Düsseldorf (Germany), August 8, 2017 – GEA invites beverage industry representatives to visit Hall A3 Booth 313 at drinktec, the leading global trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry in Munich from September 11-15, 2017. GEA focuses on customer needs, including the demand of high quality products due to an absolutely reliable and safe production, flexibility in the face of demand fluctuations, improvements to internal productivity with ever lower operating costs and a sustainable ecological balance. At this years’ drinktec, GEA Service will therefore emphasize the GEA SAFEXPERT™ antibiofilm program for the beverage and dairy industry, ensuring that biofilm is no longer an issue in securing superior product quality.

Enhanced quality and productivity with GEA SAFEXPERT™

Biofilm in the production line is a constant source of product contamination and product loss. By eliminating biofilm, product contamination will not occur and product loss will be reduced significantly, resulting in consistently high product quality. During the GEA SAFEXPERT™ program, the equipment will be screened systematically regarding biofilms and bacteriological species will be identified. Any biofilms will be removed to enhance the safety and quality of the products. Due to the consistent nominal production capacity, customers will have a high return on investment.

Higher shelf life, less CIP

Since biofilm impacts product stability, GEA SAFEXPERT™ will also extend the shelf life of the products. In addition, biofilm-free production requires less CIP, thus extending production time per line and per day. GEA SAFEXPERT™ investigates the production equipment for biofilm, biofilm-forming bacteria and also the type of contaminating bacteria that usually develops from biofilm, e.g. listeria monocytogenes, salmonella, bacillus cereus, pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Contaminations identified in just a few hours

GEA investigates each line suspected of containing biofilm, according to the assessment. By using a special UV lamp for fast detection and next-generation ATP G2 analysis for verification, contaminated lines are identified in just a few hours. Affected lines are flushed with a patented enzymatic solution that cuts the biofilm open, followed by removal of the contaminating bacteria with a peracetic acid used as sterilant. After the treatment the systems are being inspected for enzymatic residues.

GEA SAFEXPERT™ Preventive Treatment Performance Contract

A GEA SAFEXPERT™ Performance Contract for preventing biofilm growth ensures that customers no longer need to worry about biofilm contamination in the plant. GEA Service will take care to implement a periodic preventive program tailored to the plant and ensuring a consistently biofilm-free process. The antibiofilm program is reviewed accordingly and a status report will be generated and forwarded to the customer. GEA SAFEXPERT™ keeps the plant and equipment at optimum performance.

GEA’s service staff at drinktec will inform customers about all further options of the service concept "GEA Service - For your continuous success" on the stand.

Düsseldorf (Germany), August 2, 2017 – It goes without saying that any efficient packaging system needs to include a labeler that can keep pace with even the highest demands. This is why GEA has undergone its labelling and printing segment a lot of further developments increasing labelling speed and accuracy.

With the new generation of its TiroLabel labelling system GEA is the only supplier to use a motor-driven positioning unit with spring-loaded pins for its top and bottom labelers. This ensures that fluctuations in air pressure have no effect on label placement. The advantages are obvious: for one, the machines run more smoothly. For another, the labels are applied to the product with care and with process reliability. This has increased labelling speeds by up to 25 percent. The new set-up has significantly improved user friendliness and made the labelers easier to maintain.

More options provide effective process

The labelers are operated via a new, separate 10” touch panel with integrated printer controller. Likewise, the printers of the labelers are now also available with an integrated touch panel. Another optional setting is “no product – no label”, which ensures that empty packs are not labelled, thus conserving resources while labelling. For operations without machine stops, a “no downtime” setting is provided with two independent top or bottom labelers, which automatically switch over during label changes to prevent downtimes caused by label changes. The “twin labeler” has been designed to carry out high-performance operations in the smallest space; two labelers that are coupled together for labelling at twice the speed.

