KnowHow 1-2011 - Pentair

2012 volume 15 issue 1 

Knowhow is PuBlished 

By Pentair 

Fish-Friendly PumP 

Recent testing confirmed 

fish-friendliness 

desalination 

Fresh water 

for the Middle East 

ComPaCt Beer 

memBrane Filtration 

Breakthrough system for 

mid-size breweries

02 knowhow 2012 

Pentair is truly in the process of an 

incredible transformation. First, in March 

of this year, we announced a merger 

agreement with Tyco’s Flow Control 

business, a global leader in industrial valves 

and controls, water and environmental 

systems and thermal control solutions. 

This pending merger, when completed, 

will help solidify Pentair as a global leader 

in water, fluid process, and equipment 

protection solutions. In addition, the new 

Pentair will have a heightened presence 

in the ever-increasing oil and gas and 

energy markets, allowing us to reach new 

customers and better serve our current 

base. 

We expect that this powerful combination 

will provide substantial benefits for you, our 

valued customers. 

Pentair continues to grow stronger in other 

ways, too. We recently launched a new 

branding initiative aimed at strengthening 

our position as a leader in the sectors in 

which we operate, while aligning our brand 

portfolio to better serve our customers. 

We hope to continue to serve your needs by 

leveraging our knowledge and expertise 

across a broader spectrum of products, 

solutions and applications. Our product 

lines going forward will be more clearly 

supported and aligned through the strength 

of the Pentair brand. Over the next several 

months, you will begin to see an updated, 

more modern Pentair logo that reflects a 

stronger presence and brand, all over the 

world. 

In this issue of KnowHow, we are proud to 

bring you updates on new products and 

developments from around the company. 

Some of these solutions are designed 

to serve the growing opportunities in 

industrial infrastructure development 

across the world. For example, in 

equipment protection, we introduced the 

Pentair McLean Cooling V-Series control 

panel that improves industrial process 

cooling for manufacturing automation 

equipment. Also highlighted, serving the 

global need for safe, clean water, Pentair 

X-Flow will supply its Seaflex ultrafiltration 

membranes to the Al Zawrah seawater 

reverse osmosis plant in Ajman, United 

Arab Emirates. 

Finally, we’ll showcase some of our 

sustainable solutions that were developed 

to deliver high efficiency while protecting 

the environment. Pentair’s stance as a 

leader in pool equipment has been elevated 

with the introduction of our IntelliPool 

automation system that helps homeowners 

maintain and manage their pools with 

incredible energy savings. In addition, 

serving the need for efficient point-of-entry 

water purification systems for homes 

and businesses, our new Hybrid DI water 

conditioning unit is a water filtration system 

and water softener in one. The Hybrid DI 

is designed to deliver bottled water quality 

drinking water and eliminate the need 

for salt in the softening stage, making it 

environmentally friendly. 

I hope that you enjoy this issue. As our 

company continues to grow and develop, we 

are committed to bringing you news on the 

latest developments across Pentair. 

Michael V. Schrock 

President and Chief Operating Officer 

Pentair, Inc.

In March 2012, Pentair Water Purification 

announced the launch of Homespring, 

a system that removes bacteria, virus 

and cysts from source water to provide 

ultra-filtered water to populations 

without access to clean, clear 

and safe water. Homespring also 

uniquely allows natural salts 

and essential minerals to remain 

present in the water, while providing 

bottled water taste to every tap in 

the home. 

Homespring systems succeed 

across the world in offering 

potable water to the entire home 

for drinking, cooking and bathing. 

Customers facing problems—such 

as E.Coli, turbidity, giardia or 

cryptosporidium—use Homespring 

to create a dependable flow of clean, 

safe water for consumption that was 

previously unavailable. Customers 

also benefit from reduced dry skin 

and allergic reactions originally 

caused by chlorinated water. 

Homespring currently touches 

lives across the globe by 

providing clean water to remote 

locations, residential and 

commercial applications, and 

even zones traumatized by 

natural disasters. The system 

requires minimal power to 

filter water, which is ideal 

for installation in developing 

nations. It has been installed in 

in various locations throughout 

China, New Zealand, Pakistan, 

w at e r P u r i F i C at i o n 

hoMeSpring offerS 

CryStal Clear water for eVery tap 

by heather Koehn 

heather.koehn@pentair.com 

Few countries offer 

its citizens clean, 

clear drinking water 

that does not raise 

concerns for disease 

or sickness. Those with 

have consistent access 

to fresh drinking water, 

must be truly thankful. 

Pentair’s Homespring provides safe water throughout the world 

Kazakhstan, India, Sri Lanka, US Gulf 

Coast and Guatemala. Whether used for 

emergencies or for everyday use, the 

Homespring has met and surpassed 

expectations in rigorous applications all 

over the world. 

When designing for commercial and 

residential applications worldwide, 

Pentair Water Purification’s engineering 

team works to ensure a robust design. 

The Homespring promises to improve 

the health of many across the globe by 

offering a whole-house solution that 

provides peace of mind, healthy living and 

hope to those facing disaster. 

knowhow 2012 03

P e n ta i r F o u n d at i o n 

pentair foUnDation proViDeS 

$1 MILLION GRANT TO WATER 

MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL TO 

FUND SAFE DRINKING WATER 

PROJECTS WORLDWIDE 

by Betsy day betsy.day@pentair.com 

More than one billion people worldwide – roughly one out of every seven – 

have no choice but to use unsafe, contaminated water. To help solve this issue, 

the Pentair Foundation is providing a five-year grant totaling $1 million to 

the non-profit Water Missions International (WMI). The multi-year grant will 

fund the implementation of clean water and sanitation projects in developing 

countries, further building on the work of Pentair’s Project Safewater initiative 

with WMI. 

04 knowhow 2012

WMI currently operates water quality and 

sanitation programs in nine countries – 

Honduras, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, 

Mexico, Indonesia, Haiti, Peru and Belize. 

“Our grant to Water Missions International 

will benefit countless lives by speeding 

access to sustainable, safe drinking water 

sources globally,” said Randall J. Hogan, 

Pentair’s chairman and chief executive 

officer. “Through our previous work with 

WMI on Project Safewater-Colón, we have 

shown that there is an affordable solution 

to the global water crisis. We look forward 

to applying what we’ve learned to further 

improve health and sanitation conditions 

in communities around the world.” 

Pentair has collaborated with WMI since 

2007. In that time, Pentair’s Project 

Safewater initiative with WMI in Colón, 

Honduras, demonstrated that for only 

pennies a day per person, it’s possible 

to provide people with access to safe 

drinking water in regions where they don’t 

have it now. As a result, approximately 

300,000 people in Colón now have access 

to sustainable, safe water and sanitation 

facilities, along with a related 80 percent 

reduction in waterborne diseases. 

“As impressive as our progress in 

Honduras has been, there is still more 

work to be done, more lives to improve 

and more communities to transform,” 

said Hogan. “We can make a difference in 

the global water crisis.” 

Water Missions International, headquartered 

in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, is a 

nonprofit engineering organization serving 

the water and sanitation needs of people in 

developing countries and disaster areas. It 

uses low-maintenance, appropriate water 

technologies for drinking water treatment 

and distribution, wastewater management 

and storm water control. 

knowhow 2012 05

F l o w t e C h n o l o g i e s 

proVen perforManCe 

FISH-FRIENDLy PUMP AT KRALINGSE PLAS 

by inge sluiJter inge.sluijter@pentair.com 

Installed at lake 

Kralingse plas near the 

Dutch city of Rotterdam 

in 2011, Pentair 

Nijhuis’ fish-friendly 

pump is proving its 

fish-friendliness. Recent 

testing at Kralingse plas 

has confirmed that fish 

and eel pass through 

the pump virtually 

unharmed. 

