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

Ultimate drying performance with optimized energy consumption.

This type of vacuum filter is particularly gentle on sediments.

Optimal mixing quality with short mixing times.

Reliable, high-precision filters for rapidly settling solids.

Short process times with gentle product treatment.

A compact system to automatically and fully clarify turbid liquids

Gentle and intensive mixing with optimal complete discharge.

Delivers high throughput rates for difficult-to-filter suspensions

High throughput rates with compact dimensions.

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.

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.

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.

Fly ash, which is produced during incineration for energy generation, contains highly reactive substances such as free lime (CaO). For this reason, it must not go to landfill untreated, but must first be conditioned in a multi-stage process. In order to carry out this demanding process safely and efficiently, one of Italy's largest electricity suppliers equipped its power plant with AVA mixers from BHS-Sonthofen.

A Swiss pharmaceutical company has successfully deployed an indexing belt filter (BF) to produce an herbal extract using an extraction and filtration process.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hall 5, Booth C34

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.