product has 

contaminated the pallets, the consequences 

can be unpleasant: if it’s bagged chemicals 

that cause the contamination, this means 

that the applicable safety regulations are 

violated. 

The ICL Group was also having problems 

with contaminated pallets. Safety and cleanliness 

are deciding factors in their industry: 

ICL is a global manufacturer of mineralbased 

products used in agriculture and 

technical materials, as well as in the food 

industry. At their premises in Ladenburg, 

Baden-Württemberg (Germany), the Group 

focuses on developing, producing and distributing 

additives for paints and coatings 

for the cosmetics and construction industries, 

as well as on manufacturing highquality 

food additives for the food industry. 

At this site sodium phosphate is also 

packed, a chemical which is used in the 

food industry as a sequestrant, acidity regulator, 

melting salt or firming agent, among 

others. 

Valvo Detect is essentially made up of two optical sensors that detect the position of the 

bag valve and the welding sonotrodes relative to each other 

Pictures: Greif-Velox 

Damage due to open bag valves 

However, when bagging the product, the 

same problem that affects powder producers 

across many different industries kept arising 

time and again: „Some of the bags were not 

properly sealed,“ explains Thomas Jörder, 

operations manager at ICL in Ladenburg. 

„This led to product escaping from the partially 

open valve.“ This meant that customers 

from Asia, for example, would send back 

entire pallets as the bags were contaminated 

from the outside. Not only did this result in 

high annual recall costs, but it also caused 


immaterial damage, as it meant that customers 

were unsatisfied with their delivery. 

„It’s a shame when a premium quality 

product gets judged by one contaminated 

pallet,“ explains Jörder. 

Together with his colleague, the operations 

manager eventually turned to Greif-Velox 

Maschinenfabrik in Lübeck (Germany) to 

seek help for their problem. Not only does 

Greif-Velox develop and realise bagging machines, 

but the company also implements 

full-line systems involving conveying, palletisation 

and load-securing systems, tailormade 

to meet individual customer requirements. 

One example is the BVP 4.40 air packer, for 

which the Valvomat empty bag applicator 

and the Valvoseal ultrasonic sealing unit are 

available as extensions. The Valvomat empty 

bag applicator can automatically place up to 

800 bags onto the filling machine every 

hour. After being filled by the air packer, the 

Valvoseal ultrasonic sealing unit welds the 

bag valves securely and dust-free – generally 

speaking. As the example of the ICL Group 

shows, there is still a step between automated 

placement and ultrasonic welding, 

which has to be improved. 

Optical measuring system developed 

When the responsible employees heard 

about the problem with faulty bag seals at 

ICL, they worked together with the customer 

to map out some ideas. The objective: to 

join forces in order to develop a solution 

which would be capable of resolving the 

problem of faulty seals in this specific instance. 

As the experts observed, there are always 

bags which are processed incorrectly 

when it comes to the valve. These deviations 

from the norm mean that it isn’t possible to 

automatically place every bag in the exact 

correct position on the pneumatic packing 

system. „For instance, if valve openings 

stick together, the bag will be wonky when 

put on the spout,“ explains operations manager 

Jörder. „Immediately after filling, the 

valve will then be welded shut at an angle.“ 

Depending on the angle, it can happen that 

one side isn’t completely sealed. The consequence: 

a small opening through which the 

product can escape, ultimately contaminating 

the entire pallet during palletisation. 

As a solution, Greif-Velox developed Valvo 

Detect, a system which comes into play 

even before the palletisation stage. Valvo Detect 

is an optical measuring system which 

detects whether the bag has been placed at 

The Valvo Detect system is available as an extension for bagging machines like the BVP 4.40 

the correct angle. Should the angle be incorrect, 

the system ensures that this bag can be 

separated out before palletisation. In this 

way, contamination of the entire pallet can 

be prevented. 

Sensors detect errors 

Valvo Detect is essentially made up of two 

optical sensors which detect the position of 

the bag’s valve in relation to the position of 

the Valvoseal sonotrodes. A light sensor will 

identify, if the valve is incorrectly placed at 

an angle to the sonotrode, which would 

make 100 %-seal not possible. As shown in 

testing, the optical detection works with 

different coloured valves, as well as with 

bent valves. If the Valvo Detect system iden - 

tifies any irregularities, the filled bag will be 

digitally marked and can be separated out. 

This system also provides the opportunity 

for any rejected bags to be analysed: why 

were these bags removed? Are there any 

universal deficiencies in bag quality? If 

possible, how can the number of rejected 

bags be reduced? 

„Greif-Velox has now found a solution to 

the problem, which is saving us recall costs 

in the five-figure mark per year, as well as 

lots of man-hours in complaint management,“ 

says operations manager Jörder. „An 

absolute plus for us: at the end of the day, 

we also have more customer satisfaction and 

a better brand reputation.“ 


Online search: Greif-Velox 

AUTHOR: 

DR. ALEXANDER 

MILDNER 

Head of research and 

development, 

Greif-Velox 




Fully automated filling technology for a large storage facility 

New installation during 

operation 

An importent step when installing a new system in a complex industrial plant is the 

commissioning. This is often the first time the individual machines are connected and 

all process steps can be carried out together. SMB International has realised such a 

complex project for LBC Tank Terminals, an independent operator of midstream and 

downstream storage facilities for bulk liquid goods such as oils. 

