New Products & Services
August 2016
RheoSense
The VROC initium automatic viscometer (photo) measures absolute viscosity as a function of shear rate across a wide temperature range with high repeatability. Equipped with automatic sample loading and cleaning, the small-footprint, high-capacity device facilitates 96-well plates, as well as 40 vial racks. Sample volumes can be as small as 10µL, making early-stage development more cost-effective. Automatic intrinsic viscosity measurements provide the size of molecules in various formulations and conditions. — RheoSense, Inc., San Ramon, Calif.
Emerson Process Management
The new wirelessly monitored Enardo 2000 emergency pressure-relief vents (EPRVs; photo) provide safety control by managing abnormally high storage-tank pressures in the oil-and-gas, chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Under normal operating conditions, an EPRV remains closed. The immediate knowledge of an open position can be vital and should warrant quick investigation. However, because these EPRVs are located on top of storage tanks, they are difficult to monitor. Site managers are increasingly looking for ways to increase safety and efficiencies. The new product design consists of a proximity indicator and wireless transmitter integrated with an EPRV. The proximity indicator senses movement of the emergency vent. “Open” or “closed” signals are received by the wireless transmitter and can be sent to a control room via a WirelessHART gateway. — Emerson Process Management, Austin, Tex.
Gericke USA
MK-3 centrifugal mill sifters (photo) include a new basket design that enables 360-deg screen rotation within the machine, providing flexibility to meet the demands of both quality inspection and hygiene within the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The mill’s design simplifies inspection by allowing a single operator to conduct inspection from one side of the sifter, while eliminating manual handling and the inherent hygiene implications of removing the screen on a regular basis for inspection. Standard machines include bearings at both ends. In addition to the traditional nylon screens, anti-static, perforated-plate and wedge wire screens are available to suit many applications. — Gericke USA, Inc., Somerset, N.J.
Piab
The new, ultra-fine secondary air-filter range (photo) is designed for use with this company’s vacuum conveying systems. Available as standard accessories, the sterile filters are of the ultra-fine filtration class — U15-17 — or ultra-low penetration air (ULPA) filters. The filtration efficiency is rated at 99.9999%. The new filter units offer greatly improved filtration performance when compared with the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that are often used in industry settings. Designed to fit the capacity of any compressed-air-driven vacuum pump, the filters can be used in a broad range of vacuum conveying applications. — Piab AB, Täby, Sweden
Gill Sensors & Controls
This company’s new oil-debris sensor (photo) offers continuous, realtime monitoring of particle accumulation and contamination in hydraulic and lubrication systems. The sensor features a three-channel output that provides both an early warning of damaged bearings or gears that need maintenance to prevent unexpected downtime. Typical applications include monitoring gas-turbine engines, turbine gearboxes and other industrial applications. Solid particle contamination is a major cause for breakdown in hydraulic and lubrication oil systems, which can not only be costly to fix, but when compounded with unscheduled downtime, can cause even higher recovery costs. — Gill Sensors & Controls Ltd., Hampshire, U.K.
The Axius SC Sanitary Rupture Disc, specifically designed for the stringent sanitary and aseptic requirements of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, is now available in Hastelloy C276 m
aterial. In many situations, Hastelloy is preferred over stainless steel because of its corrosion resistance in demanding applications. In both Hastelloy and stainless steel, the Axius SC is free of any indentations, crevices or other design features that may trap process contaminants. The Axius SC in Hastelloy C276 material is available with a broad burst-pressure range, with full vacuum resistance at all burst pressures, similar to the existing 316/316L stainless-steel models. Suitable for both gas and liquid applications, the non-fragmenting rupture discs are able to fit directly into standard industry ferrule connections. — Fike Corp., Blue Springs, Mo.