A few years ago, Nijhuis, in cooperation 

with FishFlow Innovations, began the 

development of the fish-friendly pump 

as an answer to the new regulations for 

cleaner surface water and a preservation 

of the eel in European waters. The unique 

shape of the impeller in combination 


with special shaped guide vanes creates 

a favorable flow in the water that allows 

the fish to travel safely through the 

pump. Furthermore, there is more space 

between the impeller blades than with 

conventional pumps, which considerably 

reduces the chance that the fish and eels 

will be hit. In addition, the pump design 

delivers very good performance of 80 

percent or higher efficiency. The prototype, 

developed for use in a lock near the city of 

Mijnden, the Netherlands, also produced 

excellent results for performance and 

fish-friendliness. Here 100 percent of 

the fish also came through the pump 

alive with only 3 percent showing minor 

damage. Now, after two years of use at the 

Mijnden lock, Nijhuis’ fish-friendly pump is 

contributing to much better water quality 

due to the absence of dead fish. 

The fish-friendly pump at lake Kralingse 

plas was the second pump of this type 

produced and delivered by Nijhuis. This 

pump, with a two foot (600 mm) propeller 

was tested on fish-friendliness by the 

customer with the help of a net behind the 

pump. About 27,000 fish were caught and 

only 13 showed slight damage. Among 

the fish, there were eels up to 30 inches 

(75 cm) in length that passed through the 

pump totally unharmed. 

The success of these installations has 

brought a number of new projects to 

Pentair Nijhuis this year. Several orders 

for fish-friendly pumps have been received, 

including one pumping station with two 

pumps installed in a concrete volute casing. 

eUropean wfD CatalySt for 

fiSh-frienDly pUMp 

In many Dutch open water areas pumping 

stations and/or locks keep close fish 

off from surrounding bodies of water. 

Pumps in these stations and locks are an 

impassable obstacle for fish migrating 

between the areas of water. This results in 

large numbers of fish dying in the pumps. 

To comply with the European Water 

Framework Directive (WFD) long-lasting 

measures need to be taken quickly. 

The fish-friendly pump from FishFlow 

Innovations and Nijhuis provided the 

solution with the added benefit, in most 

situations, that the existing infrastructure 

and electrical installation requires very 

little modification, keeping costs down.

water pUrifiCation’S green 

approaCh to waStewater: 

PENTAIR’S 9100TS AND HybRID DI 

by heather Koehn heather.koehn@pentair.com 

Pentair Water 

Purification focuses on 

designing systems that 

minimize environmental 

impact by anticipating 

consumer demands 

and releasing 

innovative products 

that compliment the 

green movement and 

serve consumers in an 

affordable, accessible 

way. 

Currently, Pentair Water Purification is 

working to make strides in minimizing 

wastewater to protect one of humanity’s 

most critically managed and coveted 

resources. Water Purification creates 

new technology by designing systems 

with residential and commercial 

consumers in mind. Among various 

new products released in 2011, Pentair 

Water Purification introduced the 

9100TS—the first water softener of its 

kind that can reduce salt use by up to 

50 percent. Although many consumers 

may not realize it, several areas of the 

U.S. regularly experience fluctuations in 

water hardness. The 9100TS offers the 

ideal intelligent system for use anywhere 

that has water hardness fluctuations. The 

9100TS can sense changes in hardness, 

and reduce salt and water accordingly, 

by allowing regeneration to take place 

only when necessary. The system also 

increases resin bed utilization by up to 

20 percent, making additional gallons 

of water available, while facilitating a 

greater gallon per minute throughput. 

In contrast to the 9100TS water softener, 

Pentair Water Purification will introduce 

the Hybrid DI in the second half of 2012. 

The Hybrid DI’s water conditioning 

unit reduces water hardness while 

simultaneously reducing total dissolved 

solids (TDS), similar to a whole house 

reverse osmosis (RO) system. The Hybrid 

DI delivers bottle water quality by—unlike 

any other water conditioner or softener on 

the market—removing up to 85 percent 

of TDS. The need for salt to temper the 

hardness of water is eliminated as an 

electrical current is used to remove 

calcium, magnesium, and TDS. 

To complement the Hybrid DI’s 

environmentally-friendly water 

conditioning, it features a whole house 

RO and cleanses water at 80 percent 

efficiency. Traditional RO systems are 

typically 20 percent efficient, sending 

up to 80 percent of water to the drain 

as wastewater. All in all, the Hybrid DI 

will become one of the most innovative 

improvements in water sustainability. 

Pentair Water Purification develops 

new products and technologies to 

create high-efficiency 

systems that improve the 

consumer’s environment 

while reducing expenses 

and building a healthier 

way of life.These new 

products secure Pentair’s 

position as the water 

treatment industry’s 

leading change agent and 

sustainable innovator for 

residential and commercial 

applications. 

Pentair’s new water softener—the 

9100TS. 

w at e r P u r i F i C at i o n 

knowhow 2012 07

P r o C e s s t e C h n o l o g i e s 

Pentair X-Flow secured three major desalination 

projects in seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants 

in the Middle East where X-Flow’s ultrafiltration (UF) 

membranes will provide optimum pre-treatment to 

the reverse osmosis (RO) system. The three projects 

add more than 1,200 MLD (295 MGD) to X-Flow’s 

installed base securing X-Flow’s leading position in 

the desalination pre-treatment market. 

projeCt i: jUbail phaSe 2 Swro plant 

X-Flow received an order from Al Fatah 

Water and Power to supply its Seaguard 

ultrafiltration (UF) membranes and skids 

to the Jubail phase 2 project in Al Jubail, 

Saudi Arabia. Once commissioned in 

2012, this dual membrane plant with UF 

followed by reverse osmosis (RO), will 

be the largest UF-RO desalination plant 

in Saudi Arabia. With a UF production 

capacity of 177 MLD (47 MGD), the SWRO 

facility will produce fresh water for the 


city’s industry. Al Fatah Water and Power 

selected Pentair after an eight-month 

pilot with two other UF membrane 

suppliers and producers of conventional 

dual media filtration. During the pilot 

period, X-Flow’s membranes excelled. 

This, combined with the track record and 

project management capabilities, led Al 

Fatah Water and Power to select X-Flow 

over the competing companies. 

Ultrafiltration proViDeS 

proteCtion anD effiCienCy 

Good pre-treatment is very important 

for SWRO plants to operate successfully. 

X-Flow’s horizontal and vertical hollow 

fiber ultrafiltration membranes— 

Seaguard and Seaflex—provide optimum 

pre-treatment for the RO membranes. 

Pre-treatment with UF raises RO fluxes, 

creates more consistent quality of the 

RO feed water, improves performance, 

reduces capital expenditure (CAPEX) and 

significantly decreases plant design. In 

essence, this treatment positively impacts 

all SWRO plant functions. 

freSh water FOR 

X-Flow has been selected to supply its 

Seaflex ultrafiltration (UF) membranes 

to the Al Zawrah SWRO plant in Ajman, 

United Arab Emirates. The UF system 

in the new Al Zawrah 

desalination plant 

will produce 115 MLD 

(30 MGD) pretreated 

seawater to feed the 

reverse osmosis (RO) 

membrane system. 

The end user, Federal 

Electricity and Water 

Authority (FEWA), 

provides utilities for 

the Emirates of Ajman, 

Ras Al Khaima, Umm 

Al Quwain and Fujairah. 

