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Change at the top of Gebrüder Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH: Maximilian Hoyer is the new managing director of the Paderborn-based process technology specialist since July 2023. Maximilian Hoyer has initially acted as commercial manager and authorized signatory at Lödige since August 2021. In his new position, he succeeds Dr. Frank Sandfort, who has managed the company on an interim basis for the past few months and is now chairing the advisory board of the family company again. Founded in 1938, Lödige revolutionized mixing and processing technology with the invention of the Ploughshare® mixer, patented in 1949. In the meantime, the company is a leading global full-service provider for process engineering applications in the areas of mixing, granulating, coating, drying, reacting and related processes. The fields of use for the machines and systems ranges from the food industry to pharma, cosmetics, chemical products, plastics and many more.

At the Interpack trade fair, Lödige Process Technology will put the spotlight on tablet film coating and present a new coater series as an attractively priced alternative. Putting the focus on tablet film coating: At Interpack, Lödige Process Technology will showcase the current LC light series product range. With its standardised design, it is an attractively priced alternative to the customised machines of the existing LC series. The in-house development is a state-of-the-art film coater from Lödige’s German production. However, the machine’s special feature is its consistent focus on standardised functionality. That means: no work is required for designing and programming a customised solution. This leads to a significant cost advantage over Lödige’s customised special machine designs. Lödige will transfer the lower costs to their customers in the form of an approximately 40 percent reduction in price. A second advantage is the reduction in delivery times for the LC light series. The cost-efficient, standardised new coater model offers all the key advantages of the LC series: The series is distinguished, for instance,

Efficiency in mixing technology means more than ”just” saving energy. Lödige Process Technology demonstrates this clearly at Powtech. Efficiency in mixing technology means more than ”just” saving energy. Lödige Process Technology demonstrates this clearly at Powtech, using two examples: The High Efficiency Shovel, a special shovel for mixing solids in horizontal Ploughshare mixers is designed to require less drive power than a standard shovel. And Druvatherm® mixing reactors make it possible to complete two process steps in just one machine, thereby reducing the required space and time. The innovative shovel concept of the High Efficiency Shovel, or HES for short, immediately draws the eye. Unlike standard shovels, this in-house development by Lödige has an opening in the shovel blade. This corresponds to 85 percent of the surface area. The advantage of this design: Depending on the product, it permits a reduction of the start-up torque by up to 20 percent and reduces the reactive power. This makes it possible to design a mixer with a lower motor rating. The unique efficiency of this shovel

Lödige’s Continuous Ploughshare® Mixers are the ideal solution whenever sewage sludge requires efficient and reliable treatment. Continuous Ploughshare® Mixers are the ideal solution whenever sewage sludge requires efficient and reliable treatment, as Lödige Process Technology will be demonstrating at IFAT (booth A2.520). The tried-and-tested machinery enables operators of municipal and industrial sewage works to tailor their treatment of wet and dry sludge entirely to its intended use, such as getting it ready for mono-fuel combustion. Wet and dried sludge that has been mixed and treated inside a Ploughshare® Mixer in a continuous process boasts a pumpable consistency, exactly the right moisture content required to achieve the necessary calorific value and a particle size that ensures the perfect consistency. This provides reliable protection against the sludge sticking or turning into a paste. Additives such as lime can also be added in easily during processing. Lödige Ploughshare® Mixers have already proved their effectiveness in sludge treatment in many different places. They operate

Automatic WIP systems have established themselves as a suitable technical solution for life science applications to ensure a reliable and repeatable process for cleaning mixing systems. A reliable and repeatable process for cleaning of mixing systems – as e. g. Ploughshare® Mixers by Lödige Process Technology – takes on an increasingly important role for companies handling Life-Science-applications. Automatic WIP-Systems have been established as a suitable technical solution for meeting these requirements. Beside the technical functionality, efficiency and the economy of cleaning systems are also playing an ever increasing role. The amount of water, detergents and solvents, which are required per cleaning cycle, are supposed to be reduced to a minimum. By reducing the amounts of cleaning media and wastewater, savings of operating costs are achieved while also environmental considerations are taken into account and sustainable cleaning concepts can be developed. Therefore, especially for bigger machines, complete filling of process vessels with cleaning media should be avoided. Although this is not a mandatory requirement: A smart arrangement

