Air-operated diaphragm pump can be used for many applications

The sera airPUMP is an air-operated double diaphragm pump, i.e. a positive displacement pump with two opposite pump chambers. Both diaphragms are connected to each other via a shaft, but the drive and the pumped medium are completely separated from each other. This allows the use in many different industrial areas.

The sera airPUMPs can be operated with oil-free compressed air. Compared to competitive air control valves, the air control valve consists of comparatively few components, which reduces maintenance times, costs and downtimes.

With flow rates from 22 l/h up to 908 l/h and various designs and sizes, the application possibilities of the sera airPUMP are diverse. Whether in the beverage or food industry, in power plants and chemical intake systems or in electroplating and shipbuilding - sera offers air-operated double diaphragm pumps for all processes.

sera airPUMPs are used for safe and clean conveying and refilling. Because they are self-priming and safe to run dry, the transfer process is completed safely and quickly without supervision - from IBCs, drums and other containers. The sera airPUMP is very easy to install and simple to operate.

CAN ALSO BE USED IN THE ATEX AREA

The sera airPUMP can be used in the ATEX area and is therefore also the first choice for the decanting of paints and varnishes because it can be used in the standard version compared to the otherwise frequently used electric ATEX pumps. It is considerably cheaper and also immediately available.

5 YEARS WARRANTY

sera offers a warranty of five years on all air-operated diaphragm pumps airPUMP. The standard versions of the airPUMP, which cover the majority of all possible applications, are also still available from stock.

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE:

- Simple installation
- Simple operation
- Mobile use
- Self-priming
- Immersible
- Dry priming
- Dry running safe
- Suitable for solids
- For viscous media
- For shear-sensitive media
- More economical than other positive displacement pump technologies
- Wide range of applications
- Low maintenance costs
 

For further information of the new airPUMP, please visit: https://www.sera-web.com/en/airpump

Source & Media: sera GmbH

sera pumps dose the special boom in Hard Seltzer production

In the USA and in South America, a new fashionable drink has been on the rise for some time: Hard Seltzer – sparkling water with flavour and alcohol.
In the meantime, more and more European and German customers are developing a taste for this low-calorie drink. sera has been a reliable partner to the beverage industry for decades and its products always ensure consistent quality of a wide variety of products – now, with Hard Seltzer, sera has already succeeded in supplying more than 50 pumps and dosing systems, which now produce this high-quality in-drink in cooperation with international plant manufacturers.

In 2020, the biggest beverage trend to hit the US in years is "Hard Seltzer" – also known as fizzy alcoholic water. Hard Seltzer was the big success story of the beverage industry in the year of Corona – sales in the USA increased by 200% within 12 months. Experts predict equally impressive growth for this indrink over the next three years. Neither consumers nor beverage producers could get past Hard Seltzer. Even in 2019, there were festivals dedicated to it, blogs inspired by it and even the biggest brand, White Claw, recorded a supply shortage, leaving thirsty millennials panicking.

Hard Seltzer ("hard sparkling water") by definition consists of sparkling water, alcohol and sometimes – not always – added fruit flavour. Here, however, water is not simply mixed with a spirit; in fact, Hard Seltzer is a fermented, brewed product. Hard Seltzer is produced in almost all regions of the world based on fermentation alcohol. The raw material used is predominantly a malt or sugar base. The base obtained from fermentation is then purified via membrane filtration and mixed with fruit aromas. A rather complex process made possible by products from sera.

In an extensive process, in which pumps from sera are also deployed, a finished Hard Seltzer product, i.e. a "water" with approx. 5% vol. alcohol and flavour, is produced from a wide variety of components at the end.

sera supplies hygienic pumps for the dosing of dyes and multi-layer diaphragm pumps for the dosing of high-proof alcohols (due to Ex-requirements) for the production of Hard Seltzer products, partly according to the American regulation Nema Claas 1 Division 2.
 

These pumps dose the corresponding components – dyes and alcohols – with the highest precision. Since the systems have to map or feed different products and outputs, there are sometimes large spreads at the individual dosing points. Therefore, the dosing areas are designed with two pumps to serve the entire metering area with high quality and accuracy.

As is the case everywhere in beverage production, one of the most important points is the cleaning (CIP - Cleaning in Place) of the entire system and, of course, of each individual pump and dosing point – sera dosing systems are also used here. Here, the 2% acids, alkalis and disinfectants commonly used in CIP cleaning are used for rinsing at up to 90 degrees Celsius, for approx. 15-20 minutes. It is essential that the entire production system is compatible with CIP requirements. In other words, all the parts that have to be cleaned are food-safe. Aseptic and technical sterilisation specifications must be observed in this context. The geometry of the individual parts and of the entire structure must be designed in such a way that no dead spaces are created and that all surfaces can be covered at an appropriate flow speed during CIP. CIP-compatible diaphragm pumps from sera meet these specifications: Seals and connections are standardised according to DIN industry standards, while the pump body and all other materials that come into contact with the fluid are electropolished.

