Separator's Digest 2009/1 min. - GEA Westfalia Separator Group

Separator’s Digest 

1 | 2009 

The Magazine of GEA Westfalia Separator 

Anuga FoodTec 2009 

New Drive Concept for 

Dairy Separators 

Butter and Butter Oil 

Special Applications of Dairy Technology 

”Investment in Ideas“ 

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the 

Production Centre of the Future

Contents 

3 

preface 

3 GEA Westfalia Separator Process: 

Bundling of Activities 

4 GEA WESTFALIA SEPARATOR 

4 One Day Makes History: 8 th December 2008 

8 Separator´s News 

8 Topical 

12 GEA Westfalia 

Separator Process 

12 The Pride of Development: Integrated Direct Drive 

14 Clarifying Decanter GCE 345 in Compact Design 

16 Very Successful Cold Milk Process 

18 already a Classic: Westfalia Separator proplus 

20 Butter and Butter Oil 

23 Turning Costs into Profit 

26 Now Also Available in the WEB Portal 

28 

GEA Westfalia 

Separator Systems 

28 Power for Casablanca 

30 Recovering Crude Oil From 

oil Lagoons 

32 Tannery Waste Water 

34 LIFESTYLE 

34 Fine Vintage 

Imprint 

The information contained in this brochure merely serves as a 

non-binding description of our products and is without guarantee. 

Binding information, in particular relating to capacity data and 

suitability for specific applications, can only be provided within the 

framework of concrete inquiries. 

Publisher: 

GEA Westfalia Separator GmbH 

Project management: Peter Arens 

Editors: 

Peter Arens (Person responsible 

according to the German Press Law), 

Dr. Jörg Bückle, Manfred Kaiser 

Photography: 

Michael Dannenmann, Tim Luhmann, 

Archive GEA Westfalia Separator GmbH 

Conception and Layout: 

Kabutz Communication GmbH 

Feldstraße 5 · 59423 Unna 

info@kabutz.de · www.kabutz.de 

Separator’s Digest 1 | 2009 

 

GEA Westfalia Separator

Preface 

GEA Westfalia Separator Process: 

Bundling of Activities 

As a result of bundling the 

GEA Westfalia Separator sales 

companies Food Tec and Industry 

to form the new and highly 

efficient GEA Westfalia Separator 

Process, we are meeting 

the challenges of the markets for 

the benefit of our customers. 

The new GEA Westfalia Separator Process 

will present itself in this form at the 

Anuga FoodTec in Cologne. It pools 

process skills, innovation potential and sales 

activities under one roof. This means 

that synergy effects can be utilised and 

internal coordination and decision-making 

processes are shortened. Our time-tomarket 

is enhanced; it is not only possible 

for process engineering solutions to be 

advanced more rapidly; they also constitute 

a better grounding for new developments 

and innovations. This means that 

the centrifugal separation technology of 

GEA Westfalia Separator becomes a key 

world-wide technology for modern 

sustainable production of milk and dairy 

products, beverages, starch, protein, 

pharmaceutical products, chemicals, 

minerals, vegetable oils and other essential 

products. 

Four Business Units form the backbone 

of the new GEA Westfalia Separator Process: 

Dairy Technology, Beverage Technology, 

Chemical / Pharmaceutical Technology and, 

as a new entity, the Business Unit Renewable 

Resources. This Business Unit comprises 

everything related to the growth market of 

renewable raw materials. The synergies of 

the current activities are also pooled in this 

unit, which means that the markets now 

have a specific contact who is available for 

process engineering developments. This is 

applicable for the first generation of 

sustainable raw materials, such as bioethanol 

or biodiesel as well as the second and third 

generations of fuel energy and the recovery 

of raw materials on the basis of biomasses. 

With their new structure and as a result of 

expanding their market fields, the specialist 

Business Units now operate more closely 

with our markets and customers, and 

thus provide solutions which are even 

more precisely tailored to meet the needs 

and requirements of our customers. Our 

customers are able to benefit from 

concentrated innovative strength for new 

applications, optimum separating and 

clarifying results for maximum product 

yields, better process efficiency and 

improved availability of installations. That is 

your benefit and our mission. 

We are looking forward to presenting our 

concept to you at Anuga FoodTec 2009. 

Holger Heinrich 

Division President 

GEA Westfalia Separator 

 

Separator’s Digest 1 | 2009


A force together (from left to 

right): Jürg Oleas (President of 

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft), 

Principal Karl-Uwe Bütof 

(Department of Trade and Industry 

NRW), Mayor Helmut Predeick 

(City of Oelde) and Holger Heinrich 

(President Mechanical Separation 

Technology Division) during the 

groundbreaking ceremony. 

Holger Heinrich: ”Not an investment merely in buildings 

and machines, but rather also an investment in the ideas 

and commitment of our staff.“ 

GEA Westfalia Separator Launches a 

160 Million Euro Investment Programme With 

a Celebratory Groundbreaking Ceremony 

One Day Makes 

8 th December 2008 

8 th December in Oelde was certainly symbolic. It seemed almost as if GEA Westfalia 

Separator wanted not only to celebrate but also to impressively visualise the start of a 

new era on this day. As such, whilst a crane moved into position to demolish the old 

brick chimney from 1915 on one side of the site, the groundbreaking ceremony for the 

production centre of the future was beginning on the other side. GEA Westfalia Separator 

will be investing no less than around 90 million Euro in this project in Oelde alone and 

around 160 million Euro around the world. 

The largest ever single investment in the company head office comprises one third 

building investment and two thirds investment in machines and test bay technology. In 

addition, there will also be sustainable expansion of the process engineering. 


 


History


”An Investment in Ideas“ 

Jürg Oleas: ”We are focusing on the specific potential 

of German mechanical engineering.“ 

The official event was opened by the GEA Group Division President 

for mechanical separation technology Holger Heinrich. In the 

speeches, both the representative of the Department of Trade and 

Industry of the federal state of North Rhine Westphalia, Principal 

Karl-Uwe Bütof, and Mayor of the City of Oelde, Helmut Predeick, 

commended the significant investment in the location of Germany. 

Particularly in the currently increasingly difficult times, securing 

existing innovation potential and jobs is an important signal for the 

entire German economy. “If we are investing 90 million Euro, it is 

not an investment merely in buildings and machines, but rather also 

an investment in the ideas and commitment of our staff,” explained 

Holger Heinrich, “as Oelde has been, is, and remains the heart and 

backbone of the company.” 

More effective, quicker 

and closer to the customer 

Increasing efficiency at the Oelde site through modernisation 

and by focusing production on the construction of separators 

should be at the forefront of the investment programme. In the 

future, production of the recognised high quality of GEA Westfalia 

Separator will also be quicker and more effective. Visible indicator: 

the general delivery time will be halved. This will mean that output 

can be more than doubled. 

The programme in Germany is complemented by investments of 

two-figure millions in the Niederahr decanter competence centre. 

Also in the next three years, a new site for the production of 

separators and decanters will be constructed in China, the 

existing decanter production site in India extended, and the French 

location of Château-Thierry expanded and converted into a regional 

maintenance and service centre with spare part production. 

Therefore, overall, the groundbreaking ceremony officially launches 

an investment programme of around 160 million Euro. 

