Thomas Kleiner, Managing Director, Heinkel Drying and Separation Group

Asia is the destination of growth

In an interview, Thomas Kleiner with Chemical Today Magazine delves into how the rising demand and use of chemicals are playing a pivotal role in the growth of filtration & separation solutions.

Global trends of Dryers & Mixers in chemical and fine chemical industry.

If we closely look at the Chemical & fine chemical sector, one of the major trends would be the demand & use of the chemicals globally. We can see the rise in global chemical sales & this helps us to analyse the current & future positioning for the chemical industry. So, when we estimate strong growth outlook for the global chemicals industry we also estimate that the contribution to global chemical industry would increase. So the future looks promising for the chemical equipment industry or pharma machinery industry.

Another trend would be growth in technology which improves the overall concepts and detailed solutions are frequently adapted to the specific requirements with the aim of optimising the function and process and thus to achieve the best possible individual results for the customer. The trend is towards the use of equipment which can safely and reliably process high-quality substances. The sanitary requirements and product quality become more important.

Then we also have regulatory trends like in India there is 100% FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) which will attract a lot of foreign manufacturers. We also see another policy Draft National Chemical Policy, which aims to increase the share of the chemical sector in the country’s GDP.

Worldwide trends for Nutsche filter & filter dryers

One of the most important trends would be a revival of filtration technology to a certain extent due to handling advantages (separation and drying as an integrated solution). Then we also notice that the moderate global market growth is expected for Nutsche filters and filter dryers with 1-3% p.a. up to 2020. Another geographic trend could be the growth in emerging markets like China and India, however, Western markets incl. EU and US will remain important. We also see the trend of the emergence of biologic APIs which can be covered with current filtration technology (liquid/liquid separation, water-based solutions).

Also, a continuous process will slowly increase its importance vs. batch process at large Pharma players. Finally, there will also be the trend towards squeezing out smaller competitors, incl. some market consolidation.

Insight into the materials used to manufacture products for chemical and fine chemical industry.

The basic material of construction for a Filtration & Separation equipment would be Glass, Glass Lined, Stainless Steel, Nickel based alloy such as Hastelloy C 22 or Alloy 59, Titanium.

Segments that witness increased demand for filtration & separation products.

The major segments would be Pharmaceuticals (API & formulations), Agrochemicals (pesticides, herbicides, insecticides), Base Chemicals, Speciality chemicals (dyes & pigments, leather chemicals, construction chemicals, personal care), biotechnology & industrial biotechnology.

Strong economic growth & rise in per-capita income, Increase in number of new drug approvals, increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of diseases like cancer & diabetes, regulatory trends & various policy implementation like 100% FDI, focus on specialty chemicals, technology advancements will be the factors for the rising demands in these sectors.

Market potential of filtration & separation solutions in developed and emerging markets.

Market potential depends upon various factors like market size, GDP of the country, macro & micro economic scenario, regulators factors, political & social factors which indicate that the potential will be different for developed vs emerging markets. With respect to chemical sector, developed markets have noticed constant challenges as value chains are moving towards emerging markets because of economic growth and market opportunities.

Managing the favourable strategic options to thrive in this new competitive environment would be the key. In terms of potential, emerging markets would have greater potential for filtration & separation solutions. But one thing which remains constant is the quality & consistency which is same for both the markets. As the marketplace becomes more price competitive, the option to outsource certain projects to lower-cost Asian regions, particularly for producing large-volume products will become a valuable option

Evolving role of automation in filtration & separation products.

Automation technology is one of the most important aspects for customers today. The word itself is self-explanatory and is derived from “Automatic” which actually reduces the turn-around time for almost all our processes. When we use this technology and apply to our machines & equipment, it greatly reduces the labour, energy and helps in accuracy & precision in an optimum time. We have various operations like control systems, jacketing system, time monitoring system, report generation, recipe management, viewing the processes and for many of these processes troubleshooting is done remotely using various process parameters and hence automation technology is an integral part. Time is a crucial factor when we deal with batch processing. Our equipment could also be operated using distributed control system.

Generally, if you look at a filter drier it involves various operations like slurry charging, washing, filtration, controlled heating and cooling, cake smoothing and drying, discharging and sampling & Sterile In place/Clean-In-Place systems and our filter dryers are designed in such a way that all the operations take place in one vessel. The filtration process is performed under pressure using nitrogen purge and vacuum and automation really play an important role when it comes to these complex processes for inspection, monitoring, controlling & maintaining the same.

Company’s growth plans in Asia Pacific.

Currently, the Asia-Pacific market is dominated by synthetic chemical drugs as the use of biotechnology in the pharmaceuticals industry is a relatively new concept and is still in a nascent stage. The high growth rate of this market can be attributed to the increasing demand for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), commercial introduction of cell and gene therapies for the treatment of genetic disorders. This can be attributed to the increase in healthcare expenditure, patent expiries, and governmental emphasis on the greater use of generic.

Also, CAGR comparisons show that Asia-Pacific is growing more than North America and Europe but less than the Middle East and Latin America. In terms of value and production volume, Indian chemical industry is the third largest producer in Asia and sixth by output in the world. Indian market size for the chemical industry is expected to reach approx. USD 224 billion by 2017 which means it has high GDP share and the chemical industry in India is a key constituent of the Indian economy, accounting for about 2 percent of the GDP.

Innovating to serve customers better.

We always look for innovation and our focus is how to serve our customers better. We believe in providing solutions not just machines. Since we have high reputation brands with a wealth of process experiences like BOLZ-SUMMIX, COMBER and HEINKEL, we can provide the customers with an integrated solution. We have trial facilities too to serve our customers better.

We have a process of Heel Removal System which helps in maximum recovery of product in terms of yield. Few of our recent products include Inverting centrifuges, Agitated Nutsche filter dryers, Conical Dryers designed for solid-liquid separation in different materials since we are customer driven organisation.  From day one of testing the product on our laboratory equipment to the point of commissioning and launching the system, our team of experts will be there to support our customer all the way.

Activities for the laboratory & pilot plant equipment business.

Even with today´s simulation techniques and computing power, pilot-sized process equipment is still indispensable for the development and refinement of new and existing products. During years of cooperation with companies in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, HEINKEL Drying and Separation Group has continually developed its tried-and-trusted pilot plant equipment which is already in use in many places worldwide.

The company is thus doing justice to increased requirements of industrial customers for safe handling, completely contained an operation, flexibility and efficiency. The equipment meets the demand for devices suitable for use in potentially explosive areas in ATEX zones. The compact design of the pilot units facilitate transport from one place to another within the production plant – through narrow corridors and doorways or via lifts from one floor to another.

Heinkel Group supplies various centrifuge, dryer and filter dryer units which can be installed with a minimum requirement in respect to installation and cost. The equipment can also be rented for short term and product specific testing. Tests can be accompanied by our highly experienced process engineers, who will use test results for throughput calculations, up-scaling and documentation.

Challenges faced in the filtration & separation market.

Filtration & Separation market is majorly cost driven and one of the major challenges is the cost control pressures. So collaboration with a supplier committed to cost optimisation. Other challenges in the market could be massive upfront capital required to set up new production facilities and strict regulatory norms to validate the filtration process. It is also the targeted geographic region which plays an important role and sometimes the regulations are stringent in some parts of the world.

Other challenges could be an economic recession, lack of product differentiation, Increasing stringency of regulations & Rising cost of R&D with increasing government pressure, with harsher price controls & taxes.