The chemicals needed for cleaning are stored in IBCs, drums or tanks in liquid form. The sera CVD compact dosing system doses the chemicals into fresh water in such a way that the cleaning agent or disinfectant required has the perfect concentration and can be added directly to the cleaning process. Some users also deploy the sera caustic soda preparation station, which ensures the safe and efficient preparation of caustic soda based on sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in solid form (pellets, flakes, beads or powder) and water.

Centec, sera's long-standing partner, has also relied on sera's expertise in the design of plants for Hard Seltzer production and equipped their systems with the appropriate dosing pumps. These are now in use at many well-known beverage manufacturers and ensure that the on-trend drink Hard Seltzer can always be produced reliably in consistent quality. sera may not be able to turn water into wine – but into a really delicious refreshment that everyone should try.

Source & Pictures: sera ProDos

Dosing pumps and systems from sera are used in many industrial sectors

Dosing pumps and systems from sera are used in many industrial sectors. sera Technology Austria GmbH also offers everything around high pressure and nozzle technology: From design, manufacturing and assembly to commissioning.

Air-conditioning units are usually used to cool large production halls or buildings. Their efficiency depends on the ambient air drawn in for the process. Thus, in hot summer temperatures, the units are often not able to cool down the strongly heated ambient air sufficiently to use it for air-conditioning the buildings or halls. This can be remedied by cooling the intake air with water mist, which in turn increases the efficiency of the air-conditioning systems.

However, if a low-pressure system is used for this purpose, condensation can form in the intake section of the air-conditioning system, which can lead not only to the formation of germs but also to corrosion of the installed components.

High-pressure atomised water is a very good and efficient alternative here: it evaporates 850 times faster because the water surface is increased two million times. A de-halping control ensures that the system only nebulises as much water as the ambient air can absorb. This prevents condensation from forming and prevents water precipitation - the air can be cooled with water without the risk of corrosion of wetted parts such as radiators or heat exchangers.

Germ-free. Since the water used to cool the air is converted into a fine mist at high pressure and does not precipitate or settle, germs have no chance and the sterility of the system is guaranteed. This allows the service life between cleaning cycles to be extended and thus the efficiency of the system to be increased even further.
Cooling systems of this type are designed by sera Technology Austria GmbH exactly according to customer specifications, so that they are always made for the special requirements. They are used, for example, in adiabatic industrial cooling, condensation cooling, room air cooling or in nebulisation systems.

Possible applications for high-pressure technology: sera naturally offers customer-specific high-pressure technology for many other areas of application. Whether it is a single unit or a complete system - the experts at sera will be happy to advise you on its use in the following areas of application:

- Washing systems
- Reverse osmosis
- Chemical processes
- Tank truck interior cleaning (truck and railway)
- Tank cleaning
- Water hydraulics
- Pharmaceutical and chemical industry
- Waste management
- Food technology

Thanks to years of expertise and extensive know-how, not only in high-pressure technology, but also in dosing technology, as well as in nozzle technology, sera offers the possibility of an individual all-in-one solution. Each system is designed and planned by product specialists according to customer-specific requirements. They also supervise the production of the systems and are responsible for commissioning and installation at the customer's site. If desired, sera will of course also take care of the maintenance and service of the installed system.

sera can therefore supply the complete process chain for countless industrial applications - the customer receives everything necessary from a single source. And a permanent sera contact person for all matters relating to his system.

Source & Picture: sera GmbH

iSTEP XS complements sera's excellent stepper motor pump range

•    sera launches new dosing pump iSTEP XS on the market
•    Stepper motor pump iSTEP XS optimally suitable for lower performance ranges

The sera Group always strives to offer its customers the best possible range of pumps and dosing systems and, if possible, all the necessary components of a process. For this reason, it is continuously expanding its portfolio and adding useful technologies and products to its range.

In the second quarter of 2021, the sera Group will therefore launch its latest product development: The iSTEP XS stepper motor pump complements the successful iSTEP stepper motor pump series. 
Never change a running system - the sera iSTEP stepper motor pump was awarded the Industry Prize (3rd place in drive / fluid technology) and the Best of Industry Award (finalist) in 2016 and 2017. The functionalities that have proven themselves in practice have therefore been adopted for the smaller iSTEP XS: For example, the Slow Mode enables a throttled suction speed for optimal suction of highly viscous liquids. The removable operating element allows accessibility should the pump have to be installed in a confined space. It also makes it possible to protect the pump parameterisation from unauthorised access or to transfer the parameterisation from one pump to any number of pumps.

The new dosing pump of the iSTEP product family, the XS7 and XS15 types, extends the lower delivery capacity range. Thanks to the very high and precise adjustment range of the stepper motor technology, a range of 0.007 to 15 l/h is covered. In addition, the absolutely low-pulsation metering ensures an optimal and uniform volume flow. 