Labeler suitable for GEA thermoformer series

GEA TiroLabel could be integrated in GEA thermoformers. The technology group offers two different packaging series for every need and performance category in the area of food, sterile medical goods and pharmaceutical products. GEA PowerPak is a highly configurable and capable packaging machine for production lines with a high throughput or frequently changing products. For small production quantities and infrequent product changes, GEA DeltaPak provides now an economical alternative as well. This packaging machine had its world premiere during interpack 2017 in Düsseldorf and simplifies taking the step from manual to automatic packaging systems. GEA DeltaPak is a compact machine for standard packs in small- to medium size batches, and it covers a wide spectrum of applications, including vacuum packages and MAP. It also runs flexible film as well as rigid film. Because flexibility is a key consideration for this type of machine, it is designed for fast and easy configuration, including die set change-over. Due to a defined basic structure, a defined range of functions and a selected equipment range, a GEA DeltaPak thermoformer adapted to the requirements of the customer can be provided quickly.

Düsseldorf (Germany), July 25, 2017 – Manual cleaning of mineral oil centrifuges’ disk stacks is a tedious and time consuming process, often taking more than eight hours. To streamline this task, GEA has launched GEA EffiClean, an innovative solution that cleans separator’s disk stacks in just 20 minutes inside the running machine. Moreover, the in place cleaning that EffiClean offers is both environmentally and user friendly.

Disk cleaning absolutely necessary

Mineral oil treatment is known as a dirty business. After operation and/or processing of feed products with high variation in quality, the disk stacks can become very dirty. Sticky layers of asphaltenes are built up on the inner surface of disks. The result is decreased disk gaps which limits the separation efficiency. This forces the operator to turn down the performance of the centrifuge in order to not risk damaging downstream equipment.

During manual cleaning, eight or more hours of operation are lost. To speed up the manual procedure, operators are sometimes forced to use improper cleaning techniques. This leads to a high risk of irreversible damage on the separators integral parts. Further, since particles accumulate based on a surface’s friction coefficient, worn out and damaged disk surfaces become dirty much faster.

Escaping from manual disk cleaning with GEA EffiClean

The GEA EffiClean unit contains all components, tools and accessories

GEA EffiClean allows operators to clean disks directly where the centrifuge is located, saving precious maintenance time and optimizing the reliability, availability and efficiency of the centrifuges. Mounted on an easy-to-use trolley, the equipment combines an environmentally friendly cleaning agent and a cleaning process that reflects over 100 years of experience in separation technology. Specially designed for mineral oil applications, the stainless steel unit with a footprint of only 0.5 x 0.8 m fits in narrow spaces and it’s tough enough to resist the demanding environment.

The GEA EffiClean1090 cleaning agent, exclusively sold by GEA, combines optimal cleaning with an environmentally friendly formula and offers the best compatibility with the materials used in GEA centrifuges. Sold as a concentrate, the cleaning agent is diluted with 90% water at the time of use. Only a very small amount of chemical is needed per cleaning cycle, which enables very small and easy to handle packaging sizes. For optimized user safety, the cleaning agent is connected to the cleaning unit, which automatically adds the right amount of cleaning solution during the cleaning process. The operator does not get in physical contact with the cleaning agent.

Separator disk before (left) and after (right) cleaning with GEA EffiClean

With GEA EffiClean the labor required for disk cleaning is reduced by up to 95% compared to manual cleaning. Plus, customers benefit by bringing the reliability, availability and efficiency of their GEA separators to their maximum capacity.

The long-established ValveCalc design program from GEA AWP helps with the selection and sizing of valves for refrigeration facilities. Great news from the German experts – the software is now enhanced to meet the latest standards, a move towards the very latest in technology design.

By entering their operating conditions, users of the GEA AWP ValveCalc software follow a step-by-step guide to choose the right size of valve, or have the system calculate a whole network section with several different fittings and design the system themselves. The new Version 6.0, which the company is providing free of charge on request, takes into account the latest standards in industrial refrigeration including the latest standard for the calculation of safety valves EN 13136:2013. With this, the pressure loss calculations of the supply and discharge lines of the safety valves are now based on the actual discharge volume and no longer the required volume. The maximum allowable pressure of the safety valves is now automatically calculated and displayed. The extensive database of refrigerant data was expanded, particularly for the superheated refrigerant range

The included product catalogue provides a detailed selection of various properties for the selected products. GEA AWP ValveCalc 6.0 also comes with detailed documentation on the designed products and network sections to pass on to third parties. The redesigned print-outs are now more visually appealing than before. GEA AWP also optimized its user interface, making it easy to use on Microsoft Windows 10 and display on common laptop screens. Contact Nehir Memet, Product and Sales Manager at GEA AWP, for more information or to request the free software / nehir.memet@gea.com.