Jürg Oleas, President of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, confirmed 

that, with the extensive programme that has now started, GEA is 

also consciously investing in Germany. “In addition to expanding 

our international production capacities in the principle sales markets, 

we are focusing on the specific potential of German mechanical 

engineering. Here, we have innovative technologies, a very high 

standard of workmanship, competence as a good problem solver, 

and outstanding flexibility towards the individual requirements of 

our customers. These are characteristics that will secure a special 

position for us in the international market of the future”, says Oleas. 

GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft is Germany’s largest listed mechanical 

engineering group. As an international technology corporation, it 

specialises in specialty mechanical engineering, focusing on process 

technology and components. In the 2007 financial year, the group 


 


turnover was 5.2 billion Euro. The group made over 50 percent of 

this in the rapidly growing food and drink industry. In 90 percent of 

their business areas, the GEA Group is among the market and 

technology leaders. 

Additional new company organisation 

In addition to these investments in hardware, GEA Westfalia Separator 

will be changing the organisational structure. At present, GEA Westfalia 

Separator produces around 7000 centrifuges per year with approx. 

3000 staff employed in over 2500 industrial processes. Alongside 

centrifuge construction, the core competences of the market 

leader for mechanical separation technology include innovative 

mechanical and process technology solutions combined with 

proactive maintenance, which GEA Westfalia Separator considers to 

be an equally important business objective. 

standardised mechanical solutions in the GEA Westfalia Separator 

portfolio, for example such as mineral oil separators and 

environmental decanters. An independent production company, 

GEA Westfalia Separator Production, with production sites in 

Germany, France, India and China, ensures further proximity to 

the market. In future, machines and know-how elements will be 

produced where they are required – which is definitely to the 

advantage of the customer. 

Future concentration on only two sales companies – GEA Westfalia 

Separator Process and GEA Westfalia Separator Systems – taps clear 

synergy effects for the company and its international customers, 

with a structure that has the integrated business units logically 

aligned with each other. GEA Westfalia Separator Process 

focuses on more complex, more individual process technology with 

separators and decanters. GEA Westfalia Separator Systems deals 

with more volume-based applications, which represent relatively 


 


Separator´s News 

SafetyMaster – Additional Security Be 

The International Maritime Organisation 

(IMO) as well as the various flag states have 

issued strict laws and guidelines for keeping 

the world’s oceans clean. Fines running into 

eight figures can be imposed in the event of 

failure to comply with these regulations. 

Authorities such as the US-Coastguard have 

access to more and more sophisticated 

detection systems and methods for detecting 

prohibited oil discharges. With the Westfalia 

Separator seaprotectsolutions systems, 

and in particular the BilgeMaster and 

CombiMaster systems, GEA Westfalia 

Separator Systems offers its customers a 

safe, reliable and extremely effective system 

for protecting ship’s operators against fines 

and for protecting the sensitive ecosystem 

of the world’s oceans from contamination. 

GEA Westfalia Separator Systems has 

now presented the SafetyMaster, a 

system containing an adsorption filter and 

a residual oil test device. It controls the 

“overboard valve”, and as a safety system 

can be retrofitted with a conventional bilge 

de-oiler. The overboard valves and the oil 

monitor are housed in a box without the 

possibility of any manipulation. Access to 

this equipment can be gained only by 

means of a key which is held by the senior 

engineer on board. 

When combined with a GPS device and a 

data recorder, the system can also operate 

as a “white box”. For this purpose, the data 

are stored on a PC and can be presented 

to the harbour or environmental protection 

authorities as required. This means that, in 

the event of any suspicion of illegal oil 

discharge, the relevant authority can read 

the sealed data recorder of the white box in 

the presence of the senior officer or captain 

in order to determine the time and nautical 

position at which treated bilgewater 

was discharged overboard, together with 

information concerning the residual oil 

content in the bilgewater. It is accordingly a 

system which can prevent some unpleasant 

situations for the ship operator. 

China Plant Commences Production 

In our China plant, the first Visco Booster 

Units (VBUs) from GEA Westfalia Separator 

(Tianjin) Co (WSCT) were completed and 

commissioned last autumn. A milestone in 

the installation of plant production in China. 

Production is based in TangGu, a city in the 

district of Tanjin, approximately 120 km to 

the south east of Peking on the Bohai Bay 

coastal section. Half of the building is used 

as the centre of competence for repairing 

centrifuges in Asia. The second hall 

section houses production of the VBUs for 

producing heavy fuel oil and SeaWater 

Distillers (SWDs) for processing sea water. 

Approximately 40 Chinese employees are 

now already working with German support 

in TangGu. 

Some of the employees from China have 

since participated in various training 

measures in Oelde. Some for instance 

have successfully completed welding tests. 

This means that they also have adequate 

qualifications in China to meet the stringent 

requirements of the classification societies 

such as ABS American Bureau of Shipping 

or GL Gemanischer Lloyd. 

Eight Visco Booster Units were completed 

in China by the end of 2008; around 

100 installations are planned for 2009. 

SeaWater Distillers have been added as 

further products since the beginning of 

2009. A very good start for production 

activities in TangGu. 


 


yond MARPOL Regulations 

Major Order 

for GEA Westfalia 

Separator Korea 

GEA Westfalia Separator Korea has received an order worth 

4.5 million US$ for the delivery of separators for a total of 

18 ships. The separators are to be installed on board 

container vessels which the Greek Danaos shipping company 

is having built at the Korean Hyundai and Hanjin shipyards. 

The China plant of GEA Westfalia Separator serves both 

as a centre of competence for the repair of centrifuges as 

well as for the production of equipment for HFO and sea 

water treatment. 


 


Baby Food 

Quark Production 

in Russia 

In addition to complete installations for the 

chemical and pharmaceutical industries, 

Membraflow has in recent years also 

supplied and commissioned numerous 

production lines for so-called baby quark 

to Russia and Byelorus. In a multi-stage 

ultrafiltration installation, fermented and 

pre-heated milk is passed over ceramic 

UF membranes in a cross-flow procedure. 

In this type of filtration, the product is 

conveyed through a semi-permeable 

membrane with very high capacity using a 

cross-flow method, and a counter 

pressure is applied downstream 

of the membrane. 

through the membrane. The milk is concentrated 

to a dry matter of up to 30 percent 

and more in the channels of the modules. 

The quark obtained in this way is pumped 

into product tanks, where additives are 

then added; the quark is then cooled and 

bottled. It is a valuable food for babies. 

Ceramic UF membranes are characterised 

by very high resistance to high temperatures 

and pH value fluctuations; they are 

sterilisable and have a much higher service 

life compared with polymer membranes. 

This to a large extent prevents 

the pores from becoming 

blocked with milk constituents 

such as casein micelles or fat 

globules when the whey (in this 

case the permeate) is forced 

Pump Module for Visco Booster Units 

GEA Westfalia Separator Systems has 

developed a new type of pump module 

together with Kral. This pump block is 

used in Visco Booster Units which supply 

the fuel to the injection systems of 

diesel engines with the right viscosity / 

temperature and the right pressure. The 

major innovation of this new module is 

that a 3 / 2-way valve, a vane type tubular 

cooler, switch-over filter, two feeder 

pumps and a pressure switch have been 

combined in a single compact block 

in a maintenance-friendly manner. This 

results in considerable savings in terms 

of installation and space requirement. 

This module also enables complete 

Visco Booster Units to be given a more 

compact design, and is also ideal for 

being retrofitted on ships in which 

different fuel qualities are to be used in 

future. 