At a Belgian seaport, LBC Tank Terminals 

mainly stores base oil, which is used for the 

production of petroleum products. At the 

end of 2019, the company decided to build 

a new filling plant at the Antwerp site. SMB 

International, a German planner and manufacturer 

of customised plants, received the 

order to install a fully automatic system, 

from drum feeding, filling and palletising to 

truck loading, and to supervise the project 

from planning to commissioning on site. 

A perfectly matched system 

For the construction of plants of this size 

and complexity, different technologies have 

to be combined whose processes must be 

precisely coordinated. This is the only way 

to achieve a fully automatic filling process. 

The starting situation for this project was 

good: the existing hall and filling system at 

LBC Tank Terminals in Antwerp were demolished 

in order to build a new one on the 

same site. This permitted to build a completely 

new, automated plant consisting of 

two line filling systems for drums with 

matched palletisers and stretch wrappers, as 

well as, an IBC filling system with matched 

conveyor technology there. In order to be 

able to continue the filling of bulk liquids 

during the construction process, the old 

systems were temporarily installed in another 

building. SMB International had a total 

of eight weeks for the installation and commissioning 

of the system. To ensure efficient 

implementation, all systems were set up at 

SMB’s factory as far as possible and central 

tests were carried out there, too. Nevertheless, 

commissioning at the customer’s site is 

still a decisive step, especially for fully automated 

systems. All interfaces between the 

individual components must function 

smoothly. 

The filling system in detail 

SMB’s line filling systems are used for the 

fully automatic, continuous filling of larger 

quantities. With a total storage capacity of 

almost 300,000 m 3 , this type of system was 

exactly the right choice for LBC in Antwerp. 

Different designs of the line filling system 

allow the filling of drums, cans, canisters or 

Pictures: SMB International 

Central test in the factory: Jens Hachmann and Jan-Hendrik Woldt from SMB International 

during the last check of the two line filling system before transport to Antwerp 


OUR ENGINEERING IS 

YOUR SYSTEM SOLUTION 

Empty barrels are fed fully automatically to 

the filling system with the aid of conveyor 

technology 

buckets via one or several filling points. In 

the new 1,150 m 2 building at the Belgian 

location, drums and intermediate bulk containers 

(IBC) are filled fully automatically. 

The first interface that had to be set up during 

commissioning is the feeding of the two 

container types. The empty drums are unloaded 

automatically from three swap body 

positions by an automatic drum unloader 

and then fed to the filling system by means 

of conveyor technology. Empty IBCs are, 

however, placed on a roller conveyor outside 

of the building by forklift trucks. In a next 

step, the containers are then automatically 

labelled and filled. The two vacuum palletisers 

from SMB International are an ideal 

supplement for the filling system. After filling, 

the drums are lifted by means of a vacuum, 

placed on pallets and then secured 

with film. 

Integration of an old system 

SMB hat already successfully installed filling 

systems, palletisers and stretch wrappers 

that work smoothly together for numerous 

other customers, including chemical companies. 

The special feature of this project, 

however, was that an existing SMB palletiser 

from the old system had to be integrated 

into the new filling centre. This was done 

after commissioning of the new filling system 

and the new palletiser. There remained 

little time for the coordination of the individual 

processes because without the existing 

palletiser, the temporary system could 

also no longer be used. 

The design of the new system with two palletisers 

and two wrappers has several advantages: 

on the one hand, they can work at 

higher speeds and process larger quantities 

together and, on the other hand, if one palletiser 

or wrapper fails, the other one can 

A stretch winder is also an integral part of 

the optimised filling process 

take over the palletising of both drum lines. 

This means that 45 pallets with four drums 

each can be fed to the truck loader per 

hour or up to 15 1,000-l-IBCs per hour can 

be filled and also loaded automatically. 

There is no longer any forklift truck used in 

the hall. 

The magic moment 

Once the individual machines had been installed 

and coordinated at their interfaces, 

the first test run of the entire system could 

begin. “To see such a complex, fully automatic 

system actually work for the first time 

is always impressive,” says Jan-Hendrik 

Woldt from SMB International, describing 

the commissioning. “This is the moment 

when every hour invested in its planning, 

design and programming pays off in full.” 

After the first pallets with filled drums had 

been loaded into a truck, final fine tunings 

were made before the complete system 

could start its routine operation. As far as 

the handling of bulk liquids is concerned, 

the challenge of this project was a home 

game for SMB International. The industrial 

transport of oil, mainly light mineral oil, is 

in fact one of the company’s long-standing 

areas of activity and expertise. 


Online search: SMB 

Author 

Andreas Heckel 

Managing partner, 

SMB International 

Rapid delivery 

Made in Germany 

ISO 9001 

Multi-coupling 

The perfect interface. A customizable multicoupling 

system that combines multiple process 

media connections in a single interface. 

Robust, extremely reliable and easy to use. 

• Fast, simultaneous connection and 

disconnection of up to 20 couplings 

• Arrangement can include different 

coupling types and sizes 

• Customer-specific configurations possible 

www.gather-industrie.de 

kupplung@gather-industrie.de · +49 2058 89381-23 

cpp 03-2020 41 

Pump/Metering/Coupling Technology



Overcoming common process sampling system challenges 

How to solve the most 

frequent issues 

It can be a challenge to operate process sampling systems properly, as any analyser 

engineer understands. This makes it all the more important to find out what common 

problems are affecting the samples before they reach the analyser. Swagelok 

experts can provide valuable assistance in this area, which can also improve the 

performance of the analyser systems. 