Operators of tanker and tank-container fleets now have access to a new eco-friendly cleaning facility in Krems an der Donau (in Lower Austria). In June, this company expanded its tank-interior cleaning center for all kinds of chemical products and foodstuffs by opening a third cleaning bay. The facility is not only able to clean tankers and tank containers, but also silo vehicles and tipper trucks. The special features of the new cleaning bay includ
e automated cleaning for dispersions and synthetic resins by machine, where the water and cleaning agents are recycled. This provides major improvements to the interior cleaning process and reduces water consumption and manual cleaning work. When removing any chemical residue with water pressure of 8 bars and a temperature of up to 90°C, only certified, environmentally friendly cleaning agents are used. — Imperial Chemical Transport GmbH, Krems, Austria
www.imperial-international.com
Emefcy
This company’s flat-sheet Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactors (MABR; photo) provide high-effluent wastewater-treatment solutions with 90% less energy and 50% less sludge, according to the manufacturer. The MABR is a spirally wound air sleeve submerged in a tank, to which wastewater is fed continuously and effluent is discharged by overflow. This passive aeration process saves energy by eliminating the need to blow air. The design is said to ensure robust, efficient, durable, clog-free operation. The MABR is suitable for small- to medium-sized plants, providing quiet and odorless wastewater treatment solutions, while enabling the re-use of wastewater for irrigation. — Emefcy Ltd., Caesarea Industrial Park, Israel
The ADM type Kokeisl mechanical discharge and dosing module is used for discharging bulk material in any amount desired from silos, containers and other vessels. From a few grams to seve
ral tons of material, discharge is realized accurately according to the scale resolution. The machine can be used for local applications, such as dosing on a single machine, as well as integrated into highly automated bagging machines, complex multi-component weighing systems, or even complete container systems. Due to its electropolished surfaces and seals that conform to FDA regulations, the Kokeisl is also suitable for the pharmaceutical industry. The module is available in three sizes with a maximum outlet aperture diameter of 90, 150 or 200 mm. — Zeppelin Systems GmbH, Friedrichshafen, Germany
The PH10 is a smart pH sensor and transmitter that features an industry first — a rugged polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) body. The device can be calibrated at any time against a standard or referen
ce transmitter, or laptop PC, in the instrument shop. The calibration parameters are then stored in an onboard memory chip. When performing a field calibration, operators simply take the pre-calibrated sensor to the field, connect it to the transmitter, and allow the transmitter to upload the calibration parameters. The sensor’s design incorporates a flat membrane sensing electrode and an ion barrier to protect the internals and reduce fouling. The sensor also stores other parameters, such as glass resistance, reference resistance, date of manufacture, serial number and history logs to help manage the deployment and performance of the pH sensor. — Schneider Electric, Foxboro, Mass.
Festo
Water supply company Landeswasserversorgung (Stuttgart, Germany) employed this company’s pneumatic automation technology for the construction of the multimedia and activated-carbon filtering basins in a new groundwater filtration system. The automation technology controls the water flow using pneumatic valve actuators (photo) and process valves for regulation and shutoff, as well as for preventing return flow. The company installed seven open two-tier filters in the new groundwater filtration system. During backwashing of one multimedia filter, the pipelines are opened and closed by 10 shutoff valves, which are actuated by this company’s DAPS pneumatic quarter-turn actuators. The actuators are controlled by valve terminals with a Profinet connection. Overall, the technology saved Landeswasserversorgung 10% on its investment and operating costs compared to electric automation, says this company. — Festo AG, Esslingen am Neckar, Germany
Voith Turbo
The Vorecon variable-speed planetary gear provides speed control with maximum reliability and low lifecycle costs. With the new NX series (photo), this company has now further developed the proven principle specifically for applications in the low power range (up to 10 MW). The Vorecon NX provides an increase in efficiency of up to 8% in part load. In the new series, an optimized torque converter provides efficient speed control, which uses only a small portion of the input power. Depending on the speed required, this power is fed back to the driveline by way of the planetary gear on the driven side. Adjustable pump blades in the torque converter provide stepless and wear-free control. — Voith Turbo, a Group Division of Voith GmbH, Crailsheim, Germany
Sartorius Stedim Biotech
The new ambr 250 modular system (photo) is an innovative benchtop mini bioreactor system for parallel fermentation or cell culture. This system combines a unique single-use bioreactor vessel and expandable system design to offer bioprocess scientists access to advanced benchtop bioreactor technology for process development. The new ambr 250 modular system consists of a workstation with two, four, six or eight single-use bioreactors, with a working volume range of 100 to 250 mL. These mini bioreactors, based on the same stirred-tank bioreactors in the well-established ambr 250 high-throughput system, contain impellers suitable for fermentation or cell culture and demonstrate excellent scaleup to larger bioreactors, says the company. They are also fully integrated with liquid reservoirs and syringe pumps, allowing rapid experimental setup and turnaround, significantly increasing lab efficiency. — Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Goettingen, Germany
Fluid Imaging Technologies
The FlowCam ALH automated liquid-handling system (photo) automatically processes up to 96 samples per run without requiring human involvement or supervision. This eliminates the potential for human error in sample handling and pipetting, and ensures that data are accurate. Ideal for particle characterization and quality control in a variety of liquid and dry particle-analysis applications, the FlowCam autosampler includes built-in mixing, heating and cooling for sample conditioning, control over evaporation and protection against sample degradation. The FlowCam ALH liquid-handling system is entirely self-contained on a compact footprint in a protective enclosure suitable for cleanrooms to prevent contamination and outside activities from disturbing the operation. — Fluid Imaging Technologies, Inc., Scarborough, Me.