The continuously operating Type CM CoriMix® Ringlayer Mixer from Lödige Process Technology is the ideal solution for moisture-sensitive powder batter mixes. Moisture-sensitive powder batter mixes, such as those used to make crisps and other savoury snacks, require a high degree of homogeneity combined with precisely controlled and extremely stable moisture levels. The continuously operating Type CM CoriMix® Ringlayer Mixer from Lödige Process Technology is the ideal solution for this demanding process engineering task. The machine must also comply with all current hygiene and ATEX specifications. Powdered batters for crisps, for example, consist of potato powder and other powdered ingredients. Water is then added to the dry premix. This process step is decisive for the quality of the end product. As only when the defined degree of moisture of the batter mix is guaranteed precisely and continuously, it can be deep-fried or baked perfectly and with a stable shape. The special challenge here is that the "return material", which is produced when the crips are cut out, is also continuously fed into the mixer. The task of

The comprehensive approach of hygienic design takes into account construction details as well as production peripherals and employee behaviour. Process technology machines and machine line parts in pharmaceutical production or food manufacturing, including those from Lödige Process Technology, are known to have to meet the highest hygienic standards. But how can these be implemented in practice? In other words: What are the potential risks and how can they be systematically avoided? Answers are provided by the comprehensive approach of hygienic design, which takes into account construction details as well as production peripherals and employee behaviour. Hygienic design in process technology The example of mixing shows what hygienic design in process technology means in concrete terms: Mixing is one of the elementary processes in the process industry. Mixers guarantee the quality of food products as well as the consistent dosage of ingredients or pharmaceutically active components. An important aspect of hygienic design is therefore the cleanable layout of the mixer, including all parts coming in contact

Lödige Process Technology has developed a granulator especially for compacting bulk goods such as tea or cocoa. It is based on the Mixing Granulator type MGT. Lödige Process Technology has developed a granulator especially for compacting bulk goods such as tea or cocoa and coffee. It is based on the Mixing Granulator type MGT, a vertical system for mixing and granulation of powders and granules. A specially developed compaction tool rotates in the cylindrical mixing vessel at a close distance from the vessel wall and base to achieve the necessary bulk density and a homogeneous mixing quality. In addition, the mixing vessel is equipped with a cooling double jacket to ensure that the full aroma of the material is retained. The product can be flavoured in accordance with the recipe parameters directly in the processing vessel of the Mixing Granulator. This process can be carried out manually or automatically. The machine requires only three minutes to mix and compress, for instance, one batch of ground coffee. Even product changes are quick and simple: The machine is designed for quick, manual dry cleaning. Experience has

Lödige Process Technology developed a process engineering solution for the production of monocalcium phosphate (MCP). Lödige Process Technology developed a process engineering solution for the production of monocalcium phosphate (MCP). The powder, which is an essential component of feed and phosphate fertilizers, can thus be produced economically in an "all-in-one" process. Monocalcium phosphate (MCP) is formed by the reaction of pure phosphoric acid and calcium carbonate. Powerful process technology is just as important to the production of high-quality MCP as the quality of the raw materials used. Lödige offers a solution that is specially designed for this application, based on a type KM Ploughshare® Mixer for continuous operation. Ploughshare® Mixer with application-specific design The Ploughshare® Mixer for continuous operation uses the mechanically generated fluid bed system that was introduced to mixing technology by Lödige: Ploughshare® shovels in their basic shape patented by Lödige in 1949 rotate close to the walls of a horizontal, cylindrical drum. The circumference

LC light series by Lödige Process Technology Lödige Process Technology presents an entirely new model range: The LC light series. It is characterised by its standardised design. Lödige passes on the reduced workload in design, engineering and programming – compared with a customised solution – to its customers through a price reduction by approximately 40 percent. Yet another advantage is the significant reduction in delivery times for the LC light series compared to customised special machines. The new LC light series machines are available in three sizes and designed for a clearly defined range of functions: They can be used for standard film coating processes, i.e. for both water-based and organic coating. These completely insulated coaters permit fully automatic production including recipe management. A manifold system is used for liquid addition. Spray rates are determined by a mass flow meter. The nozzle arm, the technological core of the coater, is supplied by the German specialist manufacturer Düsen-Schlick