Downtime, potential economic loss, and 

even safety concerns can arise if any elements 

of the sampling system were to malfunction. 

This article provides an overview 

of problems in sampling systems that 

Swagelok field engineers frequently encounter 

and shows how to solve them. 

For instance, problems can often occur during 

analyser maintenance. Often, the challenges 

require maintenance technicians to 

spend more than an acceptable amount of 

time working on the analyser, sometimes 

working into the middle of the night or on 

weekends. Frequently auditing analysers and 

fixing simple sampling system design flaws 

can significantly boost the reliability of a 

plant’s analysers. The Swagelok field engineers 

have identified many potential problems 

that are easy to fix, such as reversed 

check valves blocking the sample flow or a 

fast loop flowing backwards. 

Pay attention to the design 

Some of the more common issues facing 

sampling systems are caused by poor design, 

and they can produce long-term problems 

over the lifetime of systems. For 

example, field engineers frequently discover 

inadequate fuel line heating. If the line has 

no heat when it should or is too hot that it 

polymerises or decomposes the sample, 

then the system will not function properly. 

It is important to ensure proper training for 

field engineers via qualified training programs 

that cover the basic intricacies and 

design principles for creating sampling systems. 

To help plants improve outcomes, 

Swagelok offers a variety of process analyser 

sampling system (PASS) training courses. 

Considering time delay 

Evaluating process analysers can be even 

more complicated due to nonobvious problems 

that may arise. For example, time delay 

is a frequent consideration, as the industry 

standard is one minute between the time 

the sample is extracted from the process and 

transported to the analyser. This short time 

frame provides near real-time readings of 

process conditions, enabling technicians to 

make immediate adjustments and minimise 

wasted product. 

Unfortunately, analysis delays can take as 

long as hours and even days. Any information 

from the analysis is therefore 

useless because it does not represent the 

real-time product in a system. Such delays 

could lead operators to act on inaccurate information 

about the sample and make in - 

effective corrections. Often, operators are 

unaware of the extent of a time delay, 

which means inferior product will continue 

to move through the system and may even 

be shipped to customers before discovering 

Pictures: Industrial Sampling Systems 

In this deadleg configuration, old sample trapped in the tee formation leaks into the main fluid stream, contaminating 

the new sample 


Inside a coalescer, droplets from aerosol in a wet gas sample cling to 

elements inside the coalescer and then form into large drops that fall out 

due to gravity. The gas on the downstream side is then dry. 

During the three-stage vaporisation process, high-pressure liquid 

vaporises to low-pressure gas following a sudden pressure drop 

any quality issues. To combat time delays, 

the only solution is to adjust the system’s 

design. If done correctly, such modifications 

can significantly reduce delays down to the 

one-minute industry standard. 

Unrepresentative samples 

Operators can take samples correctly and 

limit time delay, but if the sampling system 

design is improper, analyser results may still 

be wrong. For instance, deadlegs – dead 

spaces in the process analyser system – 

sometimes cause old samples to mix with 

new samples, preventing the sample from 

accurately representing real-time process 

conditions. Another reason samples could 

be tainted are leaks from the surrounding 

ambient air. For instance, oxygen could leak 

into a system that is supposed to be 100 % 

nitrogen at 100 psia because the partial 

pressure of the oxygen outside exceeds the 

partial pressure in the system. Operators can 

alleviate such problems by increasing the 

partial pressure of the sampling system to 

equalise the two, which would prevent unintentional 

ambient air contamination. 

The reality of coalescers 

While coalescers are commonly understood 

as devices that separate and remove liquids 

from gas samples, that is only partially true. 

Coalescers only work if the sample liquid is 

aerosolised because they are designed to 

cause the small aerosol droplets to collect 

together into large drops that are then easily 

separated by gravity. 

A common challenge is that the coalescer 

can be rendered useless by one of two scenarios. 

First, nonaerosolised liquids will 

travel through a coalescer with little or no 

separation because of the large size of the 

liquid droplets. Second, fine aerosol droplets 

will pass through the coalescer and will 

not be separated if the flow rate through the 

coalescer is too high. In both cases, liquid 

will reach the analyser and lower the reliability 

of your readings. 

Turning a liquid into vapour is difficult 

Vaporising liquids can seem deceptively 

easy, but it is not as easy as it looks. While it 

may appear simple to drop the liquid’s 

pressure rapidly to achieve vaporisation, it is 

just as possible that you will end up creating 

a fractionated sample due to a combination 

of vaporisation and evaporation. 

Once that happens, the sample is no longer 

valid for analysis. 

When fractionalisation happens (as is common 

in sampling systems), heavier molecules 

stay behind in the liquid phase while 

lighter gas molecules move downstream to 

the analyser as an unrepresentative sample. 

Once you understand what happens during 

vaporisation and how to manage it, it is 

easier to stop it in the future. 

Condensation is an easy fix 

The most frequent problem with gas 

samples is condensation. Thankfully, it is 

fairly easy to both predict where it may 

occur and fix the problem. It is usually just 

a matter of figuring out the right temperatures 

(after all, gases cool down quickly, 

while liquids take far longer to cool). 

Field stations often include systems that reduce 

the pressure of a gas sample (which 

should be done as close to the tap as possible). 