FEWA owns and 

operates several 

seawater desalination 

plants to supply 

potable water to 

its consumers and 

mainly employs 

RO technology. It 

by Janna dirKs jann 

projeCt ii: al Zawrah Swro pla

a.dirks@pentair.com 

nt 

Lebanon 

Syria 

Israel 

x Jordan 

Iraq 

Saudi Arabia 

Yemen 

Kuwait 

Bahrain 

THE MIDDLE EAST 

is the first time, however, that FEWA 

will implement UF technology as a 

pre-treatment step. The EPC contract 

was won by a consortium made up of 

the Spanish company 

Cadagua, S.A. and 

local Ajman company 

Essa Engineering & 

Marine Services LLC. 

Scheduled to be built 

and commissioned in 

2012, the Al Zawrah 

SWRO plant will 

produce desalinated 

water for potable 

purposes. 

Qatar 

UAE 

X-Flow signed an agreement with IVM 

Minrav Sadyt to supply its Seaguard 

ultrafiltration (UF) membranes and skids 

to the Ashdod SWRO plant in Israel. With 

a UF permeate capacity of 930 MLD (245 

MGD), the plant will supply 100 million 

cubic meters of desalinated water a year 

to become the first potable water plant 

built under the government’s emergency 

plan for the water economy in Israel. 

Once completed, Ashdod will be one 

of the largest SWRO plant with UF as 

pre-treatment in operation worldwide. 

In November 2009, the IVM consortium, 

comprised of Israel’s Minrav Holding Ltd. 

and Spain’s SADyT, won the international 

tender from Mekorot Development and 

Enterprise Ltd. to build the seawater 

desalination plant at Ashdod. IVM will 

design, build, commission and operate 

the plant for two years. Scheduled to run 

at full production by December, 2013, the 

Ashdod plant will produce desalinated 

water amounting to 15 percent of Israel’s 

domestic water consumption. Once the 

Ashdod plant is completed, the five largest 

x 

Oman 

Iran 

projeCt iii: aShDoD Swro plant 

x 

Pentair secured important projects in 

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Israel. 

desalination plants in Israel combined 

will supply around 85 percent of Israel’s 

domestic water consumption. 

knowhow 2012 09


ADvANCED vALvE TECHNOLOGy 

for UnileVer’S iCe CreaM 

plant with pentair SüDMo 

by marCelo ramPaZZo marcelo.rampazzo@pentair.com 

Unilever—one of the 

world’s largest ice-cream 

producers—places 

the highest value on 

premium product 

quality. To achieve the 

most advanced process 

automation Unilever 

chose Südmo’s valve 

manifolds to expand its 

ice cream production 

plant in Valinhos, Brazil. 

The project involved automating all fluid 

handling in Unilever’s new aging room with 

six aging tanks and three re-work tanks. 

The latter connect the aging room with two 

pasteurizers, three filling lines and one 

fruit dosing line. In addition, there are four 

mixing tanks and cleaning in place (CIP) 

lines. 

Südmo provided four valve manifolds 

featuring the company’s proven mix 

proof valve technology that eliminates 

cross-contamination between different 

products and cleaning fluids. The 

valve arrangement permits total plant 


flexibility, allowing the operator to fill each 

tank separately with product from the 

pasteurization line or send product to the 

filling line. In addition, every tank can be 

cleaned separately through the existing CIP 

system, reducing cleaning downtime and 

increasing operating efficiency. 

Südmo’s IntelliTop ® 2.0 decentralized 

control units enable communication 

between the valve manifolds and Unilever’s 

control system. Specifically designed 

to increase the plant’s efficiency, the 

IntelliTop 2.0 controls, monitors and 

reports all valve functions in the process 

plant. Installed on the valve’s pneumatic 

actuators, the units shorten start-up, 

monitor plant functions, and quickly identify 

a component or communication issue. 

In addition to the valve manifolds, Südmo 

supplied the pumps, piping and connections 

with the goal of minimizing product losses 

during transfers and reducing operating 

costs through state-of-the-art engineering 

and piping optimization. Moreover, the 

supply scope includes the mechanical 

assembly, documentation and valve 

maintenance training. 

“We are very satisfied with this investment,” 

said Carlos Derbona, Unilever’s project 

manager. “The Südmo system enables 

improved process quality against reduced 

operating costs. Moreover, the fast delivery 

time and the competitive prices had us 

convinced.” 

Marcelo Rampazzo, Pentair Water do Brasil 

sales manager added: “We are very pleased 

to be part of this project and contribute to 

one of the most modern Unilever ice cream 

aging rooms in the world.” 

Pentair helps Unilever expand its ice cream 

production plant in Valinhos, Brazil. 

Pentair’s state-of-the-art engineering and piping 

organization minimizes product losses

eakthroUgh 

SySteM 

FOR MID-SIzE 

bREWERIES 

by Janna dirKs janna.dirks@pentair.com 

As demand for beer grows, small and mid-sized 

brewers must make fast-paced decisions, expand 

and maintain consistent quality. 

Sustainable growth opens a variety of 

options to keep up with smart competitors 

and evolving customer demands. Investing 

in a high-quality and innovative brewing 

system, like the Beer Membrane Filtration 

(BMF), offers attractive financial benefits. 

inVeSting in SUStainability 

Traditionally, BMF systems have been 

designed for larger breweries that 

produce more than one million hectoliter 

output. To meet the specific demands of 

mid-size breweries, Pentair now offers a 

pre-assembled, stand-alone BMF system— 

the BMF-18 Compact—that has the same 

advantages and benefits as a BMF for 

large breweries with a significantly lower 

investment cost. In addition to achieving 

brewery goals, the BMF-18 Compact 

helps small and mid-sized brewers meet 

sustainability goals, such as the efficient 

use of water, energy and chemicals, and the 

reduction of throwaway and non-recyclable 

materials. 

flexibility anD tUrnkey DeliVery 

The BMF-18 Compact turnkey solution 

offers fast implementation, reliable 

operation and excellent beer quality 

for breweries with an annual capacity 

of approximately 100,000 hl to 500,000 

hl, and even up to 1,000,000 hl with high 

gravity and 24/7 operation. With a capacity 

of 100-150 hl/h, the BMF-18 Compact 

incorporates smart design principles 

and high quality components. Its robust 

design makes it possible to assemble the 

entire BMF system prior to transportation. 

After the order is placed, the brewery can 

prepare the necessary piping while Pentair 

builds and tests the BMF-18 Compact. Then, 

the system is installed at the brewery as 

a plug-and-play system, and tailored to 

the brewery’s specific conditions. This 

smart concept drastically shortens the 

commissioning period and makes it 

possible to filter the first hectoliters of beer 

one week after arrival at the brewery. 

Ganter—a German brewery based in 

Freiburg since 1865—chose the BMF-18 

Compact as part of its brewery upgrade. 

Detlef Frankenberger, Managing Director 

at Ganter, explains, “Higher process 

automation, filtrating different types of 

beer more flexibly, and with less impact on 

the environment and our employees, are 

essential advantages of the next generation 

membrane filtration technology. For us, 

as a mid-sized brewery, Pentair’s BMF-18 

Compact offers the ideal, ready-to-install 

solution.” 