The possible applications of the iSTEP XS are almost limitless when it comes to high-precision dosing of liquids. Whether as a stand-alone dosing pump with suction lance and dosing valve, as a modularised skid or as a completely customised dosing system. The experts at sera advise and find the optimum solution for the customer's applications. The main applications of the iSTEP XS include:

•    Drinking water treatment
•    Waste water treatment
•    CIP applications
•    Aroma dosing
•    Sharpening of electroplating baths
•    Seawater desalination
•    Boiler, cooling and process water treatment
•    Paper manufacturing
•    Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis

A good price-performance ratio, low maintenance costs and the precise use of operating materials is an essential factor in every industrial process today. sera is also pursuing a consistent path here with its new products. 

The iSTEP XS therefore reduces costs not only at the time of purchase, but also during operation: The stepper motor pump is specially designed for particularly small and precise delivery rates, the use of oversized, more expensive products is no longer necessary. Due to the particularly precise dosing accuracy, costs are also saved on chemical consumption, the low energy consumption ensures further cost savings. The proven sera quality, paired with extensive functions, great accuracy and a favourable purchase price therefore ensure a very good price-performance ratio over the entire service life of the pump. 

Source & Picture: sera

Awarded with the TOP 100 seal 2021 as one of the particularly innovative medium-sized companies

• sera Group convinces as Top Innovator in innovation competition
• Scientific selection procedure passed
• Award ceremony on 26 November 2021 in Ludwigsburg
   

Award-winning innovative strength: The sera Group from Immenhausen has been awarded the TOP 100 seal 2021. Particularly innovative medium-sized companies are honoured with this award - and this is now already the 28th time. Previously, the sera Group had proven its innovative strength in a scientific selection process.

On behalf of compamedia, the organiser of the TOP 100 innovation competition, the innovation researcher Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke and his team examined the innovative strength of the sera Group. The researchers used around 120 test criteria from five categories as a basis: Innovation-promoting top management, innovation climate, innovative processes and organisation, external orientation/open innovation and innovation success. The core question is whether innovations are the result of a planned approach or a product of chance, i.e. the repeatability of innovation performance. And it is about whether and how the corresponding solutions succeed on the market (more information on the test criteria at www.top100.de/pruefkriterien). Due to the current situation, there was also a special section in this round in which the entrepreneurial reaction to the Corona crisis was examined.

The sera Group is an environmental technology company that has recently made a name for itself in the field of hydrogen technology. In addition, it has also been a reliable and competent partner in the field of dosing and compressor technology for decades.

This award as Top Innovator shows that the recognised jury of experts considers the sera Group to be one of the most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany. "This is a special appreciation of our work and confirmation that we have set the right course for the future with our strong values and a clear strategy", says the managing partner of the sera Group, Carsten Rahier, delightedly "This is an award for all serans. Each of them has contributed his or her part to the sera Group being where it is today - and where it belongs." "TOP 100 is an award that proves that we have done many things right. The expansion of our activities in the company in general and in the hydrogen sector in particular, but especially the innovative developments around the topic were a bet on the future - which we won. We will continue to work on this," adds Stefan Merwar, authorised signatory of the sera Group and Head of Marketing and Communication.

Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke, the scientific director of TOP 100, is impressed by the award-winning medium-sized companies. "The TOP 100 companies have consistently oriented themselves towards being as innovative as possible," he states.

On 26 November there will be another reason to celebrate: then all the award winners of the current TOP 100 year will come together to receive congratulations from Ranga Yogeshwar at the 7th German SME Summit in Ludwigsburg. The science journalist has accompanied the innovation competition as a mentor for ten years.

With the "TOP 100 2021" seal, the sera Group is continuing its success story.

TOP 100: The competition

Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 seal for special innovative strength and above-average innovation success to medium-sized companies. Since 2002, the scientific management has been in the hands of Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke. Franke is the founder and director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. With 25 research awards and over 200 publications, he is one of the leading innovation researchers internationally. The mentor of TOP 100 is the science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. Project partners are the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research and the BVMW association of medium-sized businesses. The magazines manager magazin and impulse accompany the company comparison as media partners.

Source & Graphic: sera GmbH

Technology from sera plays an important role in the world's most modern seawater desalination plant in Agadir, Morocco

Morocco is an arid country which is badly affected by climate change. Population growth, the progression of industrialisation, the growth of the tourism industry and agriculture have led to the groundwater table sinking continuously in recent years. Large seawater desalination projects for drinking water production are intended to counteract the drinking water scarcity, and sera is contributing to this.