10 




Maintains Presence at 

Anuga FoodTec 

of efficiency. With an effective capacity of up to 50,000 l / h, 

this innovation is setting new standards in energy efficiency 

(more on this on page 12). 

While Anuga FoodTec has suffered a setback this year with 

numerous prominent cancellations on account of the overall 

economic situation, GEA Westfalia Separator is maintaining its 

presence at this important exhibition unfazed, and is therefore 

underlining its constant customer proximity. Beyond that, 

GEA Westfalia Separator is bringing along a series of groundbreaking 

and important innovations which help the users to save 

costs, space and time. 

Integrated direct drive on 

new bacteria-removing separator 

Amongst other things, the visitors can witness the premiere of the 

new bacteria-removing separator CSE 500. This model is, for the first 

time, driven by a frequency-controlled three-phase AC motor without 

coupling integrated in the frame. The direct drive concept developed 

by GEA Westfalia Separator reduces the space requirement, lowers 

the sound power level and simultaneously increases the degree 

Clarifying decanter in the compact class 

A further novelty at Anuga FoodTec 2009 is the clarifying decanter 

GCE 345 in compact design. The fields of application of this small to 

medium-sized model for the beverage industry are must processing 

and fruit juice production. With a bowl diameter of 340 mm 

and a capacity of up to 6 m 3 / h, this innovation secures maximum 

separation in a very confined space (see also page 14). 

Cold milk machine in the 

medium and lower capacity range 

The cold milk separation concept with the Westfalia Separator 

procool system has been so well received that there is now a 

demand for a smaller machine. GEA Westfalia Separator Process 

has therefore expanded its product portfolio to include a further 

cold milk machine in the medium and lower capacity range (see 

also page 16). 

Comprehensive all-round package 

With Westfalia Separator capitalcare, GEA Westfalia Separator 

is presenting the concept of Original Manufacturer Service. This 

comprehensive and proactive service package offers service modules 

customized precisely to the needs of the respective company. 

Westfalia Separator capitalcare secures sustained process efficiency 

and plannable machine availability with absolute budget control. 

GEA Westfalia Separator 11 


Process 

The evolution of drive technology at 


The Pride of Development: 

Integrated Dire 

There are innovations which give rise to the question as to why they had not been 

launched on the market much sooner. Because they are so clear, so logical and so 

consistent. The integrated direct drive is such an invention, development, farreaching 

innovation. This new drive concept for separators will be applied world-wide 

for the first time in practice in the milk bacteria-removing separator CSE 500, which 

will make its debut at Anuga FoodTec 2009. 

Permanent optimisation 

It is a logical evolution of the separator drive which GEA Westfalia Separator has 

been pursuing with determination; it is a result of permanent development and 

optimisation. Right at the very beginning, many years ago, was the conventional 

worm wheel drive, which GEA Westfalia Separator replaced with the flat belt drive. 

All high performance separators are now equipped with a flat belt drive, 

which resulted in a much higher efficiency and improved availability. GEA Westfalia 

Separator was also the only manufacturer to fit flat belts in the hermetically sealed 

separators for bacteria removal from cold milk. 

And then, five years ago, came the advance into a new way of thinking, a new 

concept: this was the first time that it was possible for the direct drive to be installed 

in separators used in the chemical, pharmaceutical and starch processing industries. 

This was a fundamental breakthrough in drive technology which provided many 

advantages. A motor which is connected directly by means of flanges also does not 

develop any tractive forces, and imposes a lower strain on the bearings. This results 

in lower bearing temperatures, thus extending the service life of the bearings. 

From the direct drive to the integrated direct drive 

Admittedly, this design necessitates, for the motor which was connected by 

means of flanges below the machine, the creation of space in the foundation, for the 

separators to be installed on a frame or for a hole to be created in the floor to 

enable the motor to be suspended in an underlying level. None of these solutions 

are now necessary with the integrated direct drive. The drive is installed directly 

underneath the bowl in the frame. With the system of the integrated direct drive 

which has now been presented, GEA Westfalia Separator has found the ultimate 

solution and made it available to dairy technology as the first user group. The design 

of the integrated direct drive was only made possible by the availability of the special 

motor technology and the use of modern electrical engineering as well as frequency 

converters at reasonable costs. 

12 


GEA Westfalia Separator Process

ct Drive 

New worlds 

The separator CSE 500 with an integrated direct drive opens up 

entirely new worlds for the dairy industry. The main benefits of the 

innovation are the effectiveness which has been improved further compared 

with gear machines, flat belt machines and conventional direct 

drive, together with higher reliability and availability, as well as a lower 

noise level and a smaller footprint. Overall therefore, the users are able 

to benefit from reduced operating costs. In a dairy, the CSE 500 is used 

for removing bacteria from milk and whey. GEA Westfalia Separator 

will also gradually introduce the integrated direct drive starting in 2009 

for skimming and clarifying milk and whey, i.e. for all six standard 

applications for demanding large operations with milk processing 

volumes in excess of 35,000 litres per hour. 

Also integrated: 

Westfalia Separator wewatch service package 

The new generation is combined with the Westfalia Separator 

wewatch service package, with which it can tap its full potential. 

With online or offline condition monitoring Westfalia Separator 

wewatch provides the option of planning maintenance 

operations in a managed manner and of avoiding unwanted 

interruptions to operations. The Westfalia Separator 

wewatch service package also has a positive impact on 

the increasing importance of recording operating 

costs (process and machine parameters) as well as the 

operating costs themselves. Overall, maintenance has been 

significantly simplified. It is, for instance, possible for the 

spindle to be taken out of the bearing housing only 

by loosening the bolts. The innovative design of the 

integrated direct drive also enables the motor to be 

exchanged complete with drive within only a few hours in 

the event of maintenance operations – this is time 

which is worth a lot of money and which can 

be used more productively at GEA Westfalia 

Separator. 

The new drive concept of the integrated 

direct drive provides a further clear 

demonstration of the innovative ability of 

the GEA Westfalia Separator Process in 

the interests of users, and enables milk and whey processors 

to benefit from improved efficiencies and the 

additional benefits of this innovation. 

GEA Westfalia Separator Process 13 


Clarifying Decanter GCE 

The clarifying decanter GCE 345 in the compact 

class from GEA Westfalia Separator makes 

its first appearance at Anuga FoodTec. 

With a bowl diameter of 340 mm 

and a capacity of up to 

6 m 3 /h, this innovation secures 

maximum separation in a very 

confined space. 

14 



345 in Compact Design 

Multi-functional machine for the beverage industry 

Its good price / performance ratio makes the decanter 

GCE 345 a very attractive proposition in the small and 

medium class for the beverage industry. The decanter 

is used in wine-making operations or in fruit juice 

operations as a multi-functional machine for juicing, must 

clarification, tank bottom or must trub processing. 

The optimised bowl design of the decanter ensures a 

large clarification area and thus maximum separating 

performance in every application. 

permits extremely small differential speeds which enable 

optimum dewatering of the solids. For instance, in the 

case of tank bottom processing, this always results in 

maximum yields and excellent quality of the wine which is 

obtained. Further characteristic aspects of the GCE 345 

are good efficiency, a small footprint as well as lowmaintenance 

and environmentally friendly operation. 

The GCE 345 is equipped with a special drive 

for automatic torque measurement 

and differential speed regulation. 

The main features of this drive are 

that an additional secondary gear 

and a secondary motor are used. 