Nearly every gas loses heat during a 

pressure drop thanks to the Joule-Thomson 

effect. Measuring the amount of the drop 

allows you to determine whether a simple 

pressure-reducing regulator will suffice to 

accommodate a minor pressure drop or if 

other options have to be considered to 

handle a significant pressure drop. 

Why bring in an expert evaluator? 

Getting an outside opinion on the function 

of a process analyser sampling system could 

help fix problems the plant operator has 

been having for years. In fact, Swagelok 

field engineers have helped some customers 

get their analysers working accurately for 

the first time ever after evaluating and fixing 

their sampling systems. 

Having an expert sampling system evaluator 

examine the system to find out what common 

problems are affecting the samples before 

they reach the analyser is key. The fixes 

to the issues are often simple and can accelerate 

analyser responses and eliminate potential 

contamination. Swagelok can provide 

evaluation and advisory services to help any 

plant improve its analyser system function 

through specific solutions tailored to their 

particular applications. 


Online search: Swagelok 

AUTHOR: 

MIKE FROST 

Field engineering regional 

area manager for Asia- 

Pacific, 

Swagelok 




Central monitoring and control with the safety software iQ Safety Cockpit 

Digitisation in the field of 

explosion safety 

Visualisation of safety-relevant faults in the control room are only half the battle. In 

order to appropriately react to such faults, pre-defined counter measures have to be 

initiated – what sounds simple, it is actually a true challenge for plant operators in 

practice. Although protective systems and plant components react autonomously, 

the right behaviour of employees in critical situations is mandatory. Given the risk of 

human error, Rembe has developed the iQ Safety Cockpit. 

Similar to a process control system, the 

iQ Safety Cockpit offers an overview of all 

relevant protective and equipment system 

status, which can also be monitored in real 

time from any location remotely via smartphone. 

However, in addition to the PLC, detailed 

automatic and semi-automatic 

action plans can be linked and initiated: in 

case of an event in a certain area, sending an 

e-mail or an SMS to a pre-defined distribution 

group can be automated to bring the 

incident to their attention. 

Such a scenario could for example be, that 

in the event of an explosion, the responsible 

safety officer might be informed by text 

message via his service phone, the surveillance 

cameras in the affected area could be 

activated or set to a different mode and the 

management could also receive an e-mail. 

Nevertheless, more importantly, Rembe’s iQ 

Safety Cockpit guides the logged in user 

Pictures: Rembe Safety + Control 

The iQ Safety Cockpit offers numerous options for monitoring and implementing an explosion safety concept. Due to the variety of production 

plants the software visualisation is always customised and available on a wide variety of end devices. 


Screenshot from the iQ Safety Cockpit: single process sections can be displayed in a very precise and detailed way 

through the pre-defined plan of action. 

Forced guidance thereby would ensure that 

all desired and necessary process steps are 

followed in the event of a disruption. 

Those applications and process scenarios of 

the iQ Safety Cockpit can be individually 

configured for each plant; both analogue and 

digital signals can be processed. In addition 

to Rembe’s autonomous protective systems, 

Grecon spark extinguishing systems, camera 

systems or even fire detectors and other 

plant components can be combined and 

connected to the Rembe iQ Safety Cockpit. 

Learning from incidents 

Learnings from incidents and systematic 

root cause analysis are subject to be implemented 

in improved safety concepts. Rembe 

iQ Safety Cockpit compiles all data recorded 

during the emergency plan and then 

archives it in a comprehensive log. This data 

can be practically expended or adjusted via 

the various end devices. When the location 

of the accident is inspected, photos can be 

conveniently taken and loaded into the log 

(via the app) for subsequent evaluation. So, 

in the end all conventional autonomous 

protective systems from Rembe have become 

smarter without sacrificing their actual 

strength, the fast and reliable function. 

Reducing plant downtime 

In the age of digitisation, it is just as important 

to ensure a fast response time and 

high availability. The iQ Safety Cockpit also 

enables optimal integration of other interfaces 

through the individually coordinated 

visualisation of each process. Faults or, in 

the worst case, explosions not only require 

a regulated emergency plan, but also a predictive 

maintenance that is not only possible 

through the pure workforce of the employee 

on site. By detecting the operationally 

relevant components such as explosion 

vents, quench valves for explosion protection, 

pyrolysis gas and fire detectors or 

grounding systems for explosion prevention, 

all these can be registered and connected 

to a material management system. 

For example with the GSME and Hotspot 

detectors from Rembe, an artificial intelligence 

has been created that detects fire 

and explosion events at an early stage. The 

GSME detector is an artificial nose, 

„trained“ for pyrolysis – popularly known 

as smoldering gases, while the Hotspot detector 

represents an artificial eye that already 

detects surface temperature changes 

of 1 °C. Connected to the iQ Safety Cockpit 

of the same manufacturer, the two explosion 

prevention systems can evaluate 

changes and bring the system into a safe 

state either automatically or via precise instructions 

to the operator. 

If an event, such as an explosion occurs, the 

system recognises which areas are affected 

and provides information about which 

spare parts are required, in order to restore 

the system to a safe state as quickly as possible. 

These functions can be submitted in 

the operator’s system as a „suggestion“ or 

sent directly to the manufacturer as a nonbinding 

request. This creates the option to 

reduce the time of plant downtime. 

In a nutshell: The iQ Safety Cockpit is nothing 

else than a smart home control or 

driver assistance system in the automotive 

industry. Those are used to improve the efficiency 

and safety of driving a car and enable, 

in the right mix of auxiliary sensors 

and smart detectors, autonomous driving. 