Morocco – the cultural, political and economic link between Europe and Africa – has always been an arid country. Climate change and the increased development of exports of agricultural products have made the situation even more severe in recent years. A programme initiated by the Moroccan government and supported by the EU therefore includes plans to develop and construct seawater desalination plants for producing drinking and irrigation water by 2030. Currently, 30 million cubic metres of seawater and brackish water are processed each year in Morocco at ten plants, and this figure is set to increase to 400 million cubic metres a year by 2030.

Largest seawater desalination plant in Africa – wold’s most modern plant

The Souss-Massa region in the southwestern part of Morocco is home to more than 2.7 million people in an area comprising approx. 51,600 km². Agriculture is the region’s most important branch of the economy and its capital city, Agadir, is an important fishing and tourist port. Drought and water shortages are very problematic here too and ultimately cost thousands of jobs in agriculture.

In order to counteract the water shortages, a tender was issued for the construction of a seawater desalination plant for the region, intended to cover both the water requirements for domestic use and irrigation requirements for the region. As such, the plant is intended to contribute to developing  the most important branches of the economy, tourism and agriculture, and thus maintaining the groundwater level in the region at its current level. At the start of 2019, the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Economy awarded the construction to the Spanish company Abengoa, which is a leading provider of technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environmental sector.

Seawater desalination is an energy-intensive process. Abengoa planned to carry out the seawater desalination using reverse osmosis, a process in which the seawater is pressed through semipermeable membranes, which do not let the salt pass through, at high pressure. In comparison with distillation with around ten kilowatt hours per cubic metre of water, only three kilowatt hours are required for this process. It’s still a high level of energy consumption. Therefore, the desalination plant in Agadir is exclusively powered with renewable energies: it gets its electricity from the Noor Ourzazate solar power station, which is approximately 400 km away, and is thus the largest solarpowered seawater desalination plant in the world. An extension and use of wind turbines is planned for the future. The total costs of the project are over EUR 370 million. The region’s farmers have each contributed around EUR 930 Euro in exchange for a price reduction for desalinated water in the future.

German-Spanish partnership

Abengoa was aware that sera had already supplied dosing systems for a seawater desalination plant in Salaha in Oman (113,500 m³ drinking water per day) and therefore used the expertise of the Spanish sera branch. The planned plant in Agadir was initially intended to produce 275,000 m³ desalinated water per day in order to subsequently achieve a maximum capacity of 450,000 m³ per day. This makes it the largest seawater desalination plant in Africa and such a large project for sera that the Spanish branch worked on it together with the headquarters in Immenhausen.

The project required a very wide range of dosing and feeding systems which are needed at different process steps in the seawater desalination process. The comprehensive, customised project was managed by the Spanish branch, sera ProDos S.L. All the engineering also took place in Spain, as did the project documentation. The control cabinets for the plants were also designed and built at sera Spain. The dosing systems were ultimately produced and implemented by a German-Spanish sera team at the site in Immenhausen. Working methods were developed in collaboration to allow such a large-scale project to be processed quickly and effectively. In total, 17 systems in 25 PE cabinets had to be built. This kind of scale is very much a challenge for medium-sized companies in terms of production. We had to be clever here to avoid overburdening the limited storage and production space.

After the cabinets had been manufactured from a total of 15 t of technical plastics (PE, PVC, PP and PVDF), they were assembled: in addition to a total of 77 pumps (dosing, fedding and combination pumps), over 900 valves such as line strainers and ball valves, more than 1000 fittings and over 600 m pipe were installed. Three colleagues worked exclusively for several weeks on fitting the sera  cabinets; this did not include supply departments, such as pump construction. The collaborative project, with all its challenges, brought colleagues from Germany and Spain even closer together. After the successful customer acceptance in January 2020, the first 20 cabinets started their long journey via Spain to Agadir by lorry in February and the remaining five cabinets were delivered by the end of 2020. The seawater desalination plant should go into operation in March 2021.

sera in the process of seawater desalination

In order to ensure seamless functionality and the longest possible service life of the seawater desalination plant, sufficient preliminary treatment of the incoming water is essential. sera dosing and conveyor systems are used here. The water is analysed and, depending on its composition/ contamination, various chemicals are added to facilitate reverse osmosis. From chlorine to protect against bacteria and microorganisms and sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH to sulphuric acid for cleaning in place - sera doses the right medium in the right concentration. And this applies not only to preliminary treatment, but also to the important cleaning of the diaphragms.

This means that sera is providing clean water again and creating added value for people and the environment in a state-of-the-art seawater desalination plant with the highest environmental standards.

Source & Pictures: sera GmbH

"Yesterday - today - tomorrow, sera creates added value for people and the environment."

• Family business sera was founded 75 years ago
• First patents for double diaphragm metering pumps and compressors already in the 1950s
• Today an internationally positioned environmental technology company with two business divisions and six locations
• Corporate, social and ecological responsibility as part of the corporate philosophy
• Hydrogen technology as innovative solutions for the energy of the future

Millions of people all over the world have relied on the high quality and reliability of sera products every day for 75 years.