Lödige receives major order Despite the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH has received one of the largest single orders in its over 80-year history: The global company known as Lödige Process Technology on the international stage will supply an Asian chemical company with a total of six machines. More specifically, the order comprises five large reactors of the Druvatherm® DVT series with a drum volume of over 20,000 liters each and an additional smaller pilot machine for product and process development. The reactors are used to chemically convert cellulose fibers under high pressure so that they can then be used by the building materials, food and pharmaceuticals industry. Lödige`s Druvatherm® reactors can perform several process steps – for instance reaction and drying – in a single machine under ideal conditions. This has numerous advantages: First of all, the process takes less time, as no discharge, in-house transport and refilling is

Ploughshare® mixer for chemical and thermal processing Lödige Process Technology will present a Ploughshare® mixer of the current generation at its IFAT booth (A4.441) as an example of the manufacturer’s sturdy, durable process engineering systems for mechanical, chemical and thermal processing of sludges, sewage sludges, ashes, dusts and other waste materials. Ploughshare® mixers are based on the mechanically generated fluidised bed process patented by Lödige. This process involves Ploughshare® shovels rotating close to the walls of a horizontal, cylindrical drum. Ploughshare® mixers are available for both batch mode and continuous processes. The continuous Ploughshare® mixers of the KM series are particularly suitable for environmental engineering applications. This low-maintenance mixer model is intended for processing powders, fibrous or granular solids, but also fluids and pastes. The continuous mixer even performs granulating processes with minimum retention times. It is characterised by excellent repeatability,

Dry mixes of brake and friction materials in Ploughshare® Mixer Even 70 years after the Ploughshare® Mixer was patented by Lödige, there are still new applications found for the fluid bed principle that was revolutionary at that time. At the EuroBrake 2020 (2. - 4. June 2020 in the Internatonal Convention Centre Barcelona, Spain) Lödige Process Technology (Stand 61) will show a design model of a mixer specifically designed for brake and friction material applications. Lödige has been supplying mixing systems for the friction material industry over the past 40 years. In order to meet the high safety standards of braking systems in passenger cars and other vehicles, these mixes face very specific requirements: brake and friction material mixes notably consist of a multitude of powdery, finely crystalline and fibrous components having extremely different bulk densities. The mixer has to therefore not only mix these components in a homogeneous manner, but also to disperse the fibrous components to ensure the reinforcement of the

Sophisticated in every detail In the production of lithium batteries extremely high quality demands are placed on the preparation of the required raw materials – even to the limits of technical feasibility. For example, the contamination of cathode masses by foreign ions – in particular iron – must be avoided at all costs. Lödige has addressed this challenging process-technical task with a special version of the proven Ploughshare® mixer. The mixing drum has a ceramic lining, but due to their more complex geometry a different covering was required for the mixing elements. Together with the mixer shaft and choppers, they were provided with a thin, but extremely tough ceramic coating. The coatings can be adjusted to the respective application. Standard coating materials are based on aluminium oxide or tungsten carbide. In any event, these wear-resistant, hard coatings are designed for long-term operation. Because the battery masses contain toxic and carcinogenic components such as cobalt,

Lödige at the Metec 2019 (Hall 4 / F23) Lödige Process Technology presents industry-specific mixing technology and related processing technologies for metallurgical applications at the Metec 2019 (Hall 4 / F23). Particularly ploughshare mixers—which are based on the mechanically generated fluid bed process patented by Lödige—are ideally suited to the manufacture of sinter material and ore mixtures. One example at the booth (Hall 4 / F23) is the Lödige Ploughshare Mixer® FKM 600 with a drum volume of 600 litres: Specially designed for heavy and coarse, the mixer is outfitted with extremely wear-resistant materials. It has a removable inner rubber lining as wear protection for the cylindrical drum and for the head pieces. The Ploughshare mixing tools are equipped with a hard metal welding made of tungsten carbide. In this way, a Vicker’s hardness of more than 3,000 is achieved, which leads to a considerable increase in service life. Since heavy-duty applications often use products with difficult

Continuously operating Ploughshare® Type KM 2000 mixer Short retention times, constant reproducibility, the highest degree of homogeneity of the final product and versatile application. These are the features that distinguish the continuous Ploughshare® mixer KM developed by Lödige Process Technology. It is thus the right type of mixer for a multitude of applications. The low-maintenance KM is suitable for processing powdery, fibrous or granular solids, as well as liquids and pastes. Granulation processes can also be carried out with the continuous mixer with a minimum dwell-time. The continuous mixer is based on mechanically generated turbulent fluidized bed process, patented by Lödige. During this process, the Ploughshare® shovels rotate close to the wall in a horizontal, cylindrical drum. Their peripheral speed and geometric shape is rated such that they take the mixing components off the drum wall and toss them into the free mixing compartment from the product bed. Due to the continuous mixing of the entire product,