Staying in that picture, simply spoken, 

Rembe iQ Safety Cockpit, similar to a 

driver assistance system for plants, will not 

only allow autonomous operation, but 

it will also push towards safety and efficiency 

to the highest possible level in the Industry 

4.0. 


Online search: Rembe Safety + Control 

AUTHOR: 

ALEXANDER 

KEMMLING 

Sales Executive Explosion 

Prevention, Key Accounts 

D-A-CH 

Rembe Safety + Control 




Rotary lobe, rotary screw or turbo 

Choosing the right blower 

A variety of machines are available for generating compressed air: rotary lobe 

blowers, rotary screw blowers and turbo blowers, to name but a few. With a wealth 

of options on offer, operators looking to purchase reliable and long-lasting equipment 

will find it pays dividends to conduct an extensive demand analysis before 

making any investment, so as to ensure that they are selecting the machine best 

suited to their requirements. 

Operating companies have a broad spectrum 

of blowers from which to choose. The 

most common types of machine are rotary 

lobe blowers, rotary screw blowers and 

turbo blowers, which tend to generate differential 

pressures between 0.4 and 1.0 bar 

at flow rates up to 250 m³/min. When it 

comes to generating oil-free compressed air 

in the low pressure range, there are basically 

two different types of technology available: 

positive displacement compressors, which 

include both twin-shaft rotary lobe blowers 

and rotary screw compressors, and dynamic 

compressors, which include turbo blowers. 

Kaeser Kompressoren offers all types of 

blowers and provides support in selecting 

the right solution. 

Robust rotary lobe blowers 

Viewed from their cross-section, the male 

and female rotors on a rotary lobe blower 

appear virtually identical; both feature three 

lobes and run longitudinally in a straight 

line. There is no pressure build-up within 

the blower block itself. Rather, it builds up 

in the process lines on account of the air 

molecules constantly pushing against the 

prevailing resistance generated by the 

blower. Robust and inexpensive to maintain, 

rotary lobe machines are recommended 

where differential pressures between 0.2 

and 0.5 bar are required. Depending on the 

size of the machine, they can reach blower 

speeds from 2000 to 6000 min -1 and a control 

range of up to 1:3. When combined 

with an integrated frequency converter, they 

achieve an isentropic efficiency between 45 

and 60 %. Since the development of rotary 

screw blowers, rotary lobe blowers tend 

only to be used when low pressures and 

short running periods are called for – as 

with filter backwashing, for example, or for 

applications featuring strong pressure fluctuations 

and long idling periods, such as the 

pneumatic conveyance of bulk materials. 

High-efficiency rotary screw blowers 

Rotary screw blowers are equipped with 

two screw-shaped rotors, which interlock 

together. Compression takes place inside the 

airend. As the rotors turn, the volume of the 

intake air trapped in the grooves is constantly 

reduced, and thus internally precompressed. 

Rotary screw blowers are highefficiency 

machines, ideal for differential 

pressures ranging from 0.4 to 1.1 bar and 

capable of achieving a control range of 1:4. 

When combined with an integrated frequency 

converter, they achieve an isentropic 

efficiency between 60 and 78 %, which remains 

stable even at constant pressure and a 

varying flow rate. The latest models are 

available with flow rates ranging from 5 to 

165 m 3 /min and, depending on size, can 

achieve blower speeds from 3000 to 

12,000 min -1 . These blowers are ideally 

suited to aeration processes, on account of 

the need for long operating hours, a broad 

control range and a constant efficiency 

curve for the flow rate. 

Modern rotary screw blowers can be arranged side-by-side 

Pictures: Kaeser Kompressoren 

High-speed turbo blowers 

In turbo blowers, pressure build-up takes 

place through an increase in flow speed at 

the turbo’s impeller, which is subsequently 

converted into pressure in the diffusor. The 

classic turbo blower design features a threephase, 

asynchronous motor producing impeller 

speeds from 20,000 to 30,000 min -1 

via a transmission. Flow rate and pressure 

are controlled via an adjustable guide vane, 

which makes this type of machine on the 

whole somewhat maintenance-intensive. 


Turbo blowers have a higher peak efficiency, whilst the efficiency of 

rotary screw blowers is rather more constant 

Operators with a flow rate distribution such as this can benefit most efficiently 

from a combination of turbo and rotary screw blowers 

However, the new generation of turbo 

blowers, equipped with a high-speed permanent 

magnet synchronous motor 

(PMSM) and a frequency converter, are capable 

of reaching the necessary speeds 

without need of a transmission. Magneticbearing 

turbo blowers achieve an isentropic 

efficiency between 60 and 78 %. In contrast 

to positive displacement compressors, a 

turbo blower’s peak efficiency is reached 

within a narrow range and is far more dependent 

on a particular pressure and flow 

rate. 

A turbo blower’s flow rate varies more 

starkly with changes in pressure; an initial 

control range of 1:3 can easily drop to 

below 1:2. This must be highlighted during 

the planning phase, in order to avoid any 

gaps arising in the control range later on. 

Turbo blowers are recommended for aeration 

applications, where the flow rates associated 

with rotary screw blowers are insufficient 

when the unit size of the machine 

is brought into consideration. 

