Just over a week ago I had the pleasure of visiting the manufacturing facility of Pfaudler-Balfour in Leven, Scotland. Pfaudler, a part of the Robbins Myers Process Solutions Group, is best known for providing innovative products made of glassed steel used to optimise fluid processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.
In fact, together with other Process Solutions Group companies, including Chemineer, Edlon, GPS, CRS and Tycon Technoglass, the company now provides a one-stop-shop for the chemical process, pharmaceutical, power, biotech and many other industries.
Within this diversified group, each of the companies has its own precise role, and so: Pfaudler focuses on producing, among others: advanced reactors and storage vessels, innovative instrumentation, mixing systems, heat exchangers and glass-lined pipes; Tycon Technologies specialises in glass-lined vessels and equipment for chemical and pharmaceutical processing; Chemineer mainly deals with research, design and manufacturing of high-quality, high-volume mixing solutions, and Edlon is a leading manufacturer of process solutions based on engineered polymers, including: coatings, linings, glass-lined vessel accessories and column systems. GPS and CRS provide high-quality replacement parts and field service for all the Process Solutions Group Products.
I was truly impressed by the Pfaudler-Balfour facility to which I was invited. It is located in Leven, in the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland, and next year it is going to be celebrating its 200-year anniversary.
A forty-five-minute drive from Edinburgh airport and I was already sitting at the Pfaudler-Balfour conference room, enjoying coffee and biscuits, and the interesting presentation from the Group Products Sales Manager, Neil Davies, and Edlon Product Manager, Douglas Low, with Kerry Clunie, Process Manager, and Chris French from POD PR.
The presentation included a short description of the products and services offered by each of the sister companies, and then I had a chance to see for myself what exactly goes on in the manufacturing facility. I was taken on a little tour by Neil Davies, who explained in detail the technique of lining the huge steel vessels with glass. The reactor vessels would have impressed anybody: the largest I was able to see had about 100 m3 capacity, and yet they can go up to unimaginable 130 m3, which reportedly is the biggest in the world.
I got to see vessels in every stage of production, which is a long process involving heating them up to around 850ºC (until they actually glow), controlled cooling, and being sprayed numerous coats of glass lining. As I was told, every piece of Pfaudler glass-lined equipment features the Glasteel technology, which is the global standard for the industry.
I also managed to see the Edlon part of the business, which produces the so-called ‘plastic steel’, based on fluoropolymers, which is used for applications where there’s a possibility of chemistry between the lined product and glass.
Pfaudler-Balfour is able to offer used equipment, which is completely serviced, re-glassed, with seals replaced. I don’t have to tell you about the obvious advantages this presents, saving clients time and money, still with full warranty from the original manufacturer.
The day up in Scotland was incredibly interesting, and I was very impressed with the size of the facility, its organisation, and the professionalism of the staff. Indeed, it seemed a lot cleaner and more organised than I could ever imagine a facility of that size to be. I got a chance to look into a huge reactor vessel and inside a magnificent furnace, and that certainly isn’t something that happens every day!
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