This design permits infinitely variable 

torque-dependent differential speed 

regulation. The high regulating accuracy

Very Successful 

Cold Milk 

Process 

Growth for Westfalia 

Separator procool 

World-wide interest in cold milk separation 

is increasing; this is now no longer limited 

to Mexico, the USA, New Zealand and 

Australia, and can now also be seen in Asia, 

for instance in Pakistan, and in Europe, for 

example, in the Czech Republic.

In the field of cold milk separation, the focus is on energy savings, lower operating costs and 

higher protein quality. With the Westfalia Separator procool system, GEA Westfalia Separator 

Process is providing the market with an extremely successful machine which covers a wide 

range of capacities. This separator is characterised by a performance and separating efficiency 

which is currently not matched by any other machine in the field of cold milk separation. 

The completely CIP-capable Westfalia Separator procool separator has a skimming capacity 

of 10,000 to 50,000 l / h – in the past, the maximum capacity of equivalent cold milk 

separators has been 40,000 l / h – with a skimming efficiency of between 0.08 and 1.0 percent 

at temperatures of between 4 °C and 20 °C. 

Belt drive and new hermetic design 

The separator used for this purpose, namely the MSE 500, is the first fully hermetic cold 

milk centrifuge on the market which operates with a belt drive and not with a gear. This 

is a major advantage from the point of view of the user: a belt drive increases the 

availability and also enables the user to benefit from the improved efficiency of the 

drive technology. The machine has also integrated a new hermetic design which 

takes account of the physical restrictions of the high viscosity of the milk fat. In 

order to avoid a situation in which the cold milk, with its very high viscosity, was 

turned into butter in the inlet, it was necessary to lower the feed and to keep the 

discharge for skim milk and cream at the top of the machine. 

Long operating times proven in practice 

The operators are also able to use the same machine for processing cold milk as 

well as warm milk; this is because, despite the world-wide trend to cold milk, 

warm milk separation will continue to be predominant. 

The users are also providing very good feedback with regard to separating 

efficiency and operating times: In practice, the cold milk separator MSE 500 can 

be operated for at least 20 hours within the cleaning cycles. 

Christian Frahm 

New cold milk machine for 

the medium performance range 

The concept has been so well received that there is demand for a smaller 

machine. GEA Westfalia Separator Process has therefore extended its 

product portfolio to include a further cold milk machine for the medium 

and lower performance ranges. This pursues the success concept with 

optimum positioning of the rising channels and without any compromises 

with regard to the drive. 



Already a Classic: 

Westfalia Separator 

proplus 

More milk protein for higher yield 

18 



The Westfalia Separator proplus process of GEA Westfalia 

Separator Process which enjoys a high degree of acceptance 

in practice focuses on the protein in the solids. 

This approach provides dairies with high efficiency, 

additional skim milk quantity and thus a higher yield. 

Normally, milk separators undergo a discharge process 

every 20 to 30 minutes, and then eject a mixture of 

proteins and non-milk constituents. However, the protein 

constitutes a potentially valuable substance. By means of a 

certain fluid mechanical solution, GEA Westfalia Separator 

has succeeded in considerably reducing the frequency of 

ejections and thus the potential loss of valuable protein. 

Every additional gram of protein is hard cash for the plant 

operator. 

Added value factor protein 

The length of the intervals between ejection cycles is 

doubled or tripled, which in turn results in savings in terms 

of water and also lower effluent costs – an environmental 

aspect which is by no means negligible. The extended 

ejection cycle also reduces the amount of mechanical 

stress on the machine, and this aspect tends to 

improve availability. However, the crucial added value 

factor continues to be the increase in the percentage of 

protein in the skim milk and thus the ability to generate 

additional revenue without increasing milk capacity. 

Significant annual savings 

Since 2002, Westfalia Separator proplus technology has 

been used in practical applications for extending the ejection 

cycles for milk separators for skimming and also for 

bacteria removal. The advantages are obvious: potential 

savings of up to EUR 60,000 p.a. are possible, and in certain 

cases even more depending on the price situation. This in 

turn results in very attractive payback times. Good reasons 

for the world-wide significant success of proplus for milk 

separation and bacteria removal from milk. 

The vast majority of all milk separators for skimming and 

bacteria removal are nowadays shipped out of the Oelde 

plant with the integrated Westfalia Separator proplus 

system. Since the initial launch, many older machines have 

also been retrofitted with Westfalia Separator proplus. 

This is because Westfalia Separator proplus is just as 

beneficial in the case of new machines as in the case of 

used machines. 


The users in the dairy industry have two options of benefiting 

from Westfalia Separator proplus in milk separation and 

the bacteria removal from milk. The first option is naturally 

the new installation of a separator with integrated 

Westfalia Separator proplus system. Due to the modular 

design concept, it is however possible to retrofit the 

system in separators already in service. 



Process 

Butter an 

Special applications 

of dairy technology 

Dairy technology of GEA Westfalia Separator Process has traditionally served a 

wide field. In addition to the main areas of application, namely milk separation and 

bacteria removal from milk, the centrifuges and processes also operate in numerous 

special applications. For instance the cream cheese segment, including for instance 

Quark, Labaneh, Labneh, Petit-Suisse, cream cheese, double-cream cheese. The 

second major special application is casein recovery, and the third major application 

is lactose production and decalcium phosphatisation (DCP). Major segments are 

buttermaking as well as butter oil recovery. At present, industry is particularly 

interested in improving fat processing. This is because, the greater the quantity of 

skim milk powder manufactured instead of full milk powder, the greater is also the 

quantity of surplus fat which can be utilised as butter or butter oil. 

Process responsibility for buttermaking 

The subject of butter has occupied a special position at GEA Westfalia Separator 

Process for many decades. GEA Westfalia Separator developed the first continuously 

operating buttermaking machine, and over the years has sold far in excess of one 

thousand buttermaking machines. The buttermaking machines of the latest BUE 

series cover a wide range with capacities of 800 kg to 13,000 kg butter per hour. 

Many international projects have been carried out in this way in recent years, for 

instance in New Zealand, the USA and Costa Rica. GEA Westfalia Separator Process 

not only acts as a manufacturer and supplier of the machine, it is also able to offer 

the entire process, from cream ripening and crystallisation right through to storing 

the butter in the butter silo, right through to packaging and CIP cleaning, including 

a complete process control. 

20 



d 

Butter Oil 

Specific GEA Westfalia Separator 

buttermaking technology 

With its buttermaking process, GEA Westfalia Separator uses special technology for 

optimum cream pre-treatment in accordance with the cold-warm-cold principle in 

order to improve the structure of the butter; this is the reason why it also supplies 

the corresponding heat exchanger installation technology. A special heat exchanger 

system has been designed for regulating the cream temperature in the feed. It 

has been designed in such a way to guarantee precise temperature control. The 

buttermaking machine itself contains a number of specific detailed solutions. It is 

possible, for example, to use the buttermilk from the machine via an external cooling 

arrangement for secondary cooling of the butter. This elegant solution avoids a sharp 

rise of the product temperature inside the buttermaking machine. Small and very fine 

butter particles which cannot be completely processed initially are also reycled back 

into the buttermaking cylinder together with the buttermilk: GEA Westfalia Separator 

know-how for higher yields. 

The integrated positive displacement pump in the second mixer, also a GEA Westfalia 

Separator patent, generates a vacuum due to almost complete removal of all air. The 

use of two texturizer stages in the GEA Westfalia Separator system ensures that the 

butter is kneaded more efficiently; fine water distribution is improved, and the process 

of incorporating the ingredients is also more harmonious. 

