+31 314 373 333SE Tylose GmbH & Co. KG in Wiesbaden, Germany, is one of the world's most important suppliers of cellulose ether, which is used in virtually all parts of daily life. More than a dozen Nauta® conical screw mixers from Hosokawa Micron help the company to achieve high standards of product homogeneity while saving both time and energy, according to Albert Leuschner on behalf of SE Tylose.
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Process technologies for tomorrow.Long-standing partnership built on trust, understanding and innovation
Gertjan Teekman (l) & Albert Leuschner
Approximately 65,000 tons of water-soluble cellulose ether are produced on an annual basis by Shin-Etsu (SE) Tylose at its ultra-modern plant in Wiesbaden, Germany. The products, which are sold under the registered trademarks of Tylose® and Tylopur®, support the company's mission of contributing to people's living, society and industry through value creation in materials and technologies. "Tylose is used in the construction industry as well as in polymerization, paint, ceramics and cosmetics, while the most common fields of application of Tylopur are pharmaceutical excipients and food additives," explains Albert Leuschner, Senior Planning Engineer at SE Tylose.
In parallel with his work as Plant Engineer, Leuschner has been involved in planning and commissioning various Tylose plants. "I first came into contact with Hosokawa Micron from 2008 to 2010, as part of the planning team for our new Tyloshin2 operation for the production of methyl cellulose used in pharmaceuticals and food products," he recalls.
Suitable for varying product specifications
"Our products must meet different specifications, depending on the intended application. We already knew from working with Hosokawa Micron's conical screw mixers in our existing plants that they were very suitable for homogenizing cellulose ethers in line with a wide range of parameters relating to particle size, distribution and viscosity," states Leuschner. As a result, SE Tylose decided to install a total of two medium-sized Nauta conical screw mixers in the new Tyloshin2 plant for the food applications, and two medium-sized Nauta mixers plus one small Nauta mixer for the pharmaceutical applications.
Strict quality and hygiene requirements
"Our customers' requirements in terms of hygiene and product quality are very high. Therefore, our standards are regularly checked during audits," continues Leuschner. "The shape of the Nauta mixer and the discharge fitting, including the surface finish inside the vessel, contribute to the complete emptying and optimal cleaning of the equipment to meet these needs. In addition, to ensure explosion safety, all the mixers are ATEX-compliant in line with our specific situation. Moreover, the low-intensity mixing facilitated by the Nauta minimizes the amount of heat generated during the process. This helps to retain the properties of the natural raw material, which is primarily obtained from wood and cotton fibres," he adds.
Optimal homogenization process
"The medium-sized mixers allow us to homogenize up to four reaction batches simultaneously," explains Leuschner. "Then, after this initial homogenization stage, the mixtures are fed into silos. When the silos are full, the required amount is conveyed from the various silos into the small mixer, where it is optimally homogenized into our final sales product."
Since the opening of the Tyloshin2 plant in 2012, there have been several process engineering expansions, including pharmaceutical big bag filling in 2015. "This again required a small conical screw mixer, which was integrated into the existing system with the help of Hosokawa Micron's technical specialists," adds Leuschner. Additionally, SE Tylose has a number of big Nauta mixers for customers who require large batches. "In total, 15 Nauta mixers are installed at our Wiesbaden location, across five of our production facilities," continues Leuschner.
Efficient and sustainable
The Nauta mixers have always performed satisfactorily, according to Leuschner: "Thanks to the two-dimensional movement inside the vessel achieved by the combination of the rotating arm and the conveying screw from bottom to top, we achieve optimal homogenization quickly. Additionally, specific additives can be mixed in during the homogenization process, which saves valuable time. As a result of this significantly shorter mixing time, the Nauta mixers also help us to reduce our energy consumption, thus contributing to our sustainability goals."
Sustainability is an important theme for SE Tylose, where the harmony of economic, ecological and social aspects forms the basis for the company being a long-term, reliable partner for cellulose ethers.
Underlining this commitment, SE Tylose received a Gold Award in the 2023 EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, placing it in the top 5% of the industry's manufacturing companies.
"This is just one of the areas in which we share the same values as SE Tylose," comments Gertjan Teekman, Application Manager at Hosokawa Micron in Doetinchem, the Netherlands. "We focus very strongly on sustainability and we're continuously working to reduce the carbon footprint – both by developing more energy-efficient solutions for our customers, and by taking energy-saving measures ourselves such as installing LEDs and solar panels," he says.
Long-standing partnership
Another cornerstone of the successful relationship between SE Tylose and Hosokawa Micron is dependability. "The mechanical components of the Nauta mixers are very reliable, and we receive good support from the Hosokawa Micron specialists during our annual maintenance work. Moreover, whenever any unforeseen problems or incidents have occurred at any stage during planning, development, implementation or operation, we have always experienced Hosokawa Micron to be very ready and willing to help. This has resulted in a relationship built on mutual trust and understanding," states Leuschner.
Hosokawa Micron's Teekman responds: "One of the benefits of such a long-standing partnership is that we know one another so well. Over the years, we've gained an in-depth understanding of SE Tylose's needs, processes and their equipment requirements. In return, they know what we're capable of, and that we deliver on our promises."
Innovation is yet another factor that connects the two companies. "Our product portfolio is designed to meet current and future needs of business and society. Our innovative products help to make life better, and scientists in our industry-dedicated application labs are continuously developing new solutions tailored to customer requirements," comments Leuschner. "Needless to say, there is a high level of technical expertise within Hosokawa Micron. We have benefited from the company's ongoing R&D progress over the years. We particularly appreciate the support we receive at their in-house Test & Development Centre," continues the Senior Planning Engineer.
Two more mixers
In 2021, SE Tylose decided to expand the pharmaceutical and food production at the Tyloshin2 plant. "Due to our good experience in the past, we commissioned another two small Nauta mixers from Hosokawa Micron for this expansion," states Leuschner. "I officially retired from SE Tylose in July 2022, but I am continuing to support the company during this project, which is expected to be completed by the end of May. Providing that Hosokawa Micron sustains the current high level of professional competence, technical innovation, maintenance and support, I expect the relationship between our two companies to continue long into the future," he concludes.
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Sustainable Processing Systems
Hosokawa Micron B.V. is certified according to ISO 14001. Our certification covers all environmental themes of ISO 14001: air, soil, energy, waste, water, noise and hazardous substances. In addition, Hosawa Micron was awarded an EcoVadis Silver Medal for its sustainability achievements. EcoVadis determined that the company was among the top 15% of companies rated by EcoVadis in the special machinery industry.
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