Major Inspection at CERN AERZEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIG BANG THEORY The European large-scale research institution CERN in Geneva has the world’s largest particle accelerator, which is subject to a general overhaul - including the installed compressors made by Aerzener. Cross section through the annular channel of the particle accelerator Compressor station with five VMY 536 machines made by Aerzener Aerial photo with position of the ringIn the accelerator known as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) protons are made to collide at high speeds in order to reproduce the occurrences during the so-called “big bang”. Last year, researchers proved with 99.9 per cent certainty the existence of the Higgs-Boson elementary particle, which had been known until then only hypothetically. At present CERN has 20 member states, about 3,200 employees and approximately 10,000 guest researchers. The 26.6 kilometre long annular accelerator, located at a depth of 100 metres, had been in continuous operation for three years. In February, CERN started shutting down the accelerator for a general overhaul and finally switched it off completely.In order to cool the magnets of the annular channel with helium, a complex cooling system has been installed which achieves a temperature of 1.9 Kelvin (-271.3 °C), i.e. near absolute zero. This includes 20 refrigerating compressors type VMY 536, distributed among four compressor stations. After careful preparation, and due to the tight schedule, 17 of these compressors are currently undergoing a general overhaul at the Aerzen repair centre while the accelerator is at a standstill. Nothing must be allowed to hinder the accelerator’s trouble-free operation and further experiments.
Pleasant and Successful Co-operation For the first time in Aerzener Maschinenfabrik’s company history, the engineering for a VMY compressor package has been carried out in Aerzen, within a recently completed and very successful process gas project. Our subsidiary, Aerzen USA, was responsible for the project management, the packaged unit assembly and start-up.A packaged unit, specially designed for the American market, is the oil-injected compressor, type VMY 436 B. This machine differs from the established Aerzen standard in a number of essential respects. The customer, Tesoro, a leading company in the American energy industry, stipulates that components have to originate mainly from American manufacturers.The design process was the result of close team- work between Aerzen USA and the design management unit of the Process Gas Division (PGD). In consultation with possible suppliers, the components were integrated into a 3D model of the entire unit. Installation and a functional test of the packaged unit were carried out by a qualified American packager under the leadership of Aerzen USA and the department PGD.
Spare Parts: Better Take the Original! Aerzen original spare parts are specially designed for the compressors and blowers of Aerzener Maschinenfabrik. Consequently, they provide a high degree of reliability and safety. In addition, Aerzen After Sales Service offers warranty, a large inventory and a quick identification of the correct parts as well as short delivery and response times. In short: Confidence is good – Original is better!
30th Anniversary of Aerzen USA In September, Aerzen USA celebrated its 30th anniversary. Before the start of the official events to mark this anniversary, a “National Sales Meeting” took place. All representatives from environmental engineering, as well as employees of Aerzen Canada and Aerzen Mexico, were invited. Nearly 60 staff members participated in this conference, such that nearly every agent and almost every Federal State in the U.S. had been represented. This underlines the strong market presence and significance of Aerzen USA. During the two-day conference, the product programme of Blower, Hybrid and Turbo had priority. Special attention was also given to a new test bench at Aerzen USA, and a live presentation of a Hybrid and a Turbo package was given.The anniversary events included an “Open House” day, as well as an evening event for employees. Aerzen USA welcomed more than 200 guests to this event, mainly customers and suppliers, but also a number of local business leaders.The culmination of the anniversary events was the first “North American Service Meeting” which took place the following week in the premises of Aerzen USA.
40th Anniversary of Aerzen Machines Limited Aerzen Machines Limited, based in Loughton, Essex, celebrated its 40th anniversary in November. This subsidiary is responsible for the whole of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and is certified as per ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 and checked by UVDB, SAFE Contractor, PICS. The subsidiary has been acknowledged as an ‘Investor in People’.In recent years, the company has invested heavily in personnel, and in organisational and technical matters. Product managers are responsible for the following fields: process gas, biogas and compressed air. In addition, a new grinding and painting machine has been installed and a special test bench has been developed.
Aerzen Andina in New Premises In July, Aerzen subsidiary Aerzen Andina, which was founded in 2007, moved into its new premises near the Andean metropolis of Bogota in Colombia. The availability of more space, and better working conditions, convinced Managing Director Ricardo Castillo to make this move. Eleven employees work at the 650 m2 new premises and they take care of customers from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia in respect of blowers and compressors. Castillo is optimistic, that the additional capacity will be fully utilised within five years. At present, Aerzen Andina is working on comprehensive plans to pro- vide even better support to the key customers in the neighbouring countries