Decision guide 

When deciding whether turbo blowers, rotary 

screw blowers, or even a combination 

of both are best suited to a particular project, 

it may be useful to consider the following 

questions: The first criteria to be considered 

are calculations for the required 

flow rate, their control range, the required 

pressure and the potential pressure fluctuations. 

The second set of decision criteria is 

concerned with the prevailing operating 

conditions, i. e. questions concerning the 

amount of space available and whether the 

equipment is to be installed indoors or outdoors. 

Also, the prevailing maximum/ - 

minimum ambient temperatures and inlet 

air temperatures, relative humidity and the 

existence of any contaminants (particulates, 

pollen, gas, etc.) in the air. The geographical 

elevation must also be considered. Reduced 

ambient/inlet air pressure has an influence 

on the performance of the machine. 

The third set of decision criteria concerns a 

comparison of both machine and process 

performance data. What range of flow rate 

does the machine need to be capable of? 

Which flow rates are likely to be most frequently 

required? What is the required control 

range, both for the design pressure and 

the maximum expected pressure? What will 

be the machine’s maximum annual operating 

hours and how are these distributed 

across the required flow rate range? How is 

efficiency affected by the flow rate and how 

does this match with the most frequently 

required operating range? What are the total 

investment costs, including the cost of securing 

redundant operation? What are the 

projected maintenance costs and how long 

will it take to repair the machine in the 

event of unforeseen failure of an essential 

component? 

It must be borne in mind that the energy 

costs should not be projected based on one 

single, ideal operating point, but rather on 

several points across the expected operating 

range. Bearing in mind that the annual energy 

costs for a given product are calculated 

using the formula cost of electricity x power 

x operating hours, time is clearly a decisive 

factor. 

Different types combined 

It is not altogether infrequent to find that a 

combination of both types of technology 

provides the best solution. Particularly in 

the water treatment industry, where the 

broadest possible flow rate control range 

must be covered in the lower ranges, it is 

increasingly common that air stations operate 

with a mixture of turbo and rotary 

screw blowers. Based on the specific output 

(kW per m 3 /min), a combination of rotary 

screw blower and turbo blower is the most 

efficient solution for covering the flow rate 

with the highest frequency. A second rotary 

screw blower can be a cost-effective choice 

as a redundancy unit. 


Online search: Kaeser 

AUTHOR: 

MARCUS JUNGKUNST 

Product Management – 

Product Support, 

Kaeser Kompressoren 

AUTHOR: 

DANIELA KOEHLER 

Press relations officer, 

Kaeser Kompressoren 




Dry vacuum technology for chemical and pharmaceutical processes 

Notes for the use of screw 

vacuum pumps 

Whether in vacuum conveying, inertisation, distilling or drying processes, vacuum is 

used everywhere to make processes safer, faster and more economical or made 

possible in the first place. Compared to the many other technologies for vacuum 

generation, screw vacuum pumps have the advantage that they do not require any 

operating fluid to compress the process gas. They work dryly. However, some 

design criteria should be taken into account when using them. 

The function of screw vacuum pumps is 

quickly explained. In a screw vacuum 

pump, two interlocking screw-shaped 

rotors rotate in opposite directions. The 

process gases are drawn in, trapped between 

the cylinder and screw chambers, 

compressed and transported to the gas discharge. 

During the compression process, 

the screw rotors do not come into contact 

with each other or the cylinder. Precise 

manufacturing and minimal clearances 

between the moving parts enable this operating 

principle and, in addition, ensure a 

low ultimate pressure of up to 0.01 mbar 

(absolute). 

With different sealing systems, various 

coatings and appropriate accessories, Cobra 

screw vacuum pumps from Busch Vacuum 

Solutions can be configured to be compatible 

with virtually any chemical. In addition, 

various Atex versions are available for 

Cobra screw vacuum pumps in accordance 

with EU Directive 2014/34/EU. Also, any 

other national regulation can be adapted for 

these vacuum pumps like EX-proof in US or 

Kosha in South Korea. This means that these 

vacuum pumps can also be used worldwide 

in potentially explosive areas and for conveying 

explosive gases and vaporus. Flame 

arresters may also be integrated if necessary. 

Further main criteria for safe operation 

of the pumps are described in the following 

paragraphs. 

Safe operation of the vacuum system 

Depending on the process gas, the vacuum 

pump can be exposed to certain risks. It is 

therefore important that the process gases 

are well known to minimise these risks. Different 

components are often required, 

which can be installed on the inlet or pressure 

side, in order to convey the process gas 

without damaging the vacuum pump. This 

is called a vacuum system, which can also 

consist of several vacuum pumps. 

For safe operation of the vacuum system, it 

is important to protect it from corrosion 

and deposits caused by crystallisation or 

polymerisation, and to increase the material 

resistance. 

Vacuum system with four screw vacuum pumps used as backing pumps 

Pictures: Busch Vacuum Solutions 

Protection against corrosion 

Various measures can be effective in protecting 

the vacuum system or the individual 

vacuum pumps against corrosion. The first 

possibility is to prevent corrosive substances 

from entering the interior of the vacuum 

pump. This can be implemented by upstream 

condensers or gas scrubbers. 

The second possibility to avoid corrosion is 

to keep the process stream in the gas phase. 

This can be implemented in a screw vacuum 


Dry screw vacuum pump for chemical and pharmaceutical processes 

Modern screw vacuum pumps have variable pitch screws, 

which allow an even temperature distribution inside the 

vacuum pump 

pump by setting a certain operating temperature. 