Pump Engineering
The range of CSF CS, CSA and CSM centrifugal pumps (photo) are capable of handling capacities from 1 to 550 m3/h at heads up to 155 m. These pumps possess the ease of cleaning and maintenance that are necessary for transferring liquids in food, brewing, pharmaceutical and other similar hygienic process applications. CSF pumps are manufactured in investment-cast AISI 316L stainless steel, with stainless steel for all wetted parts. They also feature a six-vane impeller, which ensures gentle and effective handling of the ingredients used in many food and pharmaceutical processing applications, even those containing particles or small solids. The pumps are designed with clean-in-place (CIP) capability to ensure the absence of dead areas and feature electro-polished finishing of all surfaces. CSF pumps are available with standard or ATEX-certified motors, which are designed for back pull-out and fitted with a quick-release clamp to enable fast and simple dismantling. — Pump Engineering Ltd., Littlehampton, U.K.
Honeywell Process Solutions
The recently launched ControlEdge programmable logic controller (PLC; photo), when combined with this company’s Experion Process Knowledge System, provides secure connectivity and tight integration to instruments, equipment and software from multiple vendors. ControlEdge is said to be the first PLC to offer Universal I/O, providing remote configuration and flexibility for late-phase design changes, leading to improved project implementation. ControlEdge PLC is designed for process industries that require discrete control for specific PLC applications, such as water treatment, balance-of-plant modular equipment, terminal automation, and coal and ash handling. — Honeywell Process Solutions, Houston
Vertiflo Pump
The Model 1400LF low-flow centrifugal pump (photo) can handle flowrates up to 50 gal/min and heads up to 345 ft, at temperatures as high as 250°F. Applications for this base-mounted horizontal pump include boiler feed, chemical processing, washdown and spray washers. Back pullout construction allows for simplified inspection or maintenance without disturbing the piping to the pump. Packing or various mechanical-seal arrangements are available as standard options. Construction material selection includes ductile iron, bronze fitted, 316 stainless-steel fitted and all 316 stainless steel. — Vertiflo Pump Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
ASCO Valve
The Numatics 503 Series valve manifold (photo) enables end users to configure up to three safety circuits in a production machine. The manifold can create up to three independent electro-pneumatic safety zones, while also allowing independent non-safe sections to coexist within one manifold assembly. The operator does not have to shut down the entire machine by releasing compressed air with a redundant safety or control dump valve. Instead, the Numatics 503 Series valve manifold can be configured to shut down air and power only to the group of valves that controls the machine’s motion in the operator’s vicinity. The flexible approach also significantly reduces safety system cost and allows machine space to be saved for other purposes, says the company. — ASCO Valve, Inc., Florham Park, N.J.
EnviroGear Pumps
This company’s G Series of metal-sealed internal-gear pumps has been expanded to include models in three new sizes (photo): 3, 4 and 6-in. The new models are available in cast iron, carbon steel and stainless steel, and can deliver flowrates up to 500 gpm. The pumps are offered with both packing and mechanical seal options. The pump casing can be easily rotated for multiple liquid porting positions, making these pumps very simple to install into existing internal-gear pump applications, says the manufacturer. G Series pumps also have an enlarged bearing housing at the backside of the pump that allows for convenient drive-end access to the shaft seal and single-point end-clearance adjustment. Providing a positive, non-pulsating flow, G Series pumps can operate equally in both directions. — EnviroGear Pumps, Grand Terrace, Calif.
Quintex
After this company created the possibility to design GRP (glass-reinforced polymer) control stations for use in hazardous areas, it has now made this possible with stainless-steel local control stations with up to 15 modules (photo). The selection and placement follows the same procedure as for GRP control boxes. Users simply choose the maximum quantity of required modules on the company’s homepage. Based on the scheme chosen, users can then select the appropriate functions on a new definition page. By leaving out certain points, users can create special user-friendly stations that the operator can use intuitively. — Quintex GmbH, Lauda-Königshofen, Germany
The Dechema Materials Table (Dechema-Werkstoff-Tabelle; DWT) is now available as an online version. The new online edition of the DWT provides detailed information about the corrosion and chemical resistance of all important metallic, 
non-metallic and organic materials in contact with over 1,000 corrosive media. It provides important guidance for preventing corrosion damage and is thus an important decision-making aid. Additional benefits include the following: fast and worldwide availability of data; guaranteed online access at all times; simple and immediate access; and no additional software installation is necessary. Single and multi-user versions are available. — Dechema e.V., Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Pepperl+Fuchs
With the basic segment coupler (photo) — the successor to SK1 and SK2 — Profibus PA nodes appear as DP nodes in the distributed control system (DCS) and can be configured and diagnosed without additional tools. The basic segment coupler provides this transparency without any configuration of its own. The simplicity of this design assists in efficient generation of big data for optimized process management. At the same time, both transmission rate and timing of the two systems are completely de-coupled. Communication to the DCS benefits from responses with zero delay by the PA nodes at a transmission rate of up to 1.5 megabits/s on Profibus DP. The basic segment coupler from FieldConnex supports a high segment count per cabinet requiring only 20 mm on the DIN-rail and very low heat dissipation. — Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH, Mannheim, Germany