As one of the world's leading German companies in the fields of liquid dosing technology for disinfection, water treatment and conditioning as well as hydrogen and compressor technology, sera provides efficient application solutions that are optimally adapted to customer requirements where safe and exact dosing, conveying and compression of liquids and gases are important.

Immediately after the war, at the end of May 1945, the founders Reinhold Seybert and Hubert Rahier laid the foundation stone for a family business, which today operates worldwide.

Initially, the founders produced everything that people needed most urgently after the past years of war: ladles, pans and smoking cabinets. Due to the increasing demand for products for pump technology and accessories for chemical products in post-war Germany, the product portfolio was expanded and quickly developed, so that the first dosing pump was produced as early as 1948 and the world's first double diaphragm dosing pump was patented in 1950. At the end of the 1950s, compressor technology was added as a further business area. In 1958 the patent for the first metal diaphragm compressor was filed.
Right from the start, the company has been working internationally. As early as 1952 the first trading partnerships were established in Holland, Denmark and Austria.

In the following years, the products of the metering and compressor technology were further developed, the range of products was extended and the international sales network was further expanded. After Hubert Rahier, his son Helmut took over the management of the company together with Reinhold Seybert in 1976 until father Hubert retired in 1980 and the last company founder Reinhold Seybert retired in 1985. Under the management of Helmut Rahier, the company continued to develop at the location in the following years. In 1989, the administration building was first extended and the former company logo was replaced by a new logo design. Since then, the "sera" brand has been protected worldwide and its branding has been promoted. In 1994, the company premises were considerably enlarged so that the production capacities could be more than doubled due to an extension in the following year 1995 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. In the same year, the founding family Rahier took over the remaining shares of the other founding family Seybert.

With the turn of the millennium the next generation change began. When Carsten Rahier joined the family business sera in the third generation, the traditionally and down-to-earth managed company faced the challenges of change and modernization. The sales structures had to be improved, innovative strength had to be established, the internationalization had to be pushed forward and the generational change had to be mastered at the location. After five joint years of management, Carsten Rahier took over the sole management of the family business after the death of his father-in-law Helmut Rahier in 2005.
Under the leadership of the now 52-year-old, the company has since been comprehensively modernized and internationally oriented. The medium-sized group of companies now has subsidiaries in Great Britain, South Africa, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.

"Satisfying customers worldwide on a daily basis and inspiring them with innovative products and services, while continuously developing and improving the company internationally, are essential factors for the success of the company. Achieving this while at the same time not forgetting the roots and tradition of a long-standing family business is always a challenge for us", says Carsten Rahier, managing partner of the sera Group, "we try to become a little better every day".

Today the sera Group is positioned internationally as an innovative environmental technology company. Customers from all over the world appreciate the reliable products from North Hesse.

The dosing technology division operates under the subsidiary sera ProDos GmbH and produces, among other things, system solutions and systems for drinking water and waste water treatment, for mixing and dosing chemicals and dosing disinfectants in sectors such as breweries, the food and beverage industry. But there is also a wide range of other applications, such as in the textile, chemical or pharmaceutical industry. sera is therefore one of the leading companies worldwide in this area.

Likewise, the field of compressor technology (today hydrogen technology) has developed into a highly innovative business area. sera Hydrogen GmbH is mainly concerned with the use of hydrogen as storage for renewable energies. sera is the only provider worldwide to offer a complete technology spectrum for solutions in the area of compression in addition to modular hydrogen filling stations and systems for power-to-gas applications. To implement "hydrogen as energy of the future" is one of the long-term goals of the company.

In addition to its economic activities, sera feels closely connected to the location North Hesse and the region. Social commitment is therefore a major concern of the family-owned company, which is reflected in the diverse support of sports, culture and social projects.

This is also expressed in an open and modern company culture. Because "New Work" is written in capital letters at sera. In addition to the trust-based working hours and a corporate culture based on people being on first-name terms that has been successfully lived for years, the company offers its employees ("seraner") extensive social benefits, a wide range of sports offers "...be sera, be fit" up to health management "...be sera, be healthy", daily fresh catering, free fruit and drinking water and much more. In addition, sera also attaches great importance to diversity and openness among each other as well as transparency regarding the company figures and processes. In this way, all "seraner" are involved in the decision-making processes and events in the company.

Even and especially in times of crisis, sera assumes social responsibility independent of its own concerns and challenges. In cooperation with the local retail trade, sera trainees offer a shopping aid for risk groups and people in quarantine during the Corona Pandemic. In addition, a plant for disinfecting the company pipeline network was converted at short notice in order to produce the disinfectant urgently required in the region.