In addition, the process gas can be 

diluted by a supplied ballast gas to reduce 

the partial pressure of the condensable 

gases. So, the following simple logic 

applies: suction in gaseous form and ejection 

in gaseous form. The minimum temperature 

must therefore be selected so that 

it is high enough to prevent gases from 

condensing out. The maximum temperature 

must be selected so that the vacuum pump 

is not damaged or so that the maximum 

permissible temperature according to Atex 

classification is not exceeded. 

Cobra screw vacuum pumps operate with a 

cooling system which ensures even heat 

distribution, greater thermal efficiency and 

stability throughout the pump body. This 

allows the temperature to be selected so that 

it is high enough not to condense the process 

gas but low enough to avoid potential 

temperature-related problems such as gas 

deposition or spontaneous ignition. The absence 

of operating fluid allows a compression 

of the process chamber without contamination 

or reaction. 

A third possibility is to use compatible 

materials for the vacuum pump. In Cobra 

screw vacuum pumps from Busch Vacuum 

Solutions, for example, all parts in contact 

with the process are made of ductile cast 

iron by default and have a special coating 

that is resistant to almost all chemicals. 

Protection against particle entry 

Screw vacuum pumps should always be operated 

with an inlet screen or an inlet filter. 

This is to prevent particles from entering 

the inside of the vacuum pump. Due to the 

precise manufacturing of screw vacuum 

pumps with the associated small clearances 

and tolerances, there is a certain sensitivity 

to entrained particles. Dry screw vacuum 

pumps are frequently used with particulate 

dryers, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. 

A certain number of such particles 

can easily pass through the vacuum pump 

together with the process gas or be flushed 

out at the end of the process. Nevertheless, 

it is advisable to take appropriate precautions 

in order to prevent particles from 

being sucked in on a regular basis. For 

example, Busch offers a large number of 

different particle filters for every application. 

Leak-tightness 

Vacuum pumps and vacuum systems in a 

chemical environment must be so tight, 

since even a minimum of ambient air entering 

can potentially cause an explosive atmosphere. 

The escape of toxic or explosive 

gases is also cause for concern. Polymer 

o-rings are generally used to prevent leaks 

between two stationary parts. The resistance 

depends on the selected polymer. The seal 

material therefore also needs to be adapted 

to possible process gases. 

Busch Vacuum Solutions has had a dynamic 

sealing concept for rotating shaft feedthroughs 

certified by TÜV SÜD, in accordance 

with the Technical Instructions on Air 

Quality Control (TA Luft). These seals are 

considered technically leak-tight. 

Tips for operation 

For most applications, it is recommended 

that the vacuum pump is warmed up for a 

certain lead time before process operation. 

This allows the specified temperature to be 

set. After the end of the process, it is recommended 

to purge the vacuum pump with 

non-condensable inert gas to completely remove 

the process gas from the vacuum 

pump before switching it off. Nitrogen is 

normally used for this flushing process. 

Flushing the vacuum pump with a cleaning 

liquid at the end of the process is also possible 

and recommended if there is a risk of 

deposits forming inside the vacuum pump 

during cooling. 


Online search: Busch Vacuum Solutions 

AUTHOR: 

ULI MERKLE 

Global Marketing, 

Busch Vacuum Solutions 




Supervision and control system for valve actuators 

Added value at all levels 

Valve automation in metering skids for the oil and gas industry is a challenging task. 

High availability and easy integration of valves and actuators are crucial for these 

applications. Using a master station to control all the actuators within the metering 

system has proven to have multiple benefits. This is illustrated by the use of Auma’s 

Sima² master station in metering skids built by Krohne Oil & Gas for a customer 

project. 

Metering skids are turnkey, fully integrated 

metering systems for highly precise 

volume measurement of crude oil, natural 

gas and refined products. Typical applications 

include loading and unloading terminals 

for oil tankers, and measurements at 

the inlet and the outlet of transport pipelines. 

Actuators and valves – in addition to flow 

meters and pressure and temperature sensors 

– are key components of such skids. For 

the most part, double-block-and-bleed 

valves are used since they are 100 % leakage-free 

and so prevent measurement errors 

due to leaking valves. A skid normally has 

several metering runs arranged in parallel, 

plus a master run for calibration. Actuators 

are needed for the flow control valves that 

The metering skids were fully built up and tested at the Krohne plant in Dordrecht in the 

Netherlands – including the valves, the Auma actuators and the Sima² Master Station 

Picture: Krohne 

direct the oil or gas flow to the individual 

metering runs and to the master run. 

Krohne Oil & Gas B.V. in the Netherlands is 

one of the world’s leading manufacturers of 

such metering skids. The company, in cooperation 

with Auma, has implemented an 

automated metering solution for a major oil 

and gas group in the Middle East. Auma’s 

high-performance Sima² master station 

plays a key role in meeting the challenging 

requirements set by the customer. 

For this project, Krohne designed and 

manufactured three metering skids incorporating 

36 Auma actuators and one redundant 

Sima² master station for high-accuracy 

measurement of crude oil. For the same oil 

and gas group, Auma is supplying 17 Sima² 

master stations and several hundred actuators 

for other projects. Each of the skids 

is equipped with three Altosonic 5 ultrasonic 

flowmeters made by Krohne. Within 

each skid, 12 Auma actuators are used to 

control the flow rates and to switch between 

the different metering runs. They are 

connected to the Sima² master station in 

three separate loop topologies. 

