POWTECH 2023 – Come to the trade fair for mechanical process engineering, bulk material technology, mixing and dosing technology, and analytics

There’s an extensive list of foods in powder form that consumers look for on the shelves, including flour, baking mixes, spices, coffee, and baby milk formula. But this list gets even longer if you include items that involve processing powdery or granular products: for example, many confectionery and bakery products and even soft drinks and juice.

Like pharmaceutical equipment, the machinery and equipment used in food production are subject to strict hygiene requirements and regulations. And the trend toward batch-tracing has also been carried over from the pharmaceutical sector to the food industry. Ecological factors are also a factor in the search for the best technology. Energy efficiency needs to be ensured when conveying materials and for mechanical and thermal processes. For producers that manufacture a diverse product range, with thousands of formulations based on hundreds of raw materials, highly automated systems are available that ensure the economic efficiency of the production process in view of the high number of small and mid-sized components. The gentle, homogeneous blending of pulverous components of assorted sizes alone is an art in itself. The machine and equipment manufacturers at POWTECH take all this into account in their offerings for the food industry.

A HACCP concept with the right quality management systems is absolutely essential. In view of the many consumers with food intolerances and allergies, the food industry needs to make sure that its products are not contaminated by allergens. Contamination by oil, metals, or plastics also has to be avoided. For example, food safety is ensured by easy-to-clean mixing systems with no dead spaces and systems that check for foreign bodies. Naturally, care is also essential when producing animal feed and pet food, because customers won’t tolerate plastic or metal parts in these products. POWTECH exhibitors in the Food and Feed category are experts in the processes that ensure perfect-quality products.

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The chemical industry requires its production facilities to operate with maximum reliability and availability – and it’s quite common for equipment to run around the clock. Processing equipment and components often need to work in challenging conditions, and they can’t fail even in the presence of strong thermal, chemical, or abrasive loads.

Mechanical processing technology plays a leading role in numerous core processes in the chemical industry and for the in-plant transportation of starting and end products. Because these products are extremely diverse, the planning and implementation of the equipment needs to take their individual properties into account. The equipment must be able to convey and process caking, poorly flowing bulk solids as well as difficult-to-wet powders and delicate granules. This means that plant and equipment are generally customised to suit each application. POWTECH presents this diversity in combination with numerous innovations.

The exhibitors also demonstrate that safety is an absolute priority, and this includes protecting the operator from contact with hazardous materials. Fire and explosion protection are also extremely important in the chemical processing equipment segment, and equipment needs to be aligned with the guidelines that apply at the place of use. Because numerous companies in the chemical industry operate internationally, specialised vendors guarantee this by offering the appropriate certifications for all regions.

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Pharmaceutical production is defined by hygiene and containment. This highly regulated sector also needs to meet strict directives: for example, those regulating the traceability of raw materials and products. In the pharmaceutical industry, processing equipment is generally made of stainless steel of the highest quality, because it often produces or processes very valuable and highly effective products. It is imperative to prevent cross-contamination as well as exposure of the operator to escaping dust. This sector also relies on cleaning processes that allow batch changes in compliance with the provisions of national and international regulations like GMP and FDA guidelines. POWTECH exhibitors specialising in pharmaceutical applications have all perfected the requisite processes.

Manufacturers of tablets, effervescent tablets, and capsules generally use automated bulk solids handling processes with the aid of suction conveyors and containment systems. These are complemented by extractors that ensure that highly active ingredients can’t escape into the environment under any circumstances. In this context, blockbuster products have completely different requirements than specialities produced in small batch sizes. In addition, the formulations for the drugs involved are vastly different. POWTECH therefore offers especially diverse solutions for visitors in the pharmaceutical industry, from EHEDG-compliant rotary airlock feeders to complete facilities that ensure seamless documentation via a central automation system.

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The products in the glass and ceramics industry differ almost as much as the requirements imposed on the technologies used. The product range is extremely diverse and includes building ceramics, household objects, high-performance ceramics, flat and hollow glass, glass fibre, and technical glassware. The necessary qualities vary considerably from product to product, as do their specific characteristics. Both can be influenced to a great extent by the raw materials and manufacturing processes selected. In addition to the purity of the starting materials, particle size and particle size distribution play a significant role. In this conjunction, POWTECH will showcase impressive solutions, including solutions for the processes needed in these segments.

During the feed to the shaping and manufacturing process, mechanical processes like pulverising, screening, mixing, spray-drying, and granulating are of major importance. This is where the foundations are laid for the formation of the crucial microstructure – which will determine the properties of the products shaped and constituted by thermal processes.

Along with many mass-produced items, increasingly individualised products down to batch size 1 are being created today. Thanks to this trend, additive manufacturing processes are becoming important, and many exhibitors at POWTECH reflect this with their novel solutions. Rapid product changes and production processes that can be flexibly adapted to new market circumstances also call for suitable and highly automated processes to prepare the mixtures.

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Sustainability and a circular economy are inconceivable without recycling. Solutions that will ensure an intact environment are more in demand than ever. The range of materials capable of being recycled is huge and includes old tyres, batteries, and cement. The mechanical engineering industry provides support for this sector with technologies designed for screening, size reduction, separation, drying, conveying, and compacting. Mechanical processing technology even plays a role in water treatment: for example, for pelletising sewage sludge.

In addition to designing equipment for environmental technology and recycling with the appropriate functionalities, vendors are also required to minimise maintenance requirements. POWTECH will demonstrate that an optimal technical performance is also compatible with robustness, cost efficiency, and ease of use.

As more and more new products are made of recyclable materials, their processing requires ingenuity. In this context, innovative POWTECH exhibitors are helping protect the environment with a wide range of ideas and innovations.

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The materials plastic and synthetic and natural rubber have become widespread in an almost infinite number of applications, from everyday products and packaging to vehicles and machines and in the construction industries and medical technology. The machines used for these materials’ production need to be fed the raw material mixtures at maximum efficiency, quality, and safety. This is the only way to achieve economic efficiency when large quantities are being produced – and the exhibitors at POWTECH are meeting this need.

A wide range of technologies are used in the production of the master batches and granulates that plastic processing firms need. Flexibility is a prerequisite when it comes to the bulk solids handling of raw materials, premixes, and compounds. The raw material mixtures of large, medium, and small components and additives need to be precisely combined and passed to various compounding lines. Following the plastic granulation process, the oversized and undersized particles need to be separated before small and large batches can be decanted with as little dust as possible. POWTECH offers solutions and systems for all these processes.

In view of the shortage of raw materials, climate protection by means of a circular economy is becoming a particular driver of innovation. The use of recycled raw materials is helping reduce the carbon footprint of numerous plastic and rubber products. Innovative solutions that deliver a high proportion of recyclate are in demand. Another factor that benefits the environment is the energy consumption of production facilities. To save resources and continue to sustainably exploit the benefits of plastic and rubber materials, there needs to be a close collaboration between the plastic and recycling industries. At POWTECH, you’ll find that both of these sectors offer the best conditions for shaping change.

The pit and quarry sector is a much rougher environment than the other sectors represented at POWTECH. Nevertheless, the parallels are unmistakable. High process engineering expertise is required to transform raw materials like sand, gravel, natural stone, and lava into building materials. A lot of attention is also paid to quality monitoring. It is important to note that building materials like concrete, tile, plaster, and asphalt still offer great innovative potential. Sustainability and recycling are especially important, and today building material producers are becoming active climate protectors.

Therefore, plant technologies that were traditionally designed to be functional and robust and meet the requirements for building material production also need to support innovation. Machinery and equipment are often time-tested, and they’re constantly being optimised to ensure an economical production process and to save energy. The exhibitors at POWTECH that specialise in the pit and quarry segment are familiar with the requirements for long running times – and feel an obligation to meet them.

In recent years, a key area of application has emerged with the use of recycled building materials from mineral demolition waste. They conserve primary raw material sources and save landfill capacities. For this to work, the material composition needs to be preserved: for instance, by determining particle size distribution and the proportion of foreign matter. Recycling building materials therefore also involves analysis and quality assurance methods alongside suitable processing technologies. In this area too, POWTECH has a diverse range of solutions to offer.

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POWTECH provides plenty of inspiration for manufacturers of machinery and equipment focused on the above-mentioned end-user segments. There’s an appropriate solution for every application. Whether you need components specifically for hygroscopic, clumping bulk solids, or poorly flowing or sensitive products, the broad range of products offered by component suppliers meets every need. This means that it is equally possible to gently handle products like tea and spices and also convey abrasive materials like silica sand. When it comes to avoiding cross-contamination, numerous exhibitors also offer designs that are free of dead space and easy to clean, which provides the best conditions for equipment for pharmaceutical and food production.

There’s also an impressive range of solutions for applications where explosion protection has to be guaranteed. In addition, manufacturers of machines and equipment can also get an overview of measuring and automation technology and analysis methods specifically designed for bulk solids applications.

A modular equipment design simplifies the integration of process equipment parts or even entire package units. This means that machine and equipment manufacturers can offer customers in all industries complete solutions, from bulk material feed to filling and packaging. POWTECH provides a comprehensive overview of the necessary product range while also fostering fruitful collaboration opportunities.

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