As a result of its long experience, GEA Westfalia Separator Process is able to offer 

intensive technology advice for specific applications; the focus in this respect is on 

butter quality and also yield. Over the years, the process has also been permanently 

improved. For instance, the BUE generation has been optimised in terms of the 

hygienic design to meet the US American requirements (USDA and 3A Standard). The 

new machine generation enables highest cleanability with minimum cleaning times 

and lowest possible work input. 

The buttermaking 

machines of the latest BUE 

series cover a broad 

spectrum with capacities of 

800 to 13,000 kg butter per 

hour. This has made possible 

the realization of many 

international projects in the 

past few years. 



Butter oil has 

excellent storage 

qualities 

Butter oil is very interesting because it has excellent storage qualities without 

deteriorating. It can also be made with a high degree of purity from fresh cream and also 

from butter in the dairy. 

The industrialisation of milk production on the one hand and the 

demand for dairy products in developing countries on the other, 

where the population is constantly expanding, but where there is 

insufficient supply, have opened up entirely new dimensions for 

butter oil. In particular, its storage quality, in addition to its wide 

range of applications in business-to-business activities in the food, 

drink and tobacco industries, has resulted in the development of 

new technologies which permit economic, safe and fully automatic 

production. In India, a variation of butter oil in the form of ghee is 

also used directly in households for baking and frying. 

Butter oil is obtained by the almost complete removal of water and 

fat-free dry matter; it previously used to be made almost exclusively 

from butter, whereas nowadays, as a result of changed market 

conditions, it is made mainly from cream. In its purest form, AMF 

(Anhydrous Milk Fat), another name for butter oil, contains at 

least 99.8 percent milk fat and max. 0.1 percent water. For 

butter oil from older raw material, a minimum milk fat value of 

99.3 percent is applicable. 

Technically mature butter oil process 

In the standard process, butter oil is made with three separators 

operating as a cream concentrator, oil concentrator and oil polisher. 

The recovered butter oil has an oil content of over 99.8 percent. The 

same equipment can be used to process butter to butter oil. For 

this purpose, the butter is previously melted and heated. In general, 

butter oil can of course also be obtained from salted sweet cream 

butter or sour cream butter, at even lower cost. 

As market leader in this segment, GEA Westfalia Separator Process 

has realized numerous successful projects for butter oil production 

in recent years, including projects in China, Pakistan, Argentina and 

Brazil. 


Membrane technology for 

baby quark and for cleaning 

liquids 

With the ceramic membranes from the production of 

GEA Westfalia Separator, dairy technology can also provide 

solutions for making special cream cheeses, for instance 

baby quark. Baby quark, which is very popular in eastern 

Europe, requires a very high dry matter level, which can 

easily be achieved with membrane technology. Further 

potential applications are the cleaning of liquids, for 

instance, special bacteria removal of milk, cleaning of brine 

and solutions for pre-concentration of cheese making milk 

or for casein standardisation. 

22 



Turning Costs into Profit 

Retentate processing in fruit juice production 

Retentate is a by-product of cross-flow 

filtration in a fruit juice operation, and 

mainly consists of the retained trub 

particles which were not able to 

pass through the membrane, as well 

as valuable fruit juice. 

The process of disposing of the retentate frequently 

results in high costs, due to the properties of the 

retentate, e.g. a high COD value. If it is not possible 

for this retentate (which is similar to puree) 

with a high solids concentration and viscosity to be 

used internally or to be disposed of inexpensively, it 

is necessary to consider the question of a technological 

solution. There are numerous possibilities of 

approaching the retentate problem, namely with 

”processes which avoid retentate“ or ”processes 

which process retentate“. 



The ceramic membrane in 

cross-flow filtration is the 

most efficient method of 

juice filtration. 

Avoiding retentate 

Membrane technology is suitable for maximum concentration of the solids in the 

retentate, thereby reducing the overall retentate volume. 

The quantity of retentate is reduced if decanters are used for juicing 

in normal processing. In principle, this use of centrifugal technology 

with decanters features the lowest trub level. However, the solids 

content can also be reduced to a minimum with a separator for 

clarifying the juice. This means that the quantity of trub, which 

forms the subsequent retentate, is limited right from the very 

beginning. 

In the next stage, the process of continuing this idea for reducing 

the general volume of retentate results in maximum concentration 

of the solids in the retentate. Polymer and ceramic membranes are 

suitable for this purpose, with system-related differences. A ceramic 

membrane is much more stable with regard to pressure, and is thus 

able to provide a retentate with a solids content of up to 90 percent 

(by volume). Compared with a plastic membrane, the concentration 

factor is thus three times as high. Such a high concentration of 

the solids requires no further treatment of the retentate. A ceramic 

membrane in cross-flow filtration is thus the most efficient method 

used for juice filtration. The use of decanters and ceramic filtration 

is therefore always recommended for a new installation or 

whenever an existing operation is extended. 

Solids content reduced by a centrifuge 

upstream of filtration 

Diafiltration is the simplest way to achieve an additional benefit 

from the retentate, in order to generate a profit from waste costs. 

In many areas, it is better known as desweetening. At the end of 

the filtration stage, water instead of turbid juice is added to 

the filtration cycle. The cost-effectiveness of desweetening must be 

determined for each individual case. Process engineering measures 

enable the filtration cycles to be extended and thus the number of 

cleaning and diafiltration runs to be reduced. 

24 



Irrespective of the filter type, the solids content can be reduced to less than 

approx. 0.5 percent (by volume) with a centrifuge upstream of filtration. If conditions 

are adjusted or if appropriate products are used, the solids content can be reduced 

to trace levels. This considerably increases the service lives of filters, and interruptions 

for cleaning or diafiltration are reduced. The solids from the centrifuge can be 

disposed of together with the pomace, and accordingly do not constitute separate 

waste. However, retentate is still produced in the filter, although in much lower 

quantities. 

Centrifugal separation technology in bypass to filtration 

In the processes which process retentate, there is a further variation of processing 

possibilities with various advantages and disadvantages which have to be considered 

individually for each specific application. 

A separator can be subsequently integrated in any production line. However, a 

machine is then required for the entire product flow, which may involve a relatively 

large investment. If a centrifuge or a decanter is operated in a bypass arrangement, 

a smaller machine will also be sufficient. By using a bypass arrangement for a 

centrifuge for clarifying part of the overall product flow, the speed of the normal 

process of concentrating the solids in the cross-flow filter cycle can be reduced. 

A decanter can also be used as an alternative to a separator at the 

same place. A decanter is more tolerant with regard to abrasive 

media, e.g. bentonite, than a separator, and is also suitable 

for higher trub contents in juice. In addition, the clarification 

performance of centrifugal separation can be significantly 

improved by raising the retentate temperature. The service life of the 

filter is increased, depending on various factors, to 3 to 5 working days. 

Processing the retentate with a decanter 

A further possibility for processing retentate is to collect the retentate at the end of 

filtration in a separate tank and to clarify it parallel to normal day-to-day operation. 

The retentate is diluted with water, and is then clarified in the decanter. The clarified 

juice downstream of the decanter has a residual solids content of approx. 0.5 percent 

(by volume), and can be recycled back into ongoing production. These relatively dry 

solids can also be disposed of with the pomace. The dry matter of the solids is within 

a range of up to 3 percent dry matter. Because this process runs parallel to normal 

juicing operations, the hourly capacity of this line can be relatively small, resulting in 

limited investment costs. 

