+49 8321 6099-530 process-technology@bhs-sonthofen.com
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+49 8321 6099-530 process-technology@bhs-sonthofen.com
To contact

Our mission: Transforming materials into value

We help companies in the process industry to increase and improve production worldwide: Whether for the chemical, pharmaceutical, power generation, and food and feed industry, we leverage our process technology expertise to modify basic materials in order to deliver added value to our customers.

Filtration

Cake filtration is what we do. We provide advice and assist you with a wide range of separation projects. Your process is always at the focus of our attention. We study each individual process step and then find the right filtration solution for you.

Drying

Our core competencies include drying, in particular contact drying and other heat treatment processes. We keep the product in constant movement to ensure high process efficiency, even at high temperatures.

Mixing

We have intimate knowledge of all aspects of mixing, which allows us to deliver the results you require in terms of homogeneity and product characteristics – even in highly complex mixing tasks.

Reacting

We have expertise in a number of chemical conversion processes. Our specialists have experience dealing with challenging reaction conditions and design the reactor system to match the conditions.

Filtration technology

Opting for the right technology in solid-liquid filtration plays a key role in increasing efficiency and implementing process optimizations in large plants. Owing to our in-depth know-how, we are experts in cake filtration. In 1953, we developed the first rotary pressure filter. Since that time, we have been manufacturing filters and complete filtration systems for mechanical solid-liquid separation using pressure and vacuum filtration for both batch and continuous processes. At present, there are thousands of BHS filtration systems in use around the world. We offer our customers not only a comprehensive product range, but first and foremost optimal process consulting. We continually invest in research and development and introduce new processes. You can rely on our solutions for the chemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and plastics industries, as well as those used in power generation and raw material extraction.

Benefits at a glance:

  •  Optimizing processes & increasing efficiency
  •  Solutions for batch and continuous processes
  •  Individual process consulting
  •  Outstanding process expertise

Benefits at a glance:

  • Perfect mixing quality
  • Short process times
  • Gentle processing
  • Consistently reproducible product quality

Drying, mixing and reacting

Mechanical, thermal, and chemical process engineering as well as the detailed observation of material flows are the cornerstones of BHS’ system design excellence. Efficient machines that cover as many process steps as possible – that’s our prime directive.

The process steps from A to Z are as follows: coating, cooling, crystallizing, de-agglomeration, drying, evaporating, extracting, granulating, heat treatment, homogenizing, humidifying, mixing, moistening, reacting, solidifying, and stripping.

Machine portfolio

Rotary pressure filter (RPF)

A single rotation of the drum entails a number of different process steps, demonstrating the many facets of filtration.

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Horizontal dryer (HTC-T/HTK-T)

Ultimate drying performance with optimized energy consumption.

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Indexing belt filter (BF)

This type of vacuum filter is particularly gentle on sediments.

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Horizontal mixer (AVA HTC/HTK)

Optimal mixing quality with short mixing times.

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Rubber belt filter (BFR)

Reliable, high-precision filters for rapidly settling solids.

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Vertical dryer (AVA HVW-T)

Short process times with gentle product treatment.

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Candle filter (CF)

A compact system to automatically and fully clarify turbid liquids

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Vertical mixer (AVA HVW)

Gentle and intensive mixing with optimal complete discharge.

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Pressure plate filter (PF)

Delivers high throughput rates for difficult-to-filter suspensions

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Ringlayer mixer (AVA HRM)

High throughput rates with compact dimensions.

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Solutions

Glycol regeneration
Chemicals & biochemicals
Mineral substances & mineral salts
Plastics
Dyes & pigments
Catalysts
Antibiotics
Natural extracts
Pharmaceutical substances (APIs)

Tests give certainty

Which technology is the right one for your process? Don’t leave anything to chance. In our test center and filtration laboratory, we test according to your specifications and identify the optimal solution for you.

