Page 161 - CW E-Magazine (30-1-2024)

News from Abroad

HEATING & COOLING APPLICATIONS
GEA investing €5.5-mn in upgrading German site

making valves and components

GEA, the German group specialis-
ing in plants, machinery and process
technologies, has announced plans to
invest around €5.5-mn over the next
two years in the modernisation of pro-
duction at Prenzlau (Germany) site
belonging to its group firm, GEA AWP,
a manufacturer of valves and compo-
nents used in industrial heating and
refrigeration plants & machinery.
plications. The main products include around $20-mn to meet demand from
As part of this project, seven older safety valves, shut-off valves, ball the company’s growing US Midwest
machining centres will be replaced by valves, suction filters and oil manage- customer base, the facility has pro-
new models. “The new CNC machining ment valves. The components are used duction capabilities to finalise sepa-
centres and lathes enable a reduction in for all types of heating and cooling rator, decanter as well as valve and
machining time of up to 20 percent and systems, for example in the heat pump pump assembly. Deployed primari-
a reduction in set-up times of up to 70 industry, in cooling and freezing tech- ly in the pharmaceutical, dairy, food
percent. In addition, the new machines nology in the food industry, in cooling and marine industries, separators are
save valuable space in production and in the dairy industry, in component machines used to separate two liquids
can be used for other purposes,” the equipment for oil drilling platforms and of different densities from each other.
company said in a press note. The first ships, as well as in cooling processes in Decanters contribute to a cleaner envi-
new milling machining centre went into the brewing industry, in the chemical ronment in numerous industrial appli-
operation at the end of 2023. and pharmaceutical industries. cations such as wastewater and water
treatment. Valves and pumps control
The investment in the new Operations begin at new US facility flow technology equipment, while
machines is also linked to an increase In another development, GEA homogenisers create uniform and
in production jobs at Prenzlau. Around announced that operations have begun consistent mixtures.
20 additional production employees in at the company’s new 86,000 square-
machining, welding and logistics are to foot fabrication, repair, logistics and The new site has a strong emphasis
be recruited by 2026. training facility in Janesville, Wiscon- on sustainability, with environmentally
sin (USA). friendly measures including solar
GEA AWP manufactures valves panels, water reuse systems and a state-
specially designed for heat pump ap- Representing an investment of of-the-art building management system.
Usalco buys Brenntag’s coagulant business in US

Usalco, a US-based maker of
aluminium chemical used in water
treatment, and a portfolio company
of H.I.G. Capital, has acquired the
coagulant manufacturing business of
Brenntag Southwest Inc., a subsidi-
ary of German distributor, Brenntag. diverse group of municipal and com- Post-close, Usalco plans to relocate
Brenntag’s coagulants business is mercial water treatment customers in production to its existing manufactur-
based in Houston, Texas, and serves a Texas, a key growth region for Usalco. ing sites in the area.

Chemical Weekly January 30, 2024 161

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