Attractive cost-effectiveness 

Rising prices for juice and concentrate in conjunction with disposal costs for waste 

substances mean that retentate processing is becoming more and more attractive 

from the point of view of cost-effectiveness. For this purpose, centrifugal 

separation technology offers individual solutions, which are characterised 

by high product quality and high cost-effectiveness. 



For the machine and process monitoring system Westfalia Separator wewatch, 

GEA Westfalia Separator has now created an Internet-based web portal which acts as a 

simple and self-explanatory tool and notifies the machine operators at an early stage of 

possible error statuses. 

Now Also Available in the 

WEB Portal 

Westfalia Separator wewatch 

assures higher reliability and 

availability of the machines 

The portal generates maintenance notifications or 

alarms which are forwarded by e-mail or mobile 

telephone directly to the persons with appropriate 

responsibility. Westfalia Separator wewatch 

provides prophylactic information as well as 

specific recommendations for possible trouble 

shooting on a virtually live basis. The advantages 

are obvious: optimization of the plant availability 

and avoidance of unscheduled downtime as 

well as service capable of being planned in 

conjunction with fixed-budget service agreements 

for transparent cost control. Customer acceptance 

of this tool is clear and very convincing. 

Information from 

the machine interior 

The machine condition monitoring facility is 

based on measuring devices for vibration analysis, 

which are used at several defined points on a 

centrifuge, and which thus consider the machine 

holistically. However, the user does not need to 

be aware of this aspect; the processing of the 

vibration analysis and control data runs in the 

background; the person responsible is notified in 

plain language of the condition of the machine 

together with recommended actions. 

A machine failure during ongoing production 

is a nightmare scenario for every plant 

manager. Only continuous condition monitoring 

and diagnosis enable this to be prevented. 

Such structured monitoring of the machine 

provides considerable customer benefit; the 

extent of the investment reflects the customer’s 

requirements. With Westfalia Separator wewatch, 

a monitoring program is available that can be 

deployed “offline” at the customer or “online” at 

GEA Westfalia Separator, protects against major 

machine failure and consequently fulfils service 

budgets. 

Visualization with web portal 

An essential expansion of the previous online 

monitoring system is the web portal. It offers 

maximum safety and comprises an extensive data 

management package which permits optimum 

implementation of control and monitoring. All 

signals provided can be visualized by the software 

and are displayed in a single window. This goes 

far beyond vibration analysis, because machine 

data, product data such as temperature, turbidity 

etc., further data of measuring and regulating 

technology, service interval times and individually 

26 



adjustable rules and measurement value limits are processed as 

input data. The parallel presentation of product data and the 

machine status in a single diagram shows the customer the 

limits within which the machine can operate. Service work can be 

coordinated in good time due to the timely indication of wear to 

maximise reliability and productivity. 

The core piece of the application is the portal, a software 

developed by GEA Westfalia Separator that processes all signals 

optimally and represents them in a single user interface. The 

customer can view the data at all times and anywhere with Internet 

access. Representation of the data can be modified individually. If 

the customer’s focus is less on the optical visualization of the data 

in the portal, regular status reports provide information on the 

condition of the machine. However, there are no differences within 

the permanent condition monitoring and diagnosis. 

Offline measurements 

The offline variant provides a prophylactic solution without any 

investment requirement. The vibration measurements go hand in 

hand with a visit from a GEA Westfalia Separator service employee. 

Customers who use the web portal are very satisfied with the 

possibility of achieving enhanced availability, maintenance efficiency 

and process optimization from a pure black box consideration 

of the machine, and thus to be able to control costs. The customer 

benefit sees an improvement in service quality and customer 

dialogue in daily service. 

Westfalia Separator wewatch enables the extensive vibration diagnosis and process 

knowledge of GEA Westfalia Separator to be used and conserves the company‘s own 

personnel resources and ensures machine availability. 



Systems 

Power for 

Casablanca 

Complete two-stage oil processing 

installation in Morocco 

Last autumn, GEA Westfalia Separator Systems provided 

the complete processing installation for the heavy fuel oil 

for expanding a gas turbine power station operated with 

fuel oil in Mohammedia, Morocco. 

The two-stage installation consists of a total of 14 separators as well as the entire peripheral 

products, and involved numerous challenges with regard to explosion safety, turnkey 

project design and tight delivery deadlines. The client of GEA Westfalia Separator Systems 

was General Electric France, which assumed overall responsibility for power generation 

and the related ancillary trades for the operator, the state-owned Moroccan electricity 

compliance ONE. 

Increasing demand for energy 

As a result of stable political as well as social conditions, Morocco is reporting continuous 

growth in population and is also making remarkably good progress with industrialisation. 

The economic growth is being accompanied by constantly rising demand for electrical 

power, which can no longer be covered throughout the country by the currently installed 

power stations. Power interruptions and power rationing are frequently the result of this 

shortage of energy, which in certain cases has a considerably negative impact on industrial 

growth. The government in Rabat has now liberalised the energy market, which means that 

the private sector is now also able to invest in power station projects. 

The considerably higher demand for gas as an energy medium is forcing the country to use 

other inexpensive fuels apart from coal for power generation – such as in this case residual 

oils, so-called “heavy fuel oils“ (HFO). These fuels, which are obtained as residual products 

of the refining process, require particular care to be taken during processing for operating 

engines as well as turbines – as a result of high viscosities, high densities and increased 

levels of salt contamination. 

28 


GEA Westfalia Separator Systems

New HFO processing installation Mohammedia 

Near the port of Mohammedia, the power station of the same name supplies the 

electricity which is generated into the local power network, and supplies this 

power to this city of 200,000 inhabitants which is situated approx. 30 km to 

the North East of Casablanca as well as Casablanca itself. Between the 14th and 

19th centuries, the port was a traditional trading place for European traders and, 

in addition to the rapidly expanding industrial areas, is still the economic focus of 

the region. 

As a result of the successful cooperation with GEA Westfalia Separator Systems 

in Château-Thierry, France, which has previously been practised in various 

projects, GEA Westfalia Separator Systems has received the order for supplying 

an HFO processing installation for expanding the Mohammedia power station 

from General Electric France. The HFO processing installation is designed for three 

gas turbines of the type GE Frame 9E with a total capacity of 300 MW. 

Two-stage desalination 

The purpose of the HFO processing installation is to clean the fuel and to 

condition it for operation in a gas turbine. The heavy fuel oil (HFO) has a viscosity 

of 110 – 380 Centistokes at 50 °C. In general, the installed fuel processing capacity 

is 87.5 m³ / h, but can be increased to max. 104.37 m³ / h. For this purpose, the 

HFO is dewatered and desalinated; the sodium and potassium content is reduced 

from 85 ppm to less than 1 ppm (parts per million) in the oil discharge. It is also 

necessary to remove all contaminants from the heavy fuel oil. 

A two-stage HFO processing installation guarantees continuous and trouble-free 

operation of the gas turbines. For this purpose, 14 identical OSD 60 separators 

have been installed. This series with a belt drive has demonstrated its worth in 

the stationary power station field: it is robust, requires low maintenance and is 

maintenance-friendly, it is also fitted with the Westfalia Separator hydrostop 

system for controlled and rapid ejection. Seven of these separators have been 

installed for the first processing stage, and the other seven have been installed 

for the second stage. Using additional water (max. 10 percent of the oil quantity), 

the salts in the oil are dissolved and are then removed to a large extent in the 

separators in order to enable the requirements to be met. The seven lines operate 

in parallel in order to provide the overall capacity; however, they can also be 

connected and disconnected individually in a flexible manner if this is necessary 

as a result of the power station capacity. The scope of supply also comprises the 

complete pipework engineering as well as cabling and switching cabinet design 

within the processing building which is 62.6 m long and 17.5 m wide. 