Cruise passenger numbers are booming all over the world. With the new structure, GEA has developed the key advantage in a rapidly growing and demanding market. By combining different expertise GEA is able to offer customers a broader product portfolio from a single source to make sure that crew and passengers feel comfortable.

Regarding current market trends in the cruise industry like ship size and sustainability, GEA is able to meet the customers’ demands with environmentally-friendly equipment and tailor-made solutions. At the Marine Trade Fairs Seatrade Cruise Global, currently taking place in Fort Lauderdale, USA, (March 13-16, 2017, German Pavilion, booth 229-28), as well as the upcoming NorShipping in Oslo, Norway, (May 30 - June 2, 2017, hall E, booth 03-09) GEA will highlight the latest technologies and service solutions for the marine industry.

Size matters – GEA does it all

At the moment, some cruise lines are expanding the size of their cruise vessels. The largest cruise ship for example has capacity for 6,000 passengers, but this number will be shortly increased to new dimensions. A reverse development is that of smaller, more exclusive cruise vessels with capacity for just 200 passengers; a market tendency that signals a high level of luxury with rarer and more remote destinations. Two trends appealing to different segments, but both are relevant to GEA as the equipment on these ship types is part of GEA’s portfolio.

When it comes to important aspects like sustainability and reduction of carbon footprint, GEA is able to meet these demands as all equipment is being optimized regularly in terms of low energy consumption and waste production. Michael Fibbe, Product Sales Manager for GEA’s Marine Equipment, underlines: “The key words are less energy consumption and less emissions, which GEA can tailor to any customers’ requirements. We even design specialized systems such as bilge purifiers that clean the bilge water – thus protecting the ocean by ensuring that no oil is dumped in the water.” New developments like the GEA CatFineMaster for maximum fuel quality, or the GEA BallastMaster marineX with a new inline driver design, as well as the future-proof 5ppm GEA BilgeMaster systems – all in line with IMO standards – set new standards in the Marine industry.

Sustainable solutions for cooling by using CO2

Marc Prinsen, Head of Application Center Marine at GEA, adds: ”We also challenge the high demand of sustainable solutions to phase out synthetic refrigerants and replace them with natural ones, like CO2. Using CO2 for cooling purposes clearly has two advantages: Due to an optimized configuration with CO2 we can lower the freezing temperature. This way the power consumption will become more efficient and at the same time you improve the carbon footprint. Furthermore we offer heat recovery solutions that benefit both energy consumption and the environment.”

Full confidence in GEA’s marine equipment

For many years, the cruise ship industry fully trusts GEA and its solutions as it has doubled its orders for GEA’s technology meeting their continuously rising needs. And according to Michael Fibbe, this positive development is an indication of a market that holds a lot of promise for GEA: “The leading cruise ship owners and builders emphasize their trust in GEA as we experience a vast increase to equip newly built ships with GEA technology. And thanks to the new GEA structure, one single point of contact can offer customers a much wider range of equipment today. So they can easily meet the requirements of the industry and their guests. But especially the one-face-to-the-customer philosophy makes GEA more effective than ever before when it comes to order execution.”

As a leading supplier of high performance equipment for the marine industry, GEA’s solutions range from treating fuel oil, lube oil, sludge, bilge and ballast water, while air conditioning, refrigeration, and freezing technology ensure that passengers are comfortable and that the ship arrives in good condition.