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Success stories

FGD gypsum: indexing belt filter deployed in Scandinavia

November 2020
BHS-Sonthofen is helping a power plant in Scandinavia transform a waste product back into a raw material: high-purity FGD gypsum with a residual moisture content of 10% (90% solids) can be resold directly to the construction materials industry. Since 2007, the power plant has been operating a flue gas cleaning system that uses a BHS indexing belt filter (BF). An additional filter has now been ordered. The combustion processes produce flue gas that is contaminated with sulfur compounds. Milk of lime is used to remove the sulfur compounds. Gypsum slurry is produced as a by-product, the residual moisture content of which must be brought down to 10% and any corrosive compounds need to be removed. The BHS indexing belt filter performs both of these tasks using its efficient cake washing. The system has been running smoothly since it was installed.
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Moistening incinerator bottom ash with the BHS pug mill

October 2020
Waste is turning into an increasingly important source of raw materials. Even incinerator bottom ash still contains a large number of materials that can potentially be recycled. Metals such as iron, copper, and aluminum make up about ten percent of the ash. But what happens to the non-recyclable fraction? It must be deposited in landfills in a safe manner for as long as possible. However, operators of waste incineration plants face the challenge that incinerator bottom ash emits a considerable amount of dust. A North American waste incineration plant operator therefore decided to humidify the ash using a total of five BHS pug mills. The mixers of type AVA HTK now reliably convert the ashes into a dust-free, transportable product at three sites.
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Dryers for high-purity plant proteins

September 2020
Plant proteins often form an essential part of a vegetarian or vegan diet, which is why they are in high demand. However, several process steps are required to obtain high-purity plant proteins suitable for human consumption from almonds, sunflowers or quinoa, for example. One of the challenges is the final drying process. BHS-Sonthofen has supplied a special dryer for this purpose to a German plant protein producer.
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Indexing Belt Filter (BF) Used for Herbal Extract Production in Switzerland

October 2019
A Swiss pharmaceutical company has successfully deployed an indexing belt filter (BF) to produce an herbal extract using an extraction and filtration process.
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Candle filters used in Russia’s gold mining industry

April 2019
BHS-Sonthofen’s international renown for filtration expertise has really paid off: Process Plants International, an Australian company, recommended BHS-Sonthofen candle filters to a gold processing plant in Amursk, Russia. Two large filters for removing foreign particles from the condensate stream in pressure oxidation reactors were delivered at the end of April 2018. They do not simply replace the previously used technology, but also optimize it.
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Utilizing egg yolk powder effectively thanks to continuous filtration and drying

April 2019
An internationally operating pharmaceutical company extracts phospholipids from egg yolk and further processes the by-product into an additive for animal feed. Thanks to technological solutions from BHS-Sonthofen and AVA, the company succeeded in optimizing its processes. The solutions consisted of a continuous belt filter from BHS and a horizontal contour dryer from AVA, both of which are ATEX compliant and designed in accordance with GMP. AVA became part of the BHS Group in April 2018 – and the companies’ product portfolios complement each other perfectly.
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New approaches for the removal of catalysts from API suspensions

January 2019
The pharmaceutical industry has changed considerably. This is particularly the case for safety measures in the production of pharmaceutical substances (so-called APIs – Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients). This also applies to the removal of catalysts from API suspensions in particular, a processing step that has a direct impact on the quality of pharmaceutical products. BHS-Sonthofen supports companies from the pharmaceutical industry in using new filtration solutions that boast improved efficiency and reduce environmental impacts in the production of active ingredients.
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Retrofitting in amino acid production: BHS supplies rotary pressure filters for the dietary supplement industry

September 2018
L-threonine is an essential amino acid in both the animal and human diet and is produced on an industrial scale across the world. An American manufacturer of dietary supplements was using outdated horizontal automated filter presses to filter L-threonine crystals. BHS-Sonthofen tested its different filter systems for use in this challenging filter application, and, together with the customer, decided on rotary pressure filters as a high-performance alternative that also optimally suits the existing production process.
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Five filter systems ensure efficient natural gas processing in Iran

July 2018
Successful launch of sales activities in Iran: Five BHS-Sonthofen filter systems were ordered as part of the Iranian Bid Boland II natural gas production project. The systems will fully automatically clean the amines used for gas scrubbing, thus enabling a closed, environmentally friendly and affordable amine circuit.
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Optimal coffee extraction with rotary pressure filter

April 2018
BHS Rotary Pressure Filters of type RPF contribute to a highly concentrated, high-quality extract. And these are the features that count when it comes to producing food and dietary supplements. In terms of coffee, the consumer always expects a product whose flavors were extracted in a mild, low-temperature process. Manufacturers of soluble coffee benefit from higher yields using the same or even less water – and consumers enjoy particularly rich flavors.
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Events

2nd Virtual Battery Exhibition

27.04.-03.05.2021 | Virtual Event
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ACHEMA 2022

04.04.-08.04.2022 | Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
Hall 5, Booth C34
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News