UneqUalleD perforManCe 

Just like the BMF for large-size breweries, 

the BMF-18 Compact delivers high-quality 

beer consistently during a run cycle, with a 

long shelf life and excellent taste stability, 

while eliminating the health and safety 

risks of diatomaceous earth. The BMF-18 

Compact minimizes beer and time loss 

during product switchover, 

improving flexibility. Moreover, 

only limited manual work is 

required as the main process 

steps are fully automated; the 

brewer merely has to manually 

switch from filtration to CIP— 

and vice versa—typically about 

once a day. 

These advantages make the 

BMF-18 Compact the perfect 

solution for small and mid-size 

breweries to filter the best 

beer with the lowest financial 

and environmental impact. 

knowhow 2012 11


pentair haffManS’ 

CO 2 RECOvERy SySTEM 

a DUrable SUStainable SolUtion 

by ernst aalBers & riChard smethurst 

ernst.aalbers@pentair.com/richard.smethurst@pentair.com 

Carbon dioxide (CO 2) is a vital ingredient for 

producing quality beer that customers enjoy. 

Pentair Haffmans’ CO 2 system allows breweries to 

recover the CO 2 produced as a by-product during 

fermentation for reuse in the beer production 

process. One of the United Kingdom’s largest and 

most modern CO 2 recovery plants at a brewery, with 

a 24/7 capacity of 2,000 kg/h CO 2, is at the Molson 

Coors facility in Burton on Trent. 


Molson Coors Brewing Company brews, 

markets and sells a portfolio of leading 

brands—including Carling, Coors Light, 

Grolsch, Worthington’s, Caffrey’s, Corona, 

Cobra, and a range of speciality beers— 

across North America, Europe and Asia. 

It operates in Canada through Molson 

Coors Canada and in the U.S. through 

MillerCoors. In the UK, Molson Coors 

(UK & Ireland) employs more than 2,000 

people and operates breweries in Burton 

on Trent, Alton and Tadcaster. 

The Burton Brewery—a fusion of two 

neighboring breweries—has a capacity 

of five million UK barrels per year. Even 

today, the tradition of two breweries 

in the same town remains as Molson 

Coors continues to brew beer in separate 

production sites, now called North and 

South. 

Co2 – an eSSential brewing 

eleMent 

After entering the UK brewing market in 

2002, Molson Coors continued to purchase 

CO2, which was mainly derived from 

non-natural and old chemical production 

processes. In 2005, Molson Coors looked 

into a CO2 recovery system, but because 

CO2 price, quality and availability were 

acceptable in the UK at that time, the 

investment was postponed. 

In 2008, several major CO2 production 

facilities closed and, as a result, many 

beverage producers faced bottlenecks. 

Due to the shortage, CO2 became very 

expensive. In 2009, Molson Coors 

restarted the CO2 recovery system project 

with clear goals. 

First, the brewer wanted to be CO2 

self-sufficient. Carbon dioxide is essential 

for beer production. Molson Coors did not 

want to risk running out of CO2, a lesson

Pentair Haffmans’ LiquiVap heat recovery system provides energy and cost 

savings for breweries. 

they learned during the UK’s CO2 shortage. 

Secondly, they wanted a solution that was 

energy efficient; the long-term investment 

had to be durable. 

Molson Coors needed a single solution 

to meet the CO2 needs for both the North 

and the South breweries. This posed a 

special challenge for the CO2 collection 

and distribution system. The CO2 is 

collected in only one of the two breweries 

and then delivered to all operating sites. 

Can filling is located at the South site, 

while the bottle and keg filling is at the 

North site, requiring long-distance CO2 

transportation. 

Sourcing the green short-cycle CO2 

generated during fermentation offered 

a solution. Haffmans delivered the 

solution for CO2 processing, storage and 

evaporation. Moreover, the company’s 

expertise was essential for the entire 

process chain, from the collection at the 

fermenters through transporting the CO2 

to where it is used. 

the roaD to “green Co2 “ 

During beer fermentation, nearly equal 

amounts of alcohol and CO2 are generated. 

Roughly, 2.5 kg CO2 per hectoliter of beer 

can be recovered from an original wort 

of 12 degrees Plato. Considering a beer 

of 13 degrees Plato, this would amount to 

roughly 2.9 to 3 kg of CO2. 

Before the green CO2 can be used, it 

must be purified. The CO2 generated 

during fermentation contains several 

impurities including dimethyl sulfide 

(DMS), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and 

oxygen (O2) that must be removed as 

they have a negative effect on taste, odor 

and shelf life on the finished product. A 

state-of-the-art CO2 recovery system 

offers a cost-effective, sustainable way to 

purify the CO2 to food-grade quality. This 

system includes a: 

u Foam separator 

u Gas balloon 

u Gas washer 

u CO2 compressor 

u Activated carbon filter 

u Dryer 

u CO2 condenser 

u Storage tank 

CO2 collection occurs mainly from the 

top of the fermenters, and also from the 

maturation vessels and the bright beer 

tanks. The necessary inlet purity for 

CO2 treatment depends on the installed 

technology and ranges from 95 to 99.7 

percent. 

Up to 60% energy reCoVery 

Most of the energy consumed during 

the CO2 recovery process is used during 

gas compression, off-flavor removal, 

gas drying, and CO2 liquefaction and 

vaporization. However, there are a number 

of reverse processes in the recovery 

system. Carbon dioxide, for example, is 

liquefied and then vaporized, requiring a 

great amount of energy to be extracted and 

then added again. Another example is the 

compression of the gas. Before the gas is 

sent to the brewery, the pressure must be 

slightly reduced. Linking such processes 

together—both inside and outside of the 

recovery process—considerably reduces 

costs. The net energy use for CO2 recovery 

can be reduced by up to 60 percent. 

Haffmans’ Heat Recovery System—type 

LiquiVap—enables the liquefaction of CO2 

Molson Coors grows efficiently with Pentair’s CO2 Recovery System. 

using very little energy for cooling. If CO2 

production and consumption takes place 

simultaneously, there is an immediate 

energy saving because the extracted 

CO2 can be used to liquefy the CO2. At 

times when there is no CO2 production 

or consumption, it is possible to liquefy 

or vaporize CO2 in the traditional way, for 

example, at the start of the week when the 

fermentation has not yet started, but the 

beer is already being bottled, canned or 

put in kegs. 

By using the LiquiVap system, whenever 

possible, Molson Coors saves energy in 

a number of processes. These include 

condensing CO2 energy with the release 

of heat to the centralized brewery cooling 

system, when pre-cooling the cooling 

water, and as the energy necessary to 

vaporize CO2. 

To stay competitive in today’s market 

breweries need to find ways to reduce 

costs without affecting product quality. 

A Haffmans’ CO2 recovery plant that 

includes a LiquiVap heat recovery system 

provides energy and cost savings for 

breweries. By thinking “outside of the box” 

and linking different steps in the process, 

this system creates opportunities to 

reduce operating costs by up to 60 percent. 

In operation since mid-2010, Haffmans’ 

CO2 recovery system runs 24/7 

encompassing production, processing, 

storage, and distribution at Molson Coors’ 

Burton-on-Trent brewery. The system’s 

high performance level and savings 

led Molson Coors to pursue a five-year 

Service Level Agreement with Haffmans 

in 2011. 

knowhow 2012 13


Pentair Haffmans’ In-line CO2 Meter AuCoMet-i 

helps breweries and soft drink manufacturers 

produce a consistently high-quality product. 

In the beer and beverage industries, 

the content of dissolved carbon dioxide 

(CO2) is significantly important for the 

product’s quality, taste and flavor stability. 

To produce the best possible product, 

breweries and soft drink manufacturers 

must continuously control and measure 

the CO2 content during production. 