GEA Service – Optimized OPEX across the ship lifetime

Excellent machines or equipment are one thing, the right service is another. With several options of the new service concept “GEA Service – For your continued success” GEA customers are optimally being supported throughout the entire life cycle of their installed systems and components. From project engineering, installation, and commissioning to maintaining and improving the performance of the customer’s equipment: GEA is the first choice, one-stop call for Total Productive Maintenance.

According to the motto „Think green, choose blue” GEA presents innovative refrigeration and cooling solutions at EuroShop in Duesseldorf, Germany from March 5 to 9, 2017 (exhibition center, hall 17, booth D77). The main focus is on GEA compressors, especially developed for the use with natural refrigerants.

The new 6-cylinder compressor for hydrocarbons: GEA Bock HG56e HC

New on the market is the GEA Bock HG56e HC series for the use of hydrocarbons – it combines state-of-the-art technology with GEA design standards, which have been proven for decades. This series replaces the previous 4-cylinder series HG5 and a part of the HG6 compressors. The new 6-cylinder compressors offer higher efficiency and a quieter operation compared to their predecessors.

The new GEA Bock HG56e HC also offers the following advantages:

New designed housing with optimized gas flowImproved valve plate systemDurable engine for demanding applications with hydrocarbons The latest generation of highly efficient electric motors Standard mounting positions

Most extensive performance coverage in the industry

With three sizes of the GEA HG56e series covering the range from 73.8 m³/h to 100.4 m³/h displacement (at 50 Hz), the GEA HC series can guarantee the most extensive performance coverage in the industry.

The new compressor series for hydrocarbons combines high efficiency, running smoothness, compactness and a long life cycle. Due to optimized engine components and an adapted specific oil filling, all models offer highest performance, even under very demanding operating conditions of hydrocarbons. The GEA compressors of the hydrocarbon and CO2 range also meet the requirements of the F-gas regulation. This provides planning assurance to plant manufacturers, operators and investors.

Powerful in subcritical and transcritical CO2 application

In supermarkets, cold storages, on fishing vessels and other areas such as food processing, CO2 refrigeration systems have already proven their value. GEA offers a variety of compressors for commercial and industrial cooling or heat pump applications for use with CO2 as a refrigerant. On display at the GEA booth and already available on the market for many years is the 6-cylinder GEA Bock HG46 CO2 T compressor. This model is the largest semi-hermetic piston compressor for transcritical CO2 applications and has proven its reliability in several projects.

In product development GEA compressors have been optimized for use with CO2. Relevant features include a reliable design to meet the challenges of any CO2 operation, a high level of stability due to low vibrations and pulsations, quiet operation and extremely low oil carry-over. In addition, the design engineers have implemented a good thermal separation in the compressor, to benefit higher efficiency as confirmed by the ASERCOM certification for a number of transcritical CO2 compressors. The compressors can be operated over a broad frequency range, which assures ideal response to meet partial-load requirements.

GEA has been chosen by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, one of the largest drug manufacturers in Korea, to supply manufacturing equipment for a new plant that’s currently under construction in the city of Pyeongtaek-si in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea.

GEA is providing two production lines for insulin, including centrifugal separators, fermenters, homogenizers, flow components and a significant number of aseptic valves. The multimillion euro order, received and booked as order intake in 2016, is scheduled for completion during 2017 and further reinforces the cooperative business relationship between the two companies.

One-stop-shop approach

The project represents a successful interdisciplinary collaboration within GEA itself, and with Yujin Hitec, GEA’s long-term distribution partner in the region. “Being able to offer the customer different types of equipment from a single source helped to seal the deal,” says Hoon Seo, Head of Sales at GEA in Korea.

The order from Hanmi includes equipment for two identical fermentation and media preparation lines, fully equipped with GEA VESTA® valves, for the production of a fragment of human immunoglobulin type G. “As this order is the first of its kind for GEA’s liquid pharma and biopharma groups, incorporating a large number of VESTA® type valves, this marks an historical win,” says Dr Marcus Michel, Head of APC Pharma.

“Among the customer’s requirements was a high level of technical expertise, which is one of GEA’s core competencies,” adds Hoon Seo: “The tight delivery schedule was challenging, but GEA’s technical know-how and advanced state-of-the-art equipment – particularly our centrifugal separators – is well established in the pharmaceutical industry. This, combined with our extensive experience, helped to create a strong bond with the customer.”