A two-stage HFO 

treatment station with 

14 OSD separators 

identical in design ensures 

continuous trouble-free 

operation of the gas 

turbines in the 

Mohammedia power 

station. 

Explosion protection design 

The order involved numerous challenges. The first requirement was for the 

installation to be designed in accordance with ATEX, which means that it was to 

be installed in a room in which there is a risk of explosion. The Moroccan regulations 

also specified more stringent quality requirements regarding the welding work. 

Thanks to the excellent work of the interdisciplinary Mohammedia project team, 

these challenges have been successfully overcome. The successful acceptance 

ensured that the installation was handed over on time to the customer General 

Electric France in September 2008. GEA Westfalia Separator Systems has thus 

again demonstrated its ability to provide a project-specific system solution. 

GEA Westfalia Separator Systems 29 


Recovering 

Crude Oil 

From Oil Lagoons 

Processing slop oil with 

new technologies 

Utilising all existing resources, worldwide increasing demand for raw materials, search 

for profitable procedures, implementation of the idea of sustainability, the necessary 

compliance with environmental protection requirements – in total, these are the reasons 

behind the currently strong demand for efficient processing methods for slop oil and 

oil lagoons. 

Intermediate storage in lagoons – 

a gigantic potential 

Slop oil has been and still is frequently stored in large lagoons. 

Slop oil, which may consist of residues and upstream products 

from refineries, which do not meet the specifications with regard 

to water and salt content as well as oils from leakages for 

instance. In many oil-producing countries, for instance in South 

America, in the Middle East or in Russia, the common practice for 

many decades has been to pump these contaminated oils into 

lagoons or intermediate storage; these lagoons are each capable 

of storing up to one million barrels of oil. The precise number of 

the up to five metres deep lagoons is not known, but it can be 

assumed that there are several thousand lagoons worldwide. 

Overall, this is an enormous potential, as well as a valuable asset 

which is waiting to be exploited. For quite some time, various 

countries have now been considering ways of taking even greater 

advantage of these assets which are lying unused. Parallel to this 

development, GEA Westfalia Separator Systems has designed 

a modern method which is now being used for the first time 

in South America and which promises to provide a return on 

investment of between one and five years, depending of course 

on the price of crude oil. 

Extremely wide range of tasks 

The lagoons frequently hold an undefined mixture of oil, water 

and sediments. The water content can vary between 10 and 

70 percent, as can the oil content, and the solids content can 

range between 3 and 15 percent. Everything is conceivable, from 

a relatively aqueous low-viscosity mixture right through to 

substances which are similar to tar with a viscosity of more than 

1000 Centistokes. The range of tasks is thus extremely varied. 

GEA Westfalia Separator has solved this problem with a successful 

combination consisting of mechanical separation technology, 

minimum use of chemical agents and the right process.

Pure oil and pure water in three stages 

In an initial stage, a decanter operating in a two-phase system separates solids and 

liquid phase. This liquid phase is further treated in a disc-type centrifuge, where it is 

separated into water, oil and extremely fine sediments in the three-phase system. The 

actual valuable substance, namely the oil, has already been recovered; it complies 

with the refining requirements with a residual content of 0.5 to 1 percent BS&W 

(Bottom Sediment & Water), and can be added to normal oil for further processing. 

However, the water which is discharged from the 3-phase system of the disc-type 

centrifuge still contains too much residual oil for it to be disposed of without 

any problems. For this reason, a further three-phase disc-type centrifuge is used for 

removing further sediments from the water, and for de-oiling the water down to 

a residual oil content of less than 15 ppm. 

Mobile container installation 

With this combination, GEA Westfalia Separator has set the framework for modern 

processing of slop oil depending on individual requirements. This is because each 

installation is customised and designed to meet the specific needs. In the case of an 

order from Venezuela for instance, a complete system solution has been put together 

with a capacity of 15 m 3 per hour, consisting of one CC 458 decanter, two OSD 60 

separators for oil processing and a WSD 60 separator for water processing, and 

comprises steam processing, processing and adding of chemical splitting substances 

and the complete control unit. All units are installed in a total of five 40-foot 

containers. In this way, the operator is able to use the mobile installation for the next 

lagoon after one lagoon has been completely exploited, after approximately two to 

three years. 

Efficient Solution for 

each individual requirement 

If processing of the medium is less 

complicated, or if the requirements of 

the refinery are less stringent, one 

3-phase decanter may under certain 

circumstances be also sufficient. 

GEA Westfalia Separator has for instance 

supplied such installations to South 

America and the Middle East. In another 

exceptional case, at an installation in 

Quwait, the focus was on reducing the 

salt content of slop oil. For particularly 

high viscosity slop oil, GEA Westfalia 

Separator is also able to supply nozzletype 

separators for hot separation at 

temperatures up to 130°C, under pressure. 



Tannery Waste Water 

Efficient sludge dewatering 

in the Turkish leather industry 

There is hardly a visitor to Turkey who has not been to a bazaar and been 

asked to buy a fashionable leather jacket or a fine leather handbag. This is no 

surprise, as the production of leather goods is an important and flourishing 

branch of industry in Turkey. 

32 


GEA Westfalia Separator Systems

One of the largest leather tanneries in the country is to be 

found in one of the districts of Istanbul. This operation has 

its own waste water treatment installation for processing 

the very contaminated tannery waste water. In order to 

optimise the dry matter content of the resultant surplus 

activated sludge, and thus also to facilitate handling, 

a total of six strainer belt presses were replaced with two 

decanters from GEA Westfalia Separator Systems. This 

meant that it was possible for the dry matter content to be 

increased by 30 percent. 

Degrémont operates 

treatment installation in the 

leather quarter of Istanbul 

Many years ago, the tanneries of the city were concentrated 

in the Istanbul Leather Organised Industrial Zone in the 

Tuzla quarter of Istanbul. At present, more than 150 

independent tanneries are working in this quarter; some of 

these tanneries have relocated from other quarters. One of 

the major advantages of this pooling of resources is the 

central collection of aggressive tannery waste waters and 

processing in a common treatment installation. The French 

water and waste water treatment company Degrémont, 

which operates throughout the world and which is a 

subsidiary of the Suez Group, has been operating the 

treatment installation since 1992. It is one of the largest 

tannery waste water treatment installations in the world. 

60 m³ waste water per tonne 

of raw leather product 

Tanning is a very water-intensive process. Approx. 60 m³ 

waste water are generated for each tonne of raw leather 

product in the complicated process. A municipal waste 

water treatment installation, and in particular the biological 

stage, would be completely unable to cope with these 

waste waters with high levels of COD and BOD. A separate 

waste water treatment plant was therefore a consistent 

environmental technology precondition for establishing 

the leather industry zone in Istanbul. In principle, this plant 

is designed in the same way as a municipal waste water 

treatment plant, with mechanical processing or coarse-particle 

separation, sand and grease trap and subsequent biological 

waste water treatment. The purified waste water is 

discharged directly into the sea together with the waste 

water from the municipal waste water treatment plant. 