Haffmans’ In-line CO2 Meter AuCoMet-i 

enables fast and accurate determination 

of the CO2 content in beer and carbonated 

beverages based on the internationallystandardized 

method of Henry’s Law. It 

can be built into the production line at 

any location where the determination of 

dissolved CO2 is required—typically after 

filtration, carbonation or blending, and 

before filling. It also stores up to 500 

measurements in the internal memory. 

The AuCoMet-i has a separate control 

unit that can be field or panel mounted, 

offering the operator maximum flexibility 

to position the control unit at any location, 

allowing optimal access to the operating 

panel and the display. In addition, due to 

its modular design, the system can easily 

be extended with an oxygen (O2) sensor; 


PENTAIR HAFFMANS 

LAUNCHES IN-LINE 

CO 2 METER AUCOMET-I: 

MoDUlar DeSign, 

MaxiMUM flexibility 

by sJoerd van der sterren sjoerd.vandersterren@pentair.com 

Pentair Haffmans launched a solution that will, 

once again, set the standard for quality, handling 

and ease of maintenance for CO 2 quality control 

equipment with the In-line CO 2 Meter AuCoMet-i. 

one CO2 sensor and one O2 sensor can be 

connected to each control unit. 

The CO2 sensor’s careful design is 

maintenance-friendly, as the In-line 

CO2 Meter’s extended service intervals 

improves the wear parts’ lifetime. 

Moreover, the new CO2 sensor design 

allows service to be executed in less 

than 30 minutes. All in all, the AuCoMet-i 

offers maximum availability for the lowest 

total cost of ownership. 

When used in combination with 

Haffmans’ CO2 dosing unit, the AuCoMet-i 

determines the content of CO2 and adjusts 

it, if necessary, with the embedded 

software’s direct communication. Along 

with CO2 dosing unit and static mixers, 

the AuCoMet-i is part of Haffmans 

‘Carbo Controller’, a fully automated 

plug-and-play unit that allows accurate 

CO2 injection, ‘bubble free’ CO2 dissolving 

and, thus, perfect total CO2 process 

control. 

These innovations and applications 

make the new Haffmans’ In-line CO2 

Meter AuCoMet-i a sophisticated product 

that meets the ever-increasing and 

ever-changing requirements of today’s 

brewing and beverage industries.

To meet today’s competitive demands and 

adjust to ever-changing technologies, 

customers asked the Pentair Flow 

Technology Systems Group to update 

the current domestic booster system, 

emphasizing the importance of cost and 

lead-time. IntelliBoost 2.0’s redesigned 

features will meet these requirements 

to increase sales throughout our global 

community. 

intellibooSt 2.0 

by roBert a. mueller 

robert.mueller@pentair.com 

Large pump companies, companies 

specializing in the systems industry 

and a few of Pentair’s own distributors 

manufacture domestic booster systems. 

IntelliBoost 2.0’s design offers variable 

speed control of our pumps with an 

intuitive touch screen comprised of only 

four screens to initially program and start 

the system. 

The typical Pentair distributor knows 

Pentair pumps, but is not familiar with 

the complexity of variable speed drives, 

PLC’s and the programming required 

to set up these devices for efficient 

operation. The upgraded controller 

allows the end user to simply select 

how they want the pumps be utilized 

(i.e., sequence pumps by time or first 

on first off or select a permanent lead 

pump) without physically changing the 

controller or special programming. The 

new controller will have an “auto-detect” 

function that will automatically adjust the 

pumps start and stop times to maximize 

the booster systems efficiency while 

increasing the life of the pumps. The 

new controller has added maintenance 

alarms to provide notifications to the 

end user and provides distributors 

intelliboost 2.0 

Front and side 

view 

more time to schedule maintenance, 

rather than execute emergency repairs. 

IntelliBoost 2.0 also includes settings 

for customers to make adjustments or 

revert back to original factory settings, 

and password-protected screens on the 

controller. These upgraded features were 

developed after carefully examining and 

considering our customers’ needs. They 

are not available on any competitors’ 

models to date. 

Since almost all of the features, including 

the upgraded ones, will come standard, 

the IntelliBoost 2.0 will have fewer price 

options. The distributor will simply 

IntelliBoost 2.0 answers customers’ demands 

for an updated domestic booster system. 


select the pumps, booster control screen 

size and the option to include Ethernet 

communications. 

The Pentair Flow Technologies Systems 

Group hopes IntelliBoost 2.0 will win 

distributors back from competitors’ 

systems, such as Canaris, SynchroFlo, 

TigerFlo and Quadplus. The latest UL 

listing for Booster Systems—along with 

NSF 61 G standards—will be added to our 

system to ensure we meet all the local 

codes and government requirements. We 

are in the process of presenting this new 

system to our distributors and the Alpha 

test was started in mid-April, 2012. 

knowhow 2012 15


app for reMote Monitoring of 

jUng pUMpen pUMping StationS 

by andreas KÄmPF andreas.kaempf@pentair.com 

Remote monitoring of one or more pumping 

stations used to be possible only with infrastructure, 

hardware and software, costing considerable effort 

and expense. With the new iPhone “PumpRemoter” 

application from Pentair Jung Pumpen, the pump 

status can be polled and fault messages can be 

received anywhere and at any time. 

The new app allows wastewater treatment 

plants and local authorities to track 

pumping and lifting stations’ status 

data at any time. It provides access 

to all operating parameters such as 

pump flow, tank or sump water levels, 

pump operating mode, switching cycles 

per pump, and other parameters. The 

current tank water level is displayed as 

an animation. Any faults are displayed 

immediately in the form of a text 

message or email to a mobile iPhone, 

Monitoring of pumping stations 

revolutionized by the Jung 

Pumpen “PumpRemoter” app. 


The “PumpRemoter” visualizes 

the current operating status of a 

pumping station or lifting station 

anywhere and at any time. 

smartphone or computer. App users can 

view data archived from past hours and 

days as a graph on their iPhone, iPod 

or iPad in landscape mode. Thanks to 

the new app, unnecessary inspection 

trips can be avoided and in the event of 

a fault, such as a high-water alarm as 

the pumping stations concerned can be 

directly alerted. At IFAT 2012, experts 

will demonstrate the new Jung Pumpen’s 

capabilities, including its monitoring of 

different pumping stations. 

A user-friendly animation on 

the “PumpRemoter” displays the 

current operating parameters of 

a pumping or lifting station. 

hebefix plUS: 

AN ELEGANT 

COMPACT 

LIFTING 

STATION 

by andreas KÄmPF 

andreas.kaempf@pentair.com 

The new Jung Pumpen ‘Hebefix 

plus’ ensures safe transportation 

of wastewater to the next downpipe 

combined with attractive design and 

advanced technology. 

At the SHK trade fair 

in Essen, Germany, 

drainage specialist 

Pentair Jung Pumpen 

presented a remarkable 

successor model to 

the Hebefix V compact 

drainage disposal unit.

The design and function of the new 

Hebefix plus allows use in all customary 

pre-wall systems and directly at 

the drainage source within a room. 

Produced in Steinhagen, Germany, this 

high performance pump’s intelligent 

installation, maintenance technology 

and elegant design sets a new standards 

for compact lifting stations. Plumbers 

and clients will certainly appreciate the 

choice of Hebefix plus for installation and 

maintenance. 

Until now, modern and sophisticated 

bathroom design was narrowly limited 

by wastewater drainage problems, 

particularly for renovation projects or 

when fitting additional bathrooms in 

basements or attics. In these cases, the 

shower and bath needed to be connected 

with sufficient gradient to the central 

wastewater pipe and had to be positioned 

accordingly, preventing many design ideas. 