Additional orders for an antibiotic plant in Pyeongtaek-si are expected for this year. “We are currently negotiating further equipment orders with Hanmi Pharmaceutical, which again include a large number of VESTA® valves,” says Hoon Seo. “We’re dealing with the largest order for aseptic pharma equipment in GEA’s history. It’s a breakthrough for the company in terms of supplying superior valve technology to the biopharmaceutical sector,” Dr Marcus Michel adds. “I’m convinced that this development will encourage more customers to transition away from diaphragm valves to the philosophy of VESTA®.”

“Inspiring Food Solutions” is the theme for GEA’s stand at IPPE in Atlanta (Georgia, USA), from January 31 to February 2. One new product, several major re-designs, and a selection of additional key machines are set to inspire visitors at the show.

The launches include an entry-level model of the GEA PowerPak thermoformer as well as re-designs of the GEA MultiDrum and GEA MultiJector. These are joined by the latest developments of the GEA CookStar three-phase spiral oven and an introduction of separation processes for by-products. All these products aim to help customers to keep pace with industry trends and consumer demands – by combining cutting-edge technology with the little “homestyle” extra to industrial food processing:

Entry-level thermoformer

One of the two headliners from packaging activity is a new GEA PowerPak configuration especially developed as a basic machine with limited functionality – the GEA DeltaPak. The whole GEA PowerPak range has been re-defined to make it easier for customers to specify a thermoformer for a specific application. This makes packaging solutions more cost-effective by omitting functions that are not required. The latest addition is an entry-level configuration that gives smaller-scale packaging operations access to the quality and reliability of the GEA PowerPak platform.

Beating the drum for homestyle breading

Homestyle breading is a fast-growing trend for coating poultry products, and the GEA MultiDrum can authentically reproduce this coating technique in an automated industrial environment. The recently introduced machine was met with enthusiasm by poultry processors looking for an integrated line solution that gives the true homestyle look, feel, and taste in a cost-effective way. The newest version of the GEA MultiDrum – developed for the American market with a larger belt width and more robust features overall – is quickly becoming the standard for homestyle breading.

Evolving the marination process

Marination is represented on the stand by an innovative continuous in-line injection solution. Developed to boost the yield of bone-in and skin-on poultry products such as chicken wings, drumsticks, thighs, legs, and whole or half birds, the GEA MultiJector combines controlled brine injection with short massaging to optimize brine distribution. The multi-purpose brine injector does not compromise on the accuracy or performance you can get from an application-specific machine. It sets new standards for hygiene, food safety, and cleanability. It is a flexible solution for injecting bone-in, boneless, and delicate products, and is packed with cutting-edge technology that adds value to your products and processes.

Three-phase spiral oven

The latest developments in the third-generation GEA CookStar spiral oven are also highlighted on the stand. This machine has evolved into the only three-phase cooking concept in a double-spiral configuration – thanks to its active booster zone that forms a bridge between two large spiral zones. Its ability to use steam, hot air, roasting, smoking, and drying in any combination makes the GEA CookStar the most flexible solution available for industrial cooking.

There is more to an animal than the meat

Animal oils, fats, and high-value proteins – but also skin, bones, blood, etc. – are valuable raw materials, and their production and processing make a major contribution to profitability in the meat industry. GEA supports edible and inedible rendering, gelatin production, as well as the recovery of valuable food-grade proteins such as protein hydrolysate and proteins from blood plasma. Sanitary design, highest yields, and top quality of the end products – these are only some of the benefits that GEA decanters, disc-stack centrifuges, and process lines offer to processors of animal by-products.

As of February 1st, 2017, Ansgar Hoffmann, who was previously responsible for GEA’s North & Central Europe Region, will be taking over the DACH & Eastern Europe Region from Dr. Hugo Blaum, who is retiring.