Convincing performance 

of mobile test installation 

The operator Degrémont has originally used six strainer belt 

presses for dewatering the surplus activated sludge obtained 

in the biological stage. These presses resulted in dewatering 

to around 20 percent dry matter. However, the consistency 

of this sludge is not semi-solid; instead it is somewhat like 

porridge. Because the dewatered sludge is transported by 

lorry to a landfill site, Degrémont understandably wanted 

to achieve higher degrees of dewatering. Based on its previous 

experience, GEA Westfalia Separator Systems was able to 

forecast an at least 25 percent increase in the dry matter 

content to 25 percent by using the decanters. 

In order to prove this theory, GEA Westfalia Separator 

Systems installed a mobile test installation in the tannery 

treatment plant in Istanbul for one week. Indeed, after 

these trials had been completed, it was possible to guarantee 

the operator a 30 percent increase to 26 percent dry matter 

content as a result of the installation of two UCD 536 

decanters. Thanks to the intensive support provided by the 

Turkish subsidiary of GEA Westfalia Separator, GEA Westfalia 

Separator Systems was thus also able to successfully beat 

off the challenge of several competitors. 

Closed, odour-free system 

In addition to the aspect of efficient dewatering for reducing 

transport costs, decanter technology also offers the 

advantage of being, unlike a strainer belt press, a closed 

and thus clean and odour-free system. Water consumption 

for cleaning the strainer belts is also much higher than is 

the case with a decanter. The two UCD 536 decanters, 

each with a capacity of 50 m³ per hour, also run fully 

automatically, and need only a small amount of service. As 

two decanters replace six strainer belt presses, the space 

requirement was of course also reduced to one third. 

In this way, the new dewatering process with the two 

UCD 536 decanters from GEA Westfalia Separator Systems 

has been contributing since commissioning towards 

reducing the costs of waste water treatment and also to a 

lower landfill requirement. 



Lifestyle 

Photo: Mike Goldwater 

Fine Vintage 

Interview with the director of the 

Badische Winzerkeller Wilfried Dörr 

“Spoiled by the sun.“ Every connoisseur of wine associates wine from Baden with 

this statement. The Badische Winzerkeller in Breisach produces this wine. Separator‘s 

Digest interviewed Wilfried Dörr, Director of Oenology / Production in the Badische 

Winzerkeller, concerning the situation in the wine market in Baden and in Germany. 

34 



Separator‘s Digest: Mr. Dörr, how satisfied are you with the 

2008 vintage 

Wilfried Dörr: Fortunately, nature was on our side and provided us 

with a very fine and constant maturing period. This is important for 

aroma formation. Cool nights and fine, hot days have resulted in 

very fruity, elegant and fine wines in the 2008 vintage. 2007 was a 

very high quality vintage, and there is always the danger that a 

great vintage is followed by a major disappointment. However, the 

2008 vintage will follow smoothly in the footsteps of the 2007 

vintage. We are accordingly very satisfied and have had a relatively 

constant and pleasant autumn. 

Burgundy wine loves Baden 

Separator‘s Digest: What main grape types do you grow here 

in Baden 

Wilfried Dörr: Burgundy wines account for approximately 70 percent 

of grapes in Baden. In the case of red wine, this is of course 

Spätburgunder (pinot noir). The ratio between white wine and red 

wine is approximately 60 to 40. In the case of white wine, there are 

other types, mainly Müller-Thurgau, followed by Riesling, Rivaner, 

Traminer. Burgundy grapes are predominant in Baden because we 

simply have the optimum climate for this type of grape. 

mainly attributable to the curiosity of consumers. With 13 percent 

(by volume) alcohol and the strong emphasis on tannin, they do not 

exactly meet the taste of normal consumers. Our German wines are 

of very good quality; they are easy to drink, very fruity, very elegant; 

this is the reason why they are currently enjoying a revival of 

consumer interest. We are for instance discovering that there are 

many consumers who like to drink a sweet red wine occasionally. 

In my opinion, the best wine for the consumer is the wine which he 

likes to drink. 

Centrifuges are absolutely essential 

Separator‘s Digest: In addition to the Westfalia Separator 

vinex process, and also for clarifying the young wines, the 

Badische Winzerkeller also uses a high-performance separator 

from GEA Westfalia Separator for tartrate stabilisation. Why 

is this necessary 

Wilfried Dörr: The more mature a vintage, the higher is the tartaric 

acid content, and the wine thus also tends to have more tartrate. 

Over a period of time, this concentration of tartaric acid eventually 

is precipitated in the form of tartrate. But consumers do not accept 

any tartrate, you can take that as a fact. Complaints are received. 

And we of course wish to prevent any complaints. 

Separator‘s Digest: There is much talk about climate change. 

Is it conceivable that entirely different grapes will have to be 

grown here one day 

Wilfried Dörr: We are already noticing a certain amount of climate 

change, e.g. we have longer phases of good weather followed by 

longer phases of less good weather. However, I believe that we will 

be able to adapt our grape types to these changes by means of a 

wide range of measures. If we place a Spätburgunder (pinot noir) 

on the table, we know immediately where it comes from, namely 

from Baden. We are thus able to differentiate ourselves from the 

competition and we should not lose this advantage. Baden should 

stick to Burgundy wine. 

“The plastic cork will disappear“ 

Separator‘s Digest: There have been emotional discussions 

concerning the seal for wine bottles. Can you see the end for 

the traditional cork 

Wilfried Dörr: In my opinion, a very high-quality red wine should 

always have a cork. There is of course always the risk of corking, 

although recent years have seen a constant improvement in this 

respect. In my opinion, the seal of the future will be the long screw 

cap. The plastic cork will disappear. I know that many others do not 

share my opinion. However, in purely physical terms, the screw cap 

is the nec plus ultra in this respect. 

Separator‘s Digest: Are you feeling the effects of imports 

from abroad 

Wilfried Dörr: German wine has experienced a considerable boom 

during the past two years. The traditional wine growing countries 

of France and Italy are on the retreat somewhat on the German 

market at present, and the same is also true for the new countries 

which grow wine elsewhere in the world. For some time, it was 

quite fashionable to place an Australian or Californian wine on 

the table. As far as red wine is concerned, I believe that this was 

GEA Westfalia Separator 35 


We Work for the People of the World ... 

… and are aware of our responsibility! 

Milk, soy products, proteins, insulin, starch, vegetable 

oil, products made from sustainable raw materials – 

without the use of modern separation technology, 

these essential products would not be available in 

their current quantities and quality for us humans. 

More and more people are asking how they can 

overcome hunger and thirst, remain healthy, grow 

older and enhance their quality of life – without 

destroying the basis of life for future generations. 

By constantly improving centrifugal separation 

technology, the new GEA Westfalia Separator Process 

provides answers and solutions. They enable our 

partners in manufacturing as well as our common 

quality of life to make tremendous progress. 

Separation. Solution. Success. 

GEA Westfalia Separator Process GmbH 

Werner-Habig-Straße 1 · 59302 Oelde (Germany) · Phone +49 2522 77-0 · Fax +49 2522 77-2089 

ws.process@geagroup.com · www.westfalia-separator.com 

9997-1405-000/0209 EN · Printed in Germany · Printed on chlorine-free, bleached paper 

WSPC-2-00-005

Separator's Digest 2009/1 min. - GEA Westfalia Separator Group

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