6 September 2004 www.filtsep.com

industrialnews

Hollingsworth & Vose Co (H&V) is to install a new,state-of-the art meltblown line at its facility in Hatzfeld,Germany.

The investment will significantly extend H&V’scapability and capacity in meltblown production for highefficiency filtration market segments and provide localsupply for its European customers.

It represents one element of a broader nonwovenstrategy to meet market demand for technically advancedfiltration media in high efficiency air and liquidfiltration, as well as engine filtration applications.

The line is another step in H&V’s Europeaninvestment programme.

In 2000, H&V purchased Hepworth Air Filtration inKentmere, UK, and in 2001 it acquired J C BinzerPapierfabrik in Hatzfeld, Germany.

With the addition of meltblown capacity to itsEuropean base H&V will be able to increase the servicelevel to local customers and maintain its position as oneof the world's major meltblown manufacturers forfiltration media.

Paques BV Holland and its UK agent Aquabio Ltd havesuccessfully supplied and installed Astraseparator lamellaclarifier units to Degrémont for United Utilities’ Rivingtonand Lostock water treatment works (WTWs).

The Astraseparator units have been installed as part of thewash water treatment system to treat backwash water fromthe sand filters. The sand filter backwash water flow is thelargest wastewater stream generated within the WTWs. Therecycling of such water is essential for the reduction of totalwater intake for drinking water production.

The units have been provided in a modular design and cantreat maximum flows of 187.5 m3/h and 220 m3/h for Lostockand Rivington, respectively. The surface overflow rate wasdesigned at 0.65 m3/h.

Suspended solids concentrations into the Astraseparatorare around 350 mg/l and the clarifiers are achieving a 95%solids removal with a turbidity value of less than 2 NTU.

This process was selected because of its simple design andversatility to operate continuously, in a stop/start mode or at areduced rate. Both the flocculation and lamella separationsections are combined in one tank to promote efficiency andsimplicity. Furthermore, the settling process can be optimizedby dosing with polyelectolytes.

Paques provides pilot plants and a full evaluation service,enabling design optimization and cost minimization forimplementing wash water treatment components.

These plants are in addition to units already supplied toGuernsey Water Board, Hyder and Scottish Water.

H&V makes melt blowninvestment in Europe

Lamella clarifier units installed at WTWsThrough their respective US-based subsidiary companies

Ahlstrom Corp and Lydall Inc have formed a strategicalliance in an effort to better serve the liquid enginefiltration market in North America.

The partnership is expected to provide positive growthopportunities for Lydall’s microglass product platform, inparticular its LyPore® XL wetlaid microglass media, inNorth America because Ahlstrom is well known for liquidengine filtration products in this region

Scott Murdock, Ahlstrom’s vice president and generalmanager, North America Engine Filtration, said thepartnership was a bonus for both companies. “Inaddition to Ahlstrom’s traditional range of cellulose andsynthetic-based engine filtration media, the integrationof Lydall’s microglass media and engineered composites,now provides a complete range of high-performanceproducts for North American liquid filtration customersfrom one source.”

Joe Petrosky, Lydall’s director of marketing and salesfor Liquid Filtration, added “Ahlstrom's strongrelationships and leadership position in liquid enginefiltration complemented by the addition of Lydall’s stateof the art microglass technology and productdevelopment expertise, position the alliance as one of theleading suppliers to high value added applications in thissegment.”

Sales, marketing, customer/technical service,invoicing and application engineering services will bebased at Ahlstrom’s Madisonville, Kentucky facility,while manufacturing and product development will takeplace at Lydall’s Rochester, New Hampshire site.

Ahlstrom specializes in fibre-based materials for nichemarkets worldwide. It’s FiberComposite divisionmanufacturers products for engine filtration, nonwovenand reinforcement composites markets across the globe.

Liquid engine filtration alliance