Electricity and Control May 2021

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

At a glance  The new automated facility allows for the blending of high accuracy multiple part gas mixtures.  Multipart gas blends range from simple two-component mixtures to others with more than 20 components, at different concentration levels.  The new plant was fully designed and commissioned in-house with some external service providers assisting.

Oxidant filling control panel and PLC.

safety measures were critical because of the proximity of toxic and flammable gases. The nationwide Covid-19 lockdown further complicated the project, halting the installation of new equipment for several months. Despite these delays and challenges, the new plant is now fully operational, with only a few minor works to complete. Production Afrox’s database of speciality gas mixtures contains over 4 000 individual product recipes, ensuring each end prod- uct is fit for purpose. Customised blends are available to meet individual customers’ needs, with each mixture unique to application and industry requirements. Multipart gas blends range from simple two-component mixtures to others with more than twenty components, with concentra- tions ranging from parts per million to percentage levels. The company’s experienced technical team formulates the mixtures and is supported by the latest thermodynamic software to ensure safety, accuracy and stability. The new speciality gases facility will be certified to ISO17034, ISO17025 and ISO9001 standards, which will enable Afrox to blend and analyse Certified Reference Standards, Primary Gravimetric Standards, Calibration Standards, and standard gas mixtures. Products from Afrox’s extensive range of special gases

Toxic component manifold. The separation of oxidant and flammable mixtures is an additional benefit of the new facility.

Analytical sampling bays and mixtures awaiting analysis.

are widely used in the automotive and petrochemicals in- dustries, and play an important role in mining and metallur- gy. Afrox also has longstanding partnerships in the health- care and pharmaceutical industries, supplying precise, bespoke gas mixtures. In addition, the company operates at the forefront of environmental management, providing products, services and expertise to help customers tackle environmental challenges. □

For more information visit: www.afrox.linde.com

Modernised analytical services.

Electricity + Control MAY 2021

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