The new Hebefix plus system eliminates 

obstacles so clients can arrange the 

shower, bath and basin anywhere they 

please. 

This new compact drainage disposal 

unit ensures wastewater free of sewage 

drains reliably downpipe. Thanks to 

the small tank depth, the Hebefix plus 

disappears into any pre-wall installation, 

small built-ins or base cabinets. The 

attractive design blends well with modern 

bathroom fittings, giving designers and 

home owners the option of installing the 

system openly. 

The pressure outlet can be fitted on the 

right or left of the unit and the five inlet 

options (two on the right, two on the left 

and one from above) offer the greatest 

possible flexibility during installation. 

Hebefix plus system also provides 

protection from backflow when fitted 

below the backflow level. These features, 

along with the robust ABS container 

casing and smooth surface, ensure the 

apparatus’ long and hygienic lifespan. 

SUitable for flat Shower trayS 

Very flat shower trays, especially in 

rooms with low ceiling heights including 

basement bathrooms, pose problems 

when drained using a compact lifting 

station. The Hebefix plus reliably drains 

grey water from very flat shower trays 

and the necessary installation height of a 

shower tray is only 4.3 inches (110 mm). 

Strong anD Safe 

The Jung Pumpen submersible pump, 

version U 3 K S, is fitted in the Hebefix 

With its attractive looks, the new 

Jung Pumpen ‘Hebefix plus’ can 

also be installed within the room. 

plus to guarantee reliable drainage of all 

wastewater with a delivery height of 22 

feet (7 m) and a maximum flow volume of 

1,717 gal/h (6.5 m 3 /h). An activated carbon 

filter that is integrated in the casing 

cover ensures odourless operation. For 

pre-wall installation, the ventilation insert 

in the delivery scope ensures odourless 

and reliable ventilation. 

The Hebefix plus contains an alarm 

control for safe operation that warns the 

operator of high water level in the tank. A 

dry contact allows control of a visual or 

audible signal. 

The fully-wired, pre-assembled apparatus 

is delivered complete with the necessary 

pressure connections, the ventilation 

system with an activated carbon filter, 

a check valve, and rubber collars. The 

Hebefix plus is ‘type approved’ by the 

state testing authority in Germany in 

accordance with DIN EN 12050-2. In the 

mid-term, this upgraded system will 

replace the Hebefix V drainage disposal 

unit, which was designed exclusively for 

pre-wall installation. 

knowhow 2012 17


polarex ® 

THE FUTURE OF LIqUID-LIqUID AMINE CONTACTING 

abStraCt 

Historically, amine treatment of natural 

gas liquids (NGL) has no alternative 

method other than contracting the 

product with amine to remove carbon 

dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). 

These traditional techniques involve 

contractor columns that use random 

packing, sieve trays or structured packing. 

This conventional contractor tower 

method has a high cost, and may result 

in amine carryover, in amine carryover, 

ineffective contaminant removal and 

plugging/fouling of columns and 

distributors/redistributors. Repairs inside 

contactor columns can be difficult and 

expensive, particularly when including the 

cost of downtime. 

To address the challenges associated 

with conventional amine contractor 

equipment, Pentair Porous Media along 

with Enterprise Products Partners L.P. 

worked together to implement a Polarex ® 

Extrative Separation system, in lieu of a 

contactor tower, for amine treating of NGL 

streams. 

The deployment of the Polarex System in 

a LPG/NGL treatment process creates 

several benefits and savings for the 

process: 

u A Polarex System can provide a 

near-immediate solution 

u Significant reduction in size and cost 

versus the traditional sweetening 

method 

u A Polarex System can be easily 

relocated when necessary 

u Provides significant operational 

stability without the issues associated 

with conventional contacting 

technology. 

This technology succeeded in several 

NGL treatment applications, including 

installations in facilities operated by 

Enterprise at the Mont Belvieu complex. 


by Carl hahn, Ph.d. carl.hahn@pentair.com 

introDUCtion 

Shale gas plays an important role in the 

natural gas liquids industry. Over the past 

decade, the combination of horizontal 

drilling and hydraulic fracturing has 

allowed access to large volumes of shale 

gas that were previously uneconomical 

to produce, and rejuvenated the natural 

gas industry in the U.S. Shale exploration 

and development has increased available 

reserves from 150 trillion cubic feet to 

more than 250 trillion cubic feet of natural 

gas. 

Many shale gas discoveries provide 

hydrocarbon liquids that are lighter 

in specific gravity than crude oil and, 

therefore, are categorized as NGL. 

The demand for liquid-rich shale has 

caused production booms in certain 

regions of the U.S. These production 

increases created significant growth 

in the liquids that feed chemical 

feedstocks and fractionation facilities. 

This increase in NGL made it profitable 

for chemical companies to once again 

product chemicals in the U.S. due to the 

price decrease of NGL feedstocks. This 

increased demand from factionators 

across the nation to supply chemical 

feedstocks with necessary liquid 

hydrocarbons. 

NGL products—ethane, propane, normal 

butane, isobutene and natural gasoline— 

provide many uses as materials for the 

petrochemical industry: feedstocks for 

refiners producing motor gasoline and 

fuel for industrial and residential users. 

u The petrochemical industry uses 

ethane primarily as a feedstock for 

ethylene production, one of the basic 

building blocks for a wide range of 

plastics and other products 

u Propane is used as a petrochemical 

feedstock when in producing ethylene 

and propylene, and as a heating, 

engine and industrial fuel 

u Normal butane is used as a 

petrochemical feedstock in the 

production of ethylene and butadiene 

(a key ingredient of synthetic rubber), 

a blendstock for motor gasoline and to 

derive isobutene through isomerization 

u Isobutane is fractionated from 

mixed butane (a mix stream of normal 

butane and isobutene) or produced 

from normal butane through the 

process of isomerization, and in 

refinery alkylation to enhance the 

octane content of motor gasoline, in 

the production of isooctane and other 

octane additives and in the production 

of propylene oxide 

u Natural gasoline, a mixture of pentanes 

and heavier hydrocarbons, is primarily 

used s a blendstock for motor gasoline 

or as a petrochemical feedstock. 

ngl fraCtionation 

NGL fractionation facilities are designed 

to separate the NGL feed stream into its 

individual product components. Most 

fractionation plants consist of three steps 

(refer to Figure 1): 

1. Raw NGL treatment filters feeds, 

separates water and removes CO2 

2. Dehydration removes soluble water in 

the NGL stream 

figure 1: NGL fractionation process flow diagram

3. Fractionation—carried out through a 

series of distillation towers—separates 

the NGL feed stream into commercially 

desirable products: ethane, propane, 

normal butane, isobutene and natural 

gasoline. 

ConVentional ngl treating 

eqUipMent 

Operators traditionally utilized 

conventional sock fillers, string wounds, 

mesh pads or vane pack type housings 

to remove particulates and/or water on 

the front-end of fractionation plants. 

Conventional contactor columns have 

traditionally been used to remove CO2 

from the NGL. This treatment equipment, 

used for more than 50 years, yields 

varying degrees of success, and frequently 

requires considerable costs and attention 

to operational problems. 

