Gulf Construction Online - Plug-n-work modules ‘simple and ingenious’

Water Technology

Plug-and-work ... the new modules.

Plug-n-work modules ‘simple and ingenious’

01 September 2011

GERMAN ultrafiltration specialist inge watertechnologies has launched yet another innovative product that promises to give new impetus to ultrafiltration in the sector of in-house water supplies and small-scale treatment systems.

The company’s research and development team has developed a compact module that can be simply inserted in a standard pressure vessel and easily replaced whenever necessary.

Compared to the elaborate proprietary designs marketed by many other manufacturers, this plug-and-work solution is not only easier to use but also significantly more cost-effective thanks to the use of standard pressure housings, says a spokesman for the company.

In the past, inge watertechnologies has primarily focused on building a solid reputation in the sector of mid-to-large-sized treatment plants for drinking water, process water, sea water and wastewater, supplying plant contractors all over the world with its patented modules and rack systems. But with inge’s groundbreaking new range of dizzer P modules, the company now looks set to attract major interest from companies in the small-scale treatment system business and suppliers of point-of-entry systems, thanks to a module design that is both simple and ingenious, he says.

Elaborating on how easy it is to get it up and running, the spokesman says: “Simply insert the 2.5- or 4-inch dizzer UF unit with its membrane surface area of between 0.5 sq m and 6 sq m (5.4 to 65 sq ft) into a standard pressure vessel and it is immediately ready for operation. Service technicians and maintenance engineers can easily remove the module whenever necessary and simply swap it for a new one.”

Dr Peter Berg, chief technology officer at inge watertechnologies, says: “By using the same standard pressure housings that are used for reverse osmosis units, we can provide our customers with entirely new product positioning opportunities in the original equipment and exchange parts business.”

There is significant demand for ultrafiltration solutions for small-scale treatment systems and in-house water supplies, ranging from private households looking to treat their own well, spring or ground water through to small industry, hospitals and hotels, says DuPont.

“The Multibore ultrafiltration technology developed and patented by inge is suitable for all these applications and is the number one choice when it comes to safety and reliability, comfortably surpassing conventional treatment methods. Thanks to the cost benefits and ease-of-use of the new system, inge is already anticipating strong demand from system constructors,” he says.

Dr Berg continues: “Clean water is a major issue all around the world, and the companies engaged in building mid-to-large-sized treatment plants are already familiar with our products and know that we are a trustworthy and reliable partner. Small-scale applications including point-of-entry and point-of-use solutions – in other words treating water close to or at the point of consumption – are an important market segment, and we are delighted that we can now offer our partners a superbly engineered solution in this field, too.”

inge watertechnologies is regarded as a global technology leader in the field of ultrafiltration, a membrane process used to treat drinking water, process water, wastewater and sea water. With a global reach enhanced by its network of partners, the company has completed numerous reference products around the globe featuring its cutting-edge technology. Its range of products include highly-efficient ultrafiltration modules and cost-effective, space-saving rack designs as the core components of water treatment plants, rounded off by the efficient technical support it provides to its customers.

All the company’s products are based on the in-house development of its patented Multibore membrane technology. “The extremely small-pore filters of the Multibore membrane reliably intercept not only particles, but also microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, thereby providing a dependable source of clean water,” says the spokesman. “Deployment of the inge technology also offers significant advantages over conventional water treatment methods, such as rapid and easy module installation and stable, highly resilient membranes. This makes planning a water treatment facility much simpler, enabling customers to achieve low-cost installation and operation. And all this comes with a guarantee of long-lasting reliability.”

The safety and reliability of its Multibore membranes have already been successfully put to the test in several hundred industrial-scale plants worldwide.

“Reliable operation of smaller-scale modules relies heavily on the use of extremely robust membranes that are capable of working under challenging conditions for the maximum possible duration – which is why the tremendously stable honeycomb design of Multibore membranes is so ideally suited to this application, too,” the spokesman adds.

Small-scale treatment systems are particularly sought-after in countries with poor infrastructure, for example, in areas where pipes leading to consumers are rusty and contaminated, as well as in buildings that require perfectly hygienic water supplies such as hospital dialysis units and small industrial concerns. The dizzer P range of compact modules is now available worldwide.