BHS-Sonthofen delivers two indexing belt filters for the production of plastics

04. March 2021
BHS-Sonthofen has delivered to the U.S. a system comprising two indexing belt filters for use in the manufacture of intermediates for a particularly tear-resistant plastic. To meet the high-quality requirements for the industry, BHS designed a cascade reflux wash for treating the filter cake, which ensures reduced water consumption for the necessary retention time. Before delivery, extensive lab and pilot testing was conducted in BHS’s American test center.
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BHS-Sonthofen consolidates process technology expertise within company

28. January 2021
BHS-Sonthofen is bringing together its collective process expertise in filtration, mixing, drying, granulation, sterilization and reaction in the newly created Process Technology division. As of 1 January 2021, AVA GmbH & Co. KG and the Filtration Technology division have been operating jointly under the BHS-Sonthofen Process Technology GmbH & Co. KG name with headquarters in Sonthofen and a site in Herrsching. Their activities are targeted primarily at the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
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BHS-Sonthofen acquires control technology provider Thoma

07. January 2020
BHS-Sonthofen considerably expanded its portfolio in all things control technology at the turn of the year. Its newly founded subsidiary BHS Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG. acquired Thoma Elektrosteuerungsanlagen GmbH from Babenhausen near Memmingen as part of an asset purchase agreement on 1 January 2020. This will allow BHS-Sonthofen to significantly expand its expertise in the area of control technology. Alongside Thoma’s existing business fields, BHS Control Systems is taking on the tasks of planning and implementing plant control systems for projects undertaken by BHS-Sonthofen and AVA GmbH & Co. KG, the latter of which was acquired in 2018.
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BHS-Sonthofen launches new sales company in China

30. October 2019
BHS-Sonthofen is opening a sales company in China on 1 November 2019. The new subsidiary of the German mechanical engineering company will primarily focus on process technology solutions for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries under the company name BHS-Sonthofen Process Solutions (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
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A major investment: BHS-Sonthofen opens a new, modern test center

27. July 2019
On 26 July 2019, BHS-Sonthofen unveiled a new and modern test center in Sonthofen, Germany. The investment of €3.8 million underscores the Group’s leading position as a process consultant and solution provider for mechanical process technology with a focus on mixing, crushing, recycling and filtration technologies. BHS will perform production-scale tests at the center on all machines and processes offered by the company.
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Utilizing egg yolk powder effectively thanks to continuous filtration and drying

08. April 2019
An internationally operating pharmaceutical company extracts phospholipids from egg yolk and further processes the by-product into an additive for animal feed. Thanks to technological solutions from BHS-Sonthofen and AVA, the company succeeded in optimizing its processes. The solutions consisted of a continuous belt filter from BHS and a horizontal contour dryer from AVA, both of which are ATEX-compliant and designed in accordance with GMP. AVA became part of the BHS Group in April 2018 – and the companies’ product portfolios complement each other perfectly.
Learn more

Candle filters used in Russia’s gold mining industry

14. March 2019
BHS-Sonthofen’s international renown for filtration expertise has really paid off: Process Plants International, an Australian company, recommended BHS-Sonthofen candle filters to a gold processing plant in Amursk, Russia. Two large filters for removing foreign particles from the condensate stream in pressure oxidation reactors were delivered at the end of April. They do not simply replace the previously used technology, but also optimize it.
Learn more

BHS-Sonthofen is one of ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Europe’

29. October 2018
The BHS-Sonthofen Group is proud to be included in the ‘Top 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe’ report of the London Stock Exchange, which was published on 25 September 2018 and announced at the European Parliament in Brussels.
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Best flavor thanks to extraction with BHS Rotary Pressure Filters

27. August 2018
Replacing extraction columns with rotary pressure filters – Instant products provide consumers with natural flavors in a concentrated, long-lasting format. The final granulate is the result of a multi-stage procedure that starts with extraction. Hot water or steam is used to leach aromas from a solid. Traditionally, this process step involves the use of extraction columns. BHS has optimized extraction processes for various customers by introducing rotary pressure filters. This increases the yield and improves the taste of the final product. Owing to these properties, producers and end consumers both benefit from the alternative process.
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Production of antibiotics in the pharmaceutical industry: Significant increase in production thanks to continuous filtration

06. August 2018
Significant savings, greater yields and improved throughput – pharmaceutical companies can reap significant benefits by moving from batch production to a continuous antibiotics manufacturing process. One stand-out project improved productivity figures by roughly 150 percent. The rotary pressure filter from BHS-Sonthofen plays a key part in this success story.
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+49 8321 6099-530 process-technology@bhs-sonthofen.com
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