The common issues associated with these 

conventional devices include: 

u High capital costs 

u Amine losses and make up 

u Ineffective contamination removal 

u Plugging and fouling of columns 

u Costly repairs and production loss due 

to downtime 

Installing liquid-liquid pressure vessels 

downstream of the amine columns is 

the conventional method to capture the 

amine carryover. These devices, however, 

have proven ineffective at recapturing a 

significant amount of amine losses. They 

also negatively impact the process with: 

u Residence time vessels 

u Hay bale vessels 

u Mesh pad/ vane packs 

u Coalescing-type vessels with elements. 

polarex extraCtiVe Separation 

SySteM 

As an alternative to conventional treating 

methods and amine contactor towers, 

Enterprise Products chose to implement 

Polarex Extractive Separation Systems 

at its premier NGL fractionation facilities 

in Mont Belvieu and Gaines County, 

Texas. Polarex technology dramatically 

improves separation of entrained and 

dissolved contaminants relative to what 

can be achieved through implementation 

of conventional water wash or solvent 

scrubbing towers. The Polarex technology 

has the capabilities to remove contaminants 

(e.g., caustic, dissolved acids, salts, acid 

gasses or reaction by-products) and recover 

valuable products or solvents (e.g., recover 

soluble amines from treated LPG). 

Figure 3 depicts a simplified flow 

diagram of the Polarex systems installed 

in Enterprise Products facilities. The 

Polarex Solvent Injection System injects 

lean amine into the NGL upstream of the 

Polarex contactor. The emulsified amine 

exiting the injection system is a 50 micron 

droplet, or smaller. This droplet size 

distribution creates an intimate contact 

between the amine and the sour NGL for 

the removal of CO2. This intimate contact 

allows the mass transfer to occur on 

the micro-structured extraction media. 

This level of contact allows the mass 

transfer to occur on the micro-structured 

extraction media. This level of contact is 

then immediately followed by the effective 

means of capturing the dispersed phase 

and effectively separating it out of the 

NGL stream. This high specific contact 

area in a Polarex system may be an order 

of magnitude larger than that possible in 

conventional extraction systems. 

Using Polarex technology, Enterprise 

Products experiences the following 

process benefits compared to conventional 

solvent contacting towers: 

u Outstanding performance in removing 

contaminants, such as caustic, 

dissolved acids, salts, acid gases, or 

reaction by-products 

u Significant reduction in size (vessel 

diameter and footprint) 

u Significant reduction in capital and 

operational costs 

u Shorter lead times for a 

near-immediate solution (due to the 

reduced size) 

u Relative east to relocate if necessary 

u Stable operations without the common 

issues associated with towers. 

ConClUSion 

Polarex Extractive Separation System 

provides an alternative to traditional 

methods for contacting NGL products with 

amine for CO2 and H2S removal. Enterprise 

Products initially installed Polarex 

Technology at their Hobbs Fractionation 

Facility in Gaines, Texas, in 2008. 

Enterprise Products found this technology 

provides optimum performance, at 

lower costs, a smaller footprint, and the 

system was easier to operate. As a result, 

Enterprise Products has a since installed 

several Polarex systems in Mont Belvieu, 

Texas NGL Fractionation facility. 

A special thank you to contributing authors 

and companies: Jonathan Gonzalez & Sharon 

Maydak – Pentair Porous Media; Michael 

McDowell – Aiken Engineering; Mark Gregory 

& Chris Hjorth – Enterprise Products; 

S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd. 

figure 2: Conventional contacting process flow diagram figure 3: Polarex ® process flow diagram 

knowhow 2012 19

t e C h n i C a l P r o d u C t s 

iMproVing inDUStrial proCeSS Cooling 

reliability in faSt growth regionS 

by Paul landgraF paul.landgraf@pentair.com 

Global OEM equipment-makers serve the 

many needs of the fast-growth markets, 

such as greater mobility, increased access 

to information, and reliable food supply. 

They do not, however, have many options 

to prevent their electronic controls in 

production processes from over-heating 

with reliable air conditioning. While many 

local suppliers of industrial process 

cooling boast competitive prices, their air 

conditioners may break down and could 

be troublesome to maintain. High-quality 

control panel air conditioners from the 

U.S. or Western Europe provide useful 

alternatives, but the increased cost deters 

many potential customers. 

The new McLean brand V-Series control 

panel air conditioner from Pentair offers 

industrial automation manufacturers 

the best of both worlds. Featuring all 

the reliability and easy maintenance 

from America’s leading brand, McLean 


Cooling Technology, it’s also available at 

an exceptional value thanks to localized 

manufacturing in China, India and Brazil. 

The V-Series air conditioner delivers more 

cooling at higher temperatures than typical 

competitive offerings, which is especially 

important given that many of these factories 

are located in tropic or near-tropic regions. 

The V-Series air conditioners’ coated 

condenser coil enables the unit to operate 

without a filter in most manufacturing 

environments, thereby reducing the need 

for time-consuming and costly maintenance, 

and providing more efficient operation than 

German-engineered panel coolers. 

“We are excited about the prospects for 

growth that the V-Series air conditioners 

create for us in the fast-growth regions 

of the world with market appropriate 

price value,” said Deba Sen, Global VP of 

Marketing at Pentair Technical Products. “It 

positions us well to penetrate the market 

Fast-growth 

regions demand 

increased 

automation. 

As the world’s fast-growth regions develop and the middle-class 

demands improved standards of living, the need for industrial 

automation—including machine tools, factory robotics and can- 

making equipment—has increased dramatically to maintain and 

improve reliable and consistent operations. Pentair Technical 

Products’ McLean TM brand new V-Series control panel air conditioner 

is well-positioned to provide solutions for this growing need. 

Pentair’s new V-Series control panel air 

conditional provides needed cooling for 

this automation. 

opportunity by delivering exceptional 

customer reliability, convenience and 

value. With continued success, we plan on 

expanding our V-Series product family with 

other forms of electronics cooling to extend 

our business franchise and maximize 

our sales opportunities among industrial 

automation equipment builders.” 

The V-Series air conditioner is engineered 

to operate in Asia, Latin America and 

Europe, using 230 volt 50 Hz electrical 

current. Models offer a popular range of 

temperature control that come in 300, 600, 

1200, 1500 and 2000 watts of cooling. The 

V-Series is CE-certified—an electrical 

certification accepted in most parts of 

the world—as well as GOST-certified for 

the Russian market. The air conditioner’s 

thoughtfully engineered design will 

maintain smooth factory processes in 

virtually any light industrial environment 

around the world.

DESIGN yOUR STANDARD 

by doug FranZ doug.franz@pentair.com 

Electrical and electronic equipment can break down 

or become damaged from environmental conditions, 

costing businesses. From auto plants to oil refineries, 

water treatment facilities to data centers, Pentair’s 

Technical Products’ Hoffman TM brand products 

protect business’ vital equipment and employees. 

Excelerate provides the right 

enclosure at the right time. 

The Hoffman product portfolio 

encompasses more than 14,000 catalog 

items. Since customers need a broad 

range of products, we offer variations 

in size—from smaller than a shoebox to 

larger than a commercial refrigerator— 

and many different materials, including 

steel, stainless steel, plastic, fiberglass 

and aluminum, and the accessories 

required for customers to mount their 

equipment inside. 

Despite the large product 

portfolio, many customers 

still need changes to suit 

their specific application. 

Design engineers often 

request a unique size to suit 

the available space and a 

special paint color to match 

their machine or brand 

identity, or they may want 

prefabricated holes and 

cutouts on the enclosure to 

reduce their time and labor 

costs. 

The variety of 

customer-requested 

modifications and enclosure 

options poses a challenge 

for manufacturers to meet 

customer needs in a timely 

fashion. In such a highly 

competitive market, lack 

of speed can limit sales 

growth. Customers expect 

standard items to ship immediately from 

inventory and customized items to ship in 

two to three weeks, if not sooner. Combine 

the customer’s need for speed with the 

business’ need to manage inventories, 

engineering resources, and production 

schedules, and the challenges quickly 

multiply. 