Ann Cuylaerts, previously Head of GEA France and GEA Maghreb, will be taking up the vacant position of Regional Head of North & Central Europe. In their new functions, Ann Cuylaerts and Ansgar Hoffmann will be reporting directly to Jürg Oleas, Chairman of the Executive Board of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft.

After spending several years as a consultant, Hoffmann, a German national who has a degree in business IT, joined GEA in 2003 and has held various management functions during that time, including the position of a managing director inside the former GEA Heat Exchangers segment and a term as Business Unit Leader and General Sales Manager of the former GEA Farm Technologies segment. Cuylaerts, a Belgian national, has a Master’s Degree in Process Engineering (with a focus on biochemistry) and has been with GEA since 1994. She started her career in Belgium as a sales engineer and, like Ansgar Hoffmann, has held a variety of management functions, mainly in the field of mechanical separation.

“On behalf of the entire Executive Board, I would like to thank Hugo Blaum for his long and extremely successful years of service for GEA. Over the last 15 years, his excellent technical know-how and outstanding leadership style have endeared him to staff and management alike and helped to sustain positive business growth. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Hugo Blaum all the very best on his retirement. Ansgar Hoffmann and Ann Cuylaerts are highly experienced leaders who will help us to maintain continuity in the service we provide to our customers,” said Jürg Oleas.

GEA and Siemens AG announce a partnership to bring continuous manufacturing to the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry by offering an integrated continuous tablet manufacturing line.

The collaboration will deliver both production benefits, in terms of reduced project execution risk, higher quality and cost-effective manufacturing and customer benefits in the form of seamlessly integrated technologies, expertise and support.

As an important supplier of process technology and operational systems, GEA has established itself as a leading solution provider in the pharmaceutical industry. The collaboration with Siemens reinforces this global position and now offers life sciences companies — from large multinational organizations to regional specialists and CMOs — an experienced partner to help them implement continuous manufacturing platforms. Comprising GEA’s ConsiGma™ continuous manufacturing platform equipped with a Siemens Automation & Industrial IT solution, including Sipat for PAT Data Management, the combined technologies offer both wet granulation and direct compression in a standard-setting solution for continuous tablet production in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

“Amalgamating our state-of-the-art continuous processing technology with Siemens’ automation systems allows us to further support the US Food and Drug Administration’s Pharmaceutical Quality for the 21st Century program and help pharmaceutical companies to adopt continuous manufacturing (CM) technologies and modernize their production infrastructure,” said Frans Maas, Vice President, APC Pharma Solids, GEA. “Together, our combined experience and expertise will provide significant industry benefits as pharmaceutical manufacturers transition towards continuous manufacturing,” he added. “The use of CM technologies and inline PAT monitoring is a key driver of building quality by design (QbD) into the complete product lifecycle, from R&D through to manufacturing, with the ultimate aim of getting safer medicines to market in a more efficient and cost-effective way,” added Hartmut Klocker, Vice President Market Development Board Pharma.

The ConsiGma™ continuous tableting line is a multipurpose platform that has been designed to transfer powder into coated tablets in development, pilot, clinical and production volumes in a single compact unit. The system can perform dosing and mixing of raw materials, wet or dry granulation, drying, tableting, coating and quality control, all in one line. From powder to coated tablet, ConsiGma™ allows pharmaceutical companies to continuously process and manufacture oral solid dosage forms. Offering significant reductions in development time and raw material (API) use, process and energy costs can be considerably decreased using this groundbreaking technology while maintaining quality and increasing manufacturing efficiency.

Simatic Sipat is a scalable and modular software solution that enables companies to extend their PAT-based quality control strategies on a step-by-step basis within the scope of a Quality by Design-based approach. With PAT, product development and production processes can be monitored, controlled and optimized by measuring and calculating the Critical-to-Quality Attributes (CQA’s) of the end product in real-time. This continuous monitoring of product quality can prevent deviations from specifications and therefore reduce production costs. Also, it allows for Real Time Release Testing so that final quality inspections can be reduced or eliminated. Simatic Sipat is Siemens’ PAT Data Management solution that integrates PAT activities of an entire line — hence shortening time-to-market significantly.