Dry mixes of brake and friction materials in Ploughshare® Mixer Even 70 years after the Ploughshare® Mixer was patented by Lödige, there are still new applications found for the fluid bed principle that was revolutionary at that time. At the SOLIDS 2018 (7 - 8. November 2018 in Dortmund/Germany), Lödige Process Technology (Hall 6/Stand S 05-6) will show a design model of a mixer specifically designed for brake and friction material applications. Lödige has been supplying mixing systems for the friction material industry over the past 40 years. In order to meet the high safety standards of braking systems in passenger cars and other vehicles, these mixes face very specific requirements: brake and friction material mixes notably consist of a multitude of powdery, finely crystalline and fibrous components having extremely different bulk densities. The mixer has to therefore not only mix these components in a homogeneous manner, but also to disperse the fibrous components to ensure the reinforcement of the finished products. This

Operating pressures of up to 40 bar and temperatures up to 700°C Whether oxidation using oxygen gas or implementation with carbon dioxide or ammoniac: the application-specific requirements for gas-solid reactions are complex and call for correspondingly sophisticated technical capabilities. As a Druvatherm VT 50 mixing reactor demonstrates at Achema, Lödige Process Technology offers a broad product portfolio of tailor-made solutions. Lödige’s product offerings range from “simple” solids mixers to drying systems and pressure vessels for reactions under overpressure. In practice, Lödige has already realized operating pressures of up to 40 bar in the reactor. Reactor sizes range from the small laboratory mixer with a 5-litre drum capacity to production machines with a volume of more than 50,000 litres. This equipment can be used both for batch operation and continuous production lines. In these reactors the solid particles move in a fluidized bed that is mechanically generated in the drum. It is created through the input

Efficient, tried-and-tested Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau will be showcasing food-safe solutions for industrial mixing and related process technologies in Hall 10.1 (Stand B040) at Anuga FoodTec. The machines were constructed in accordance with the current international regulations for food-grade hygienic design. An equally efficient and proven example is the Ploughshare® batch mixer FKM 2000. The batch mixer operates according to the mechanically-generated, turbulent fluidized bed principle, developed by Lödige. In the horizontal, cylindrical drum of the type FKM 2000 mixer, Ploughshare® shovels are arranged on a shaft rotate as mixing elements. Powdery, granular or fibrous bulk materials are subjected to three-dimensional movement and the entire product is constantly mixed quickly and accurately. During this process, the product is handled with extreme care. Due to the special shape of the tools, the material to be mixed is taken off the drum wall in a radial movement, effectively preventing

Intensive mixing Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH is presenting the CoriMix® continuous ring layer mixer at Powtech 2017. The basis of the robust system is the high circumferential speed of the mixing unit, which forces the product into a concentric ring layer. The process demonstrates its true strengths wherever liquids have to be distributed very efficiently at high to very high throughput rates. The use of ring layer mixers is also interesting in many industries in terms of cost-effectiveness and versatility. The mixing unit of a ring layer system rotates with circumferential speeds of up to 40 m/s. As a result, the product components are accelerated through centrifugal force. This causes a ring layer to be formed. Within this concentric layer there are enormous differences in speed between the rapidly rotating mixing tools and the stationary container wall. As a consequence: friction is particularly high in the ring layer profile. The specially shaped tools of the mixing unit

Mixing bulk goods Whether the material you need to process is powdered, granular or fibrous, when it comes to the preparation of bulk materials, FKM series Ploughshare® batch mixers from Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH is the perfect equipment. The Paderborn-based mixing experts are presenting the FKM 600D at the POWTECH 2017 show. The machine allows excellent mixing results to be achieved in a very short time - with a high level of batch reproducibility. A low-maintenance mixer concept and easy access to the mixer’s inner parts guarantee maximum availability. The Ploughshare® mixer uses the mechanically generated fluid bed process developed by Lödige. Special mixing tools are arranged systematically on a shaft to achieve a three-dimensional movement of the mixing material. Thanks to this intensive yet gentle product movement, bulk products can be mixed extremely quickly and evenly. Depending on the mixing application, various equipment options are available for the mixers