To respond to this need, more than 

300 employees from all organizational 

functions participated in multiple process 

improvement events (Kaizens) to establish 

new internal processes that drive the 

lead-time performance commitment to the 

customer. 

Effective April 25, the Hoffman brand 

launched the exCelerate initiative 

to improve lead-time performance and 

meet our customers’ needs. This program 

implements: 

1. Stocked Standard items: Items available 

from inventory or, in the event of a stock 

outage, have a rapid replenishment plan 

(product ships in three days). 

2. non-Stocked Standards: Items ready to 

be built but not carried in finished goods 

inventory (product ships in 10 days). 

3. Design–your-Standard: Standard items 

that customers have modified within a 

set of established guidelines allow them 

to create their own unique standard 

product, such as size, paint color, install 

accessories, cutouts and holes in the 

enclosure body or door (product ships in 

15 days). 

4. engineered Solutions: Items that 

require modifications outside 

the established guidelines of the 

Design-your-Standard scope or are 

based completely on the customer’s 

unique design (lead-time based on the 

specific customer requirements). 

Excelerate’s new Design your Standard 

option aligns with customer insights 

and empowers our customer, the design 

engineer, to select products that best meet 

their design and delivery needs. To expand 

on that offering even further, when a 

customer creates a Design-your-Standard 

solution, that product is eligible to become 

a Non-Stocked Standard and will be 

delivered 33 precent faster on subsequent 

orders. Design Engineers now choose the 

speed that they need: the right enclosure 

delivered at the right time. 

With Excelerate, you Design-your-Standard 

and lead the way! 

knowhow 2012 21

a q u at i C s y s t e m s 

by JosÉ guillen jose.guillen@pentair.com 

With the market for new pool construction significantly 

down, Pentair Aquatic Systems currently focuses 

its energies on growing the replacement market, 

specifically the “Green” Eco Select TM products. 

Seeking new opportUnitieS 

in a Challenging Market 

These products, including the IntelliFlo ® 

variable speed pumps, provide huge 

energy savings to existing pool owners. 

Their relatively fast payback compel 

existing in-ground swimming pool 

owners, approximately five million in the 

U.S. market, to take advantage of these 

products. 

When a pool pump needs to be repaired or 

replaced, pool owners first call the service 

company. This previously undiscovered 

channel offers the most cost-effective and 

efficient path for reaching pool owners and 

communicating IntelliFlo pumps’ potential 

savings. 

fielD teSt 

Pentair Rapid Growth Process’ new 

initiative for organic growth created an 

alpha test, Consumer IntelliFlo via Service 

Company, that delivered important results. 

Developing the new service company 

channel required convincing end 

consumers of Pentair’s Eco Select products’ 


Pentair helps pool owners—and their children—enjoy 

their pool while saving money and energy. 

energy savings and short payback. As part 

of the first field test, the North America 

Pool team trained service companies and 

provided them with the tools to perform 

on-site energy audits and successfully 

present the energy savings to consumers in 

a clear, concise way. 

Participants used the Energy Audit 

Calculator—an Excel spreadsheet where 

auditors enter homeowners’ data to receive 

a personalized summary of installation 

costs, savings and the ROI. A graph depicts 

the pool owners’ electrical costs to run 

existing equipment over a five-year period, 

contrasted with the savings after making an 

investment in the IntelliFlo pump. 

learningS 

Surprisingly, the most successful piece of 

literature didn’t come from our marketing 

department, but a personal letter from 

the service company. Dealers sent a letter 

to each of their customers interested in 

IntelliFlo, its savings, features and benefits. 

This effective letter, combined with 

face-to-face presentations of audit results 

with the pool owner, resulted in highest 

closing ratio. 

reSUltS 

The program has yielded exceptional 

results. More than 500 companies have 

been trained and countless pool customers 

have received the tools needed to save 

energy. The sales force is excited, and they 

are not only running with the program, but 

using it as a differentiator for why pool 

professionals should choose Pentair over 

competitors. During the field test, IntelliFlo 

pump sales were exceptional and led to 

cross-sales, such as one remodeler’s sales 

of six IntelliFlo pumps, along with six 

LED lights IntelliBrite ® and two 

Easy Touch ® Automation 

upgrades. 

We are now teaching participants 

to look for other possible backyard 

upgrades, which excites power 

companies. Gulf Power offered 

a pump rebate for one of our 

test markets—the most 

successful rebate program 

ever run—prompting 

other utility companies to 

consider similar rebates. 

IntelliFlo ® Variable 

Speed Pool Pump

a green Step 

IN POOL AUTOMATION 

by JosÉ guillen 

jose.guillen@pentair.com 

Pentair has been 

a leader in pool 

automation for many 

years and now—with the 

introduction of the new 

IntelliPool TM automation 

system—has set a new 

standard for sustainable 

home pools. 

This intelligent pool system helps 

homeowners maintain and manage their 

pools so they can sit back and relax while 

being ‘green’! 

anywhere, anytiMe 

Designed to maximize the IntelliFlo ® 

variable speed pump, the IntelliPool 

automation system remotely manages 

Pentair pool equipment with any smart 

phone or internet connection. A unique 

radio code connects all IntelliPool 

elements wirelessly to reduce any 

interference, allowing existing pools 

to be upgraded with this automation 

system without difficult and expensive 

reconstruction work. The IntelliPool also 

controls the Pentair IntelliFlo pump and 

IntelliChlor ® salt chlorinator with 2-way 

communication, allowing the pool owner 

to control pump speed and chlorination 

levels and receives status information 

IntelliPool TM automation system. 

and warnings. This technology also allows 

automated control of filter backwash using 

powered push-pull valves and Pentair 

IntelliBrite ® LED changing color lights. 

benefitS 

The pump always runs at the perfect speed, 

offering many benefits including energy 

savings, improved filtration, decreased 

backwash frequency, better chlorination, 

and less disposal of chemicals to the drain. 

Control of salt electrolysis optimizes the 

lifetime of the IntelliChlor cells since it 

only works when it has to do it. 

Pool professionals can monitor multiple 

pools without visiting the technical room 

since the IntelliPool provides real-time 

remote access to the pool parameters, can 

distribute alert emails when a specific 

parameter exceeds the set value, and 

email the pool parameters report for study. 

With IntelliPool, the professional can 

control the water better—in more pools— 

with less on-site interventions. 

Pool owners and professionals save 

money and resources because IntelliPool 

improves the control and treatment of 

the pool’s different elements by ‘talking’ 

to them. For this reason, this intelligent 

automation system is part of the Eco 

Select TM brand which identifies greenest 

Pentair pool products. 

teChniCal training 

IntelliPool automation premiered at the 

Barcelona Pool show in Spain in October, 

2011. Afterwards, the Pentair Incentive 

Program held several technical trainings 

with dealers at Pentair’s plant in Belgium. 

More than 150 dealers were trained in 

four days, resulting in 50 companies 

placing orders for the 2012 season. The 

“pull-through” approach for working closely 

with dealers generated successful results 

and product acceptance. The demand for 

IntelliPool automation technology also 

increased cross-sales of other ‘Intelli’ 

products, including IntelliFlo, IntelliChlor 

and IntelliBrite. 

IntelliPool TM readings on an iPad. 

knowhow 2012 23


KnowHow is published by: 

Pentair, Inc 

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