"In this way we want to make our contribution to maintaining and improving infection protection and to helping the people on site directly and quickly. Especially as a family business with regional roots, we want to live up to our responsibility. We do this true to our company motto: We create added value for people and the environment," emphasizes Carsten Rahier.

sera is proud of what has been achieved and is ready for the future, which sera wants to actively shape as a modern environmental technology company.

The company celebrated its official 75th anniversary on 28 May 2020. This would be a reason to celebrate. Under the motto "Yesterday - Today - Tomorrow" sera wanted to celebrate its anniversary in a fitting manner starting this June. Due to the current situation and the uncertainty of how the Corona Pandemic will develop, sera decided to postpone the actions and celebrations until next year. The company is doing this for reasons of prevention and respect for the many victims and people in need worldwide. sera is confident that in spring next year they will be able to hold their celebrations in the then modernized Plant 1 at the main site in Immenhausen in time for the 75th anniversary year.

Until then, sera invites you to visit its anniversary website and to immerse yourself in its exciting history full of innovative product developments. It shows how and where the sera Group operates today as an international group of companies and gives an outlook into the future that the environmental technology company wants to actively shape.

Source & Pictures: sera

sera Group produces urgently required disinfectants for the german and austrian market

• sera installed a system in mid-April which produces disinfectant by means of membrane cell electrolysis
• Disinfectant can be used for hygienic hand washing and surface disinfection
• Production of 500 litres / day to maintain infection control in the region
• Only available in Germany and Austria
   

sera creates added value for people and the environment - the sera Group has committed itself to this guiding principle and works according to it every day. Especially now, in the uncertain times of the Corona crisis, it is their concern to help through social and community involvement.

After the call of the Hessian state government and the obvious supply bottlenecks, the sera Group has therefore decided to produce the disinfectant for hygienic hand washing and surface disinfection against COVID-19.

For this purpose, sera uses a system from the company Innowatech GmbH at the Immenhausen location, which actually disinfects and effectively sterilizes the in-house water pipes at the factory locations with sera dosing technology.

The plant produces an active substance with a concentration of 500ppm chlorine, which the WHO recommends as an effective alternative to alcohol-based disinfectants against Corona viruses.

As official cooperation partner of Innowatech GmbH, sera is authorized to produce and distribute the already approved product Anolyte®. Anolyte® is effective against bacteria, viruses, spores and yeasts.

"We will use the capacities of the plant sensibly and sustainably. Thus we assume a produced quantity of 500 litres of disinfectant per day. In this way we want to make a contribution to maintaining and, if possible, even improving infection protection, especially in our North Hessian region", says Carsten Rahier, managing partner of the sera Group.

The disinfectant is only available in Germany and Austria and is primarily sold to particularly protection-relevant institutions such as clinics, nursing homes/services and fire brigades at low prices. sera would like to make a further contribution to support the region with this. Interested parties can contact sera directly: info@sera-web.com.

Source & Picture: sera Group

Carlsberg Group relies on the dosing expertise of multi-layer diaphragm technology from sera

The Danish Carlsberg Group is the fourth largest brewery group in the world. In 75 breweries in Eastern and Western Europe, as well as in Asia, Carlsberg produces more than 500 different beers. Like many breweries and suppliers of the beverage industry, Carlsberg also relies on the expertise of sera when it comes to the exact dosing of liquids.
    
In Eastern Europe "Baltika" is the most successful brand. Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Carlsberg Azerbaijan, the introduction of the non-alcoholic brand "Baltika 0 Grapefruit" was planned. For this purpose, Carlsberg needed a tailor-made system that on the one hand always prepares the grapefruit flavor in the same proportion and on the other hand ensures the exact dosage of the aroma in the process. sera has developed and built a customer-specific dosing system that meets exactly these requirements. Equipped with externally controlled diaphragm valves, an agitator, a radar level measurement and a sera multi-layer diaphragm pump RF410.2-500ML, the system operates fully automatically and is designed for operation at high temperatures.

Multi-layer diaphragm technology

By using the multi-layer diaphragm, safety-relevant dosing tasks can be realized. The increased safety requirements are taken into account by - compared to single-layer membranes - significantly improved diaphragm service life and membrane monitoring.

The multilayer diaphragm consists of three layers:
• Working diaphragm
• Signal diaphragm
• Protective diaphragm

If the working diaphragm is damaged, the concept of multi-layer diaphragm technology with the standard pressure-controlled diaphragm monitoring ensures absolute leakproof operation. The damage to the working diaphragm does not result in a direct failure of the dosing pump. The pump can be operated for a limited time, resulting in increased reliability. With a flow rate of up to 500 l / h and a maximum pressure of 10 bar, RF410.2-500ML is the ideal pump for dosing tasks in the Carlsberg brewery in Azerbaijan.

Source & Picture: sera GmbH

When it comes to wastewater treatment, many operators rely on sera's expertise. sera dosing technology is used in wastewater treatment in many process steps and not only ensures clean water, but also ensures that all legal requirements are met.