A well-established all-rounder Lödige’s horizontal Ploughshare® Batch Mixers are excellently equipped to meet current production requirements in the food and pharmaceuticals industry. A FKM 1200 demonstrates the potential of these well-established mixers at Interpack. Lödige’s Ploughshare® mixers of the FKM series have been used for decades in the manufacture of high-quality foods and pharmaceutical products. The mixers are suitable for mixing all solid materials, and they also allow the addition of liquids. What is more, the Ploughshare® Batch Mixers provide a space-saving and cost-efficient alternative to vertical high-shear mixers for the moist granulation of tablet masses as part of the conventional production method for tablets. The horizontal Ploughshare® Batch Mixers of the FKM series are perfect for food and pharmaceuticals production because they combine short mixing times with a very high level of mixing precision and batch reproducibility. This is due to the mechanically

Redefining user-friendly design At Interpack 2017, Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH is presenting a completely new development with the LC Lab laboratory coater. The model complements the LC coater series, which has been specially developed for coating tasks in the pharmaceutical and food industry. The focus during the design of the LC Lab was on laboratory requirements. The innovative features include, among other things, an FDA-compliant housing material, which is used for this type of machine for the first time, a separable drum and a mobile control panel that makes it easy to read out the data. The nozzle arm, which has been equipped with newly developed nozzles, completes the new development. This new addition to Lödige LC coater series is modular and can be equipped with the modules required for the coating process. The LC Lab allows the batch size to be varied. The special feature: the volume of the drum is halved - unlike in conventional systems, however, the drum geometry remains unchanged

Less is more All in one – this Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH understands to be the ability to carry out all steps of a complete process in a ”single-pot” process. Mixing, granulating, coating, drying and heating as well as cooling – all these steps can be performed in a single unit. This concept has been especially developped for the food industry. This machine was designed and built by company Lödige located in Paderborn/Germany upon request of a producer in the food industry: the machine - intended for use in the Research and Development – had to be as compact and as multifunctional as possible. The result is a real all-rounder. The ”single-pot” process achieves chemical reactions or mechanical product treatment in one single machine: several process steps can take place without having to isolate the intermediate products. Depending on the application, all reactants can be added into the machine right at the beginning of the process or one after the other as

Tablet coater in a new design At Powtech, Gebrüder Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH will be showcasing a series of innovations in the field of coating technology for the pharmaceutical industry. The LC series of coaters, specially conceived for coating tablets, has been the subject of extensive redesign. For example, a newly configured airflow now provides a significant boost in efficiency and availability of the machines. Advanced sensors facilitate optimization of the spraying and drying process, and simple and safe adjustment of the nozzle arm makes handling easier. The latest member of the LC coater family will also be exhibited at the trade fair booth: the LC Lab was specially developed for use in the laboratory. With the newly configured air flow, Lödige has significantly increased the throughput capacity for tablet coating. In contrast to the previous forced air feed via an intake boot, the air to the LC series of coaters flows through an air injection manifold over a large circumference of

Top speed for micro-batches With the LC series of coaters, Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH offers a highly efficient solution specifically for coating tasks in the pharmaceutical industry. Thanks to sophisticated process technology, the LC series of coaters works up to 40% faster than conventional devices. Now Lödige is also moving up a gear in small-scale production: the newly-developed lab model LC Lab is a highly efficient addition to the series for micro-batches. The new model is of modular design, enabling it to be assembled according to specific requirements. Batch sizes are variable due to a divisible drum. Furthermore, the machine features an FDA-compliant body material with new functionality. The nozzle arm of the laboratory model was developed together with Düsen-Schlick. As with the proven models of the LC series, the innovative concept permits perfect adjustment of the nozzle position to the tablet bed. This produces optimum results with short process times. In addition, the lab

Open for savings Energy savings are a central topic for Lödige at the „Schüttgut Dortmund (Solids)“. An example is the High Efficiency Shovel® presented by the company located in Paderborn/Germany – a special shovel designed for the mixing of solids in horizontal Ploughshare Mixers. Compared to a standard shovel, this patented development requires less drive power. Substantial energy savings are the result. The innovative shovel concept of the High Efficiency Shovel® – in short HES® – immediately catches the eye: in contrast to standard shovels, the solution developed by the Paderborn-based mixer experts features an opening. The latter results in a significant reduction of about 40% in the starting torque and reduces the idle power. In this way the mixer can be equipped with a motor of less power. The special efficiency of the shovel is also apparent in the operation of the Ploughshare mixer: the torque is reduced by about 10 %, enabling further energy savings. The