Sima² provides central control and monitoring 

of all 36 actuators across the three skids. 

To ensure that the valves can be operated reliably 

even in the event of a fire, Auma’s 

proven SAEx actuators and ACExC 01.2 actuator 

controls are equipped with fireproof 

shields. 

High availability 

Flow measurements from the metering skids 

are the basis for calculating the exact volume 

of oil or gas supplied and billed to the end 

customer. Any failure of the measurement 

system very quickly results in high economic 

losses for the operator. High availability was 

thus the customer’s prime requirement for 

the metering skids, and this extended to 

control and communication as well as the 

reliability of the actuators themselves. 

The Sima² master station is particularly 

beneficial here, thanks to its multiple redundancy 

options and its robust and proven 

communication via standardised Modbus 

protocols. For this project, Auma supplied a 

Sima² with hot stand-by system redundancy. 

Two Sima² subsystems – cost-efficiently located 

within a single housing – ensure that 

operation continues without interruption 

even if one subsystem fails. 

Communication to the DCS is also redundant, 

via Modbus TCP/IP. The actuators are 

connected to the Sima² master station via 

Modbus RTU in a loop topology. Redun - 


Picture: Krohne 

Picture: Auma 

Each metering skid has 12 Auma actuators connected via a 

Modbus RTU loop with integral redundancy 

The Sima² Master guarantees maximum plant availability, thanks to reliable and efficient 

communication via standardised fieldbus protocols, comprehensive redundancy 

options, and a multitude of diagnostics 

dancy is also included at this level: if communication 

fails at a specific position within 

the loop, the Sima² considers both the resulting 

segments as individual lines, and all actuators 

remain accessible. Communication 

via Modbus is extremely fast and efficient, 

resulting in very short cycle and reaction 

times. 

Plug and play 

The metering skids, including the valves 

and actuators, were fully assembled and 

tested at the Krohne plant in Dordrecht in 

the Netherlands. For transport to the end 

user, only the external connections had to 

be separated. The objective was to minimise 

the steps needed to install and commission 

the pre-assembled modules at the end customer’s 

site. The metering skids only need 

to be connected to the product pipework, 

power supply and distributed control system 

(DCS), and they are ready to operate. 

Using a master station as a central control 

hub for all the actuators considerably reduces 

the external connections needed at 

actuator level. Only two fieldbus cables are 

needed per skid to connect the actuators’ 

Modbus loop to the Sima². At the customer’s 

site, only the Sima² then needs to be connected 

to the DCS. 

Benefits during commissioning 

Commissioning of the actuators took place 

in the Krohne factory simply using the 

Sima², without needing connection to a 

DCS. The large integral multitouch screen 

allowed all the actuators to be conveniently 

and intuitively controlled and tested, and 

communication parameters set. The actuator 

networks for each of the three metering 

skids could also easily be pre-configured 

using Sima². 

Commissioning was very fast, thanks to the 

Sima²’s automatic loop configuration feature, 

which facilitates actuator address assignment 

within the network. In this project, 

setting the parameters at the actuators 

and adding the devices to the Modbus loop 

was so easy and intuitive that the entire 

configuration for all 36 actuators was completed 

in less than 30 minutes. 

Central diagnostic hub 

During normal plant operation, using a 

Sima² master station reduces host communication 

to a minimum, thus reducing 

the workload on the DCS. Sima² distributes 

the individual operation commands to each 

actuator, receives status updates from all the 

actuators at cyclic intervals, and transmits 

only the concentrated data required for 

regular plant operation to the DCS. In addition, 

the master station offers a multitude of 

diagnostic functions. Status and availability 

are clearly visible at a glance at all levels: 

from the overall system down to each individual 

actuator. This speeds up fault localisation 

and repair. 

Auma reacted quickly to additional customer 

requirements that evolved during the 

course of the project. For example, a new 

software feature to enable additional configurable 

feedback signals was implemented. 

Krohne uses this feature to monitor 

the external 24 V power supply to the actuators. 

Sima² also incorporates integral 

Ethernet interfaces, opening up new possibilities 

for enhanced data exchange, including 

IIoT applications. 

Sima² master station has provided real 

added value for metering skids – in particular 

thanks to quick and easy commissioning, 

centralised control of all actuators, and a 

multitude of diagnostic functions. Efficient, 

high-speed Modbus communication and integral 

redundancy at all levels ensure reliable 

plant operation and optimised processes. 


Online search: Auma 

AUTHOR: 

SASCHA LOTH 

Product Management Sima², 

Auma Riester 



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LIST OF ADVERTISERS 

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Bronkhorst High-Tech B.V., NL-Ruurlo 19 

C. Otto Gehrckens GmbH & Co. KG, Pinneberg 19 

Fette Compacting GmbH, Schwarzenbek 2 

GATHER INDUSTRIE GmbH, Wülfrath 41 

GEA Group, Ettlingen 36 

IKA-Werke GmbH & Co. KG, Staufen 3 

IPCO Germany GmbH, Fellbach 29 

Dr. Jeßberger GmbH, Ottobrunn 53 

REMBE GmbH Safety + Control, Brilon 18 

Siemens AG, Karlsruhe 17 

Zeppelin Systems GmbH, Friedrichshafen 37 


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cpp – Process technology for the chemical industry 03.2020

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