The Breisgauer Bucht Wastewater Association has expanded the Forchheim wastewater treatment plant. The capacity of the biological cleaning stage was increased by 50% to 600,000 inhabitants. In addition to two new receding tanks, a new 2-street revitalization basin with a biology pumping station was built.

As part of the expansion, nine dosing points were installed for precipitation with three different media. Depending on the requirements and utilization, polyaluminium chloride, iron III chloride and green salt are dosed in the quantity required for precipitation. sera supplied ZXRF 4111.3-2200 feeding pumps as well as controllable C410.2-900 diaphragm pumps. They are leak-free, unlimited dry-running-proof, low-maintenance and at the process very precise.

A detailed report is available on www.sera-web.com.

•    sera expands product portfolio with magnetic-drive centrifugal pumps from FTi
•    sera takes over the exclusive distribution of FTi's magnetic-drive centrifugal pumps, for the regions of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with effect from 01.08.2019

sera strives to always offer its customers the best possible range of pumps and dosing systems. For this reason, it is constantly expanding its portfolio and supplementing its program with useful technologies and products.

Entering into a new strategic partnership with Finish Thompson Inc. was the next logical step: sera will take over the exclusive distribution of FTi's magnetic-drive centrifugal pumps for the regions of Germany, Austria and Switzerland with effect from 01.08.2019.

Both companies combine expert knowledge in the respective technology, which has been continuously developed for more than 70 years. The strategic partnership between the two owner-managed companies is long-term and should offer customers added value over a long period of time. For the American company Finish Thompson Inc., the partnership with sera GmbH is an important step towards having a high-performance sales and service partner and thus expanding the business in Central Europe.

As a competent partner for pumps and dosing technology, sera once again expands its own delivery and service program with this partnership and is able to handle a wide variety of applications from a single source. Many sera customers have been using products from FTi for years, for which sera will now offer and extend the service ist customers are used to in dosing technology.
In addition to the single pump, sera also offers complete system solutions to minimize the time and effort involved in design, procurement, installation and commissioning. The high-quality products are complemented by mobile drum pumps. The FTi products fit seamlessly into the sera product range and fulfill the usual high demands of sera customers.

Not only Germany is a beer country. Beer also belongs to the most consumed beverages in many other countries. It is thus not at all surprising that large breweries all over the world have a network of subsidiaries that brew beer locally. Beer is also very popular in Southeast Asia. Cambodia Brewery Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heineken Asia Pacific, uses sera technology to ensure safe cleaning processes.

Beer is one of the most popular beverages in Cambodia. Cambodians consume about 6.1 million hectolitres of beer per year or about 38 litres per person. This makes Cambodia one of the countries with the highest beer consumption in the region, even though it accounts for just under half of Germany's per capita consumption. This is one of the reasons why Heineken Brewery as one of the largest breweries worldwide is active in the capital Phnom Penh.

In addition to the actual brewing process, the cleaning process in breweries is also becoming increasingly important. Hygiene is extremely important during the beer production. In addition to aspects such as product safety and beer quality, the focus is increasingly on costs, availability and employee safety. Cleaning processes are therefore an important part of operational controls during the beer production. The use of caustic soda is essential for every cleaning process.

Approximately 50 million tons of caustic soda are produced annually and used in various ways in industry. sera has developed a cost-effective system solution specifically for use in the food industry, which has a variable but large demand for alkaline cleaning agents such as caustic soda. This enables the secure and efficient preparation of caustic soda based on sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in solid form (pellets, flakes, pearls or powder) and water.

Breweries use caustic soda on site, particularly because it is cost-effective: Transport, delivery and storage of goods in sacks with undissolved solids is significantly less expensive than ready-made solutions. The extensive building work which would have been required to accommodate the delivery of ready-made solutions in tankers containing hazardous substances is also unnecessary. Above all, however, the well-known suppliers in the food and beverage industry value the flexibility that they have with their own preparation unit: Solutions are prepared as required and their concentration can be adjusted by increasing or lowering the amount of solid materials added.  This reduces the costs and increases the operational reliability.

These factors have also played a part in the decision of Heineken, the operator of the Cambodia Brewery Ltd. in Phnom Penh, to rely on a caustic soda preparation unit from sera in its renovation of the brewery in 2016.

The system supplied consists of a stainless steel batching tank, an agitator and a special conveyor that is separate from the batching tank. The conveyor consists of a feed hopper and a stainless steel screw-conveyor that carries the solid materials to the batching tank. With this design, the operating staff is not in the immediate danger area of the batching tank in which the solid matter reacts exothermically with water.

The batching tank has a level indicator with a shut-off valve, a temperature display and a pipe safety cage to prevent accidental physical contact. The prepared solution is transferred into a larger storage tank by a sera refilling system.

A sera CVD (Compact Vertical Dosing) system with a modular design is also provided to remove the solution from the storage tank and feed it precisely into the cleaning process. Together, the system enables the cleaning process to be carried out in an easier, more flexible and, above all, safer way.

sera is thus able to ensure that beer tastes like beer, even in Cambodia.

After almost three years of drought, the water reserves in Cape Town are depleted. Water consumption has been rationed until further notice. As a result of climate change, it is no longer possible to rely on rain during the winter months. The almost 3.75 million inhabitants therefore have to adjust to water shortages every year. To counteract this situation, the city administration has not only developed rigid guidelines for water use, but also puts its trust in water treatment. sera systems help to produce additional drinking water.

The systems are used during the process of producing drinking water (for human consumption) in one of the waste water treatment plants in Cape Town. Our branch in South Africa manufactures 14 different dosing systems for this purpose. CVD 2 (Compact Vertical Dosing) systems are used, which have to dose a range of chemicals from sodium hydrochloride to 98% sulphuric acid. The biggest challenge is the treatment of 98% sulphuric acid, as this places special demands on the materials used both in the pump and in the pipes. Not many businesses in South Africa have expertise in this area. The operator was therefore pleased to have found a professional and experienced partner in sera, who could implement the project.

Germany is more popular as a tourist destination than ever before. The number of overnight stays by visitors from Germany and abroad rose by three per cent in 2017 to a new record level of 459.6 million (Federal Statistical Office). The percentage of international guests even rose by four percent to 83.9 million overnight stays by visitors. There are a variety of reasons for this: business travellers and tourists from all over the world are attracted to Germany due to the exceptional infrastructure, which makes it easy to reach, together with very good value for money, many sights and impressive landscapes. Winterberg, a winter sports region in the Sauerland region, has also recorded significant growth in terms of overnight stays. However, the effects of the tourism boom have posed specific challenges for the municipality. We have resolved these together.

Winterberg, a centre of tourism in the Sauerland region with about 13,000 inhabitants in 15 districts, has experienced a development boom in recent years and, from the point of view of tourism, has all the features of a typical destination in the central German uplands. The municipality is home to the largest interconnected ski area north of the Alps and thus doesn’t just attract German holidaymakers. Winterberg is particularly popular with our Dutch neighbours. The central location ensures a quick journey, the landscape is beautiful in all seasons, even more so in winter, and invites you to participate in a number of outdoor activities. To give winter sports enthusiasts 80 days of guaranteed snow a year, a plan to make snow was drawn up in the 1990s against the backdrop of a weather-related slump in winter sports tourism. This scheme worked: in 2012, Winterberg recorded more than 1 million overnight stays for the first time - and that was in commercial hotels alone. Unrecorded overnight stays with small and private accommodation providers and about 1.5 million day visitors a year should be added to this.
Of course, this had consequences for the local sewage system. Stadtwerke Winterberg AöR (Winterberg Public Utilities) operates two sewage treatment plants which struggle especially in winter with sudden additional loads because of the increase in tourism.

Winterberg Public Utilities built on our expertise to overcome two particular challenges in this connection:
On the one hand, the large number of day visitors and tourists has changed WC usage and the quantity of urea in sewage has increased significantly.  As a result, the amounts of carbon and nitrogen in the sewage are out of proportion. In normal public sewage, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen is 100:20, while in Winterberg it hovers around 80:40. This disproportionate ratio leads to a shortage of carbon in the denitrification period. Acetic acid is added to the sewage as a source of carbon to compensate for this. This supports the breakdown of nitrates into elemental nitrogen and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen is restored to the level required.

On the other hand the sewage also has very low temperatures as a result of weeks of snow melting in Winterberg, which cause poor settling behaviour of the sewage sludge in the secondary clarification process. The addition of polymer flocculating agents improves the bonding and settling behaviour.

sera provided a suitable solution for both challenges: The two Winterberg sewage treatment plants were each supplied with a complete solution in an insulated hazardous material container with ventilation and heating, which in turn included two dosing systems. A DAV2 dosing system with spray protection doses the acetic acid from a container into the denitrification system. Two iSTEP S50 dosing pumps (delivery range of 0.1 ml/h to 50 l/h each), supported by a controller, ensure that very large quantities of acetic acid can be added if necessary, but it is also possible to add small quantities of acetic acid continuously in the denitrification process.
Both turn-key containers also have a smart CTD dosing system to prepare and dose polymer flocculating agents. The polymer is prepared from a concentrate and water, and is added to the feed for the secondary clarification system. The polymer is added automatically, depending on the turbidity in the secondary clarification system. Here, too, we used two iSTEP S50 pumps in order to offset fluctuations as effectively as possible. And this also facilitates easy maintenance and parts supply.
The customer's requirements were very unusual in this case. However, the container solutions developed jointly with Stadtwerke Winterberg now ensure perfect wastewater treatment. These solutions also ensure that tourism